Crash of a Consolidated B-24L-5-CO Liberator in Fenton: 2 killed
Date & Time:
Feb 2, 1945 at 2355 LT
Operator:
Registration:
A72-88
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Fenton - Fenton
MSN:
5396
YOM:
1944
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The four engine aircraft crashed when attempting to land at Fenton Airfield, in the Northern Territory, following a bombing raid on Japanese shipping targets in Timor. The Liberator was out of fuel and losing height rapidly. It was just before midnight and conditions were very hazy and the pilot, Flight Lieutenant Arthur Cambridge, could not see the runway flare path. On his first approach to land, he was too far to the left of the runway. He was advised of this by radio contact with ground control. On his second attempt to land, three of the four fuel pressure gauges dropped to zero and the Liberator swung violently to port. Cambridge ordered the crew to crash positions and with his undercarriage still retracted the Liberator crashed through some trees 3 kilometers from Fenton Airfield and struck the ground in a more or less level attitude. A fire broke out below the flight deck, possibly due to damage to the auxiliary power unit. Two crew members were killed while nine other occupants were rescued.
Crew (24th Squadron):
F/Lt Arthur Aram Cambridge, pilot,
W/O F. Crawford, copilot,
F/Lt John Richard Parkinson, bombardier, †
F/O Ivan Fernley Coward, navigator,
F/O Geoffrey Wallace Rhodes, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Sgt Allen George Cullen, flight engineer,
F/O John McPherson Pitt, air gunner, †
F/Lt Victor Charles Edward Scanlon, air gunner,
P/O Geoffrey Neil Johnson, radio operator,
Sgt Ernest Lancelot Francis, air gunner,
Sgt Ernest William Jennings, air gunner.
Source: http://www.ozatwar.com/nt29.htm
Crew (24th Squadron):
F/Lt Arthur Aram Cambridge, pilot,
W/O F. Crawford, copilot,
F/Lt John Richard Parkinson, bombardier, †
F/O Ivan Fernley Coward, navigator,
F/O Geoffrey Wallace Rhodes, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Sgt Allen George Cullen, flight engineer,
F/O John McPherson Pitt, air gunner, †
F/Lt Victor Charles Edward Scanlon, air gunner,
P/O Geoffrey Neil Johnson, radio operator,
Sgt Ernest Lancelot Francis, air gunner,
Sgt Ernest William Jennings, air gunner.
Source: http://www.ozatwar.com/nt29.htm
Probable cause:
Fuel exhaustion on final approach.
