Crash of a Consolidated B-24J-75-CO Liberator near Wakro: 9 killed

Date & Time: May 25, 1944
Operator:
Registration:
42-100184
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Yankai - Chabua
MSN:
3333
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a ferry flight from Yankai, China, to Chabua AFB. Some 30 minutes prior to the ETA, the four engine aircraft hit tree tops and crashed in a mountainous terrain located in the region of Wakro. All 9 occupants were killed. The three passengers were on their way home.
Crew (308th Bomb Group):
1/Lt Robert W. King, pilot,
Lt John B. Byron, copilot,
1/Lt Eugene L. Bernstein, navigator,
T/Sgt Robert R. Riley, flight engineer and air gunner,
T/Sgt John J. Reagan, radio operator and air gunner,
S/Sgt Garland J. Reed, air gunner.
Passengers:
Cpt Thomas H. Clare,
S/Sgt Raymond J. Bridge,
Cpl Merle L. Pickup.
Photos available on
http://www.miarecoveries.org/gal13_B-24J_42-100184.html

Crash of a Boeing B-29-15-BW Superfortress near Karachi

Date & Time: Apr 21, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
42-6369
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
3503
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a ferry flight from the US to Karachi when he encountered dust storm over Pakistan and was forced to abandon the aircraft that crashed 20 miles southeast of Karachi. The aircraft was destroyed as all occupants were rescued.

Crash of a Boeing B-29-1-BW Superfortress in Cairo-Payne AFB

Date & Time: Apr 18, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
42-6249
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
3383
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crash landed in Cairo-Payne AFB for unknown reason. No casualties.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II near Keswick: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jan 24, 1944
Operator:
Registration:
JP182
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Kinloss - Kemble
Location:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
Crew was performing a ferry flight from RAF Kinloss to RAF Kemble, Wiltshire. En route, while cruising at low altitude, aircraft hit Mt Crag located near Keswick. Both crew were killed.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina off Makapuu Point: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 12, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
04445
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Kaneohe Bay – Alameda
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
Few minutes after its departure from Kaneohe Bay NAS, the seaplane crashed into the sea off Makapuu Point, Oahu. Seven crew members were injured while the captain was killed.

Crash of a Martin B-26C-5-MO Marauder on Acklins Island

Date & Time: Apr 7, 1943 at 1215 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
41-34720
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Morrison AFB - Borinquen
Country:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
465
Captain / Total hours on type:
200.00
Circumstances:
The crew departed Morrison AFB (Pam Beach) at 0830LT on a ferry flight to Borinquen, Porto Rico. En route, the crew attempted to transfer fuel from the auxiliary tanks but the process failed because the fuel transfer mechanism would not function properly. As there was insufficient fuel in the main tank, the crew decided to bail out and abandoned the aircraft that entered a dive and crashed on Acklins Island, bursting into flames. All four crew members were uninjured.
Crew:
Jesse F. Hunt,
Arnold Stern,
Billy R. Williams,
Ralph E. Stevens.

Thanks to Eric Wiberg and Michael Stowe for information provided.
Probable cause:
The cause of this accident was the failure of the fuel transfer mechanism to function properly for reasons unknown to the committee.
Final Report:

Crash of a Lockheed 12 Electra Junior on Mt Low Water Tarn: 3 killed

Date & Time: Oct 14, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
LA622
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Ayr – Hendon
MSN:
1277
YOM:
1942
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
En route to Hendon, the twin engine aircraft hit the slope of Mt Low Water Tarn located near Coniston, Cumbria. All three occupants were killed, two pilots from the American manufacturer Lockheed and an Inspector of the Royal Air Force.
Crew:
George Werner Bransom, pilot.
Osbourne R. Keith, pilot.
Passenger:
F/O George Bevil Grenfell.

Crash of a Tupolev PS-40 on Mt Karzhantau: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 19, 1942 at 0700 LT
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L3541
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Tashkent – Frunze – Alma-Ata – Semipalatinsk
MSN:
14/215
YOM:
1939
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Aircraft flight hours:
540
Circumstances:
The crew was in charge to transfer the airplane to its new base in Semipalatinsk and departed Tashkent Airport at 0625LT. En route stops were scheduled in Frunze (Bishkek) and Alma-Ata. About 40 minutes after departure, weather conditions deteriorated on the east part of Uzbekistan with a sand storm. As the airplane failed to arrive in Frunze, SAR operations were initiated but eventually suspended as no trace of the airplane was found. The wreckage was eventually found in 1943 at an altitude of 2,501 metres, on the Karzhantau Mountain Range, some 65 km northeast of Tashkent. The airplane impacted the slope of the mountain about 100 metres below the summit and was partially destroyed by a post crash fire. All three crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the pilot failed to follow the prescribed route and continued at an insufficient altitude to pass the Karzhantau Mountain Range. Thus, it is considered that the accident was the consequence of a controlled flight into terrain while flying in marginal weather conditions.

Crash of an Ilyushin DB-3F in Voronezh: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 13, 1942 at 1700 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
7613
YOM:
1942
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Voronezh Airport, while climbing to a height of 70-75 metres, the airplane entered a high nose attitude, stalled and rolled to the right. Out of control, it descended to the ground and crashed near the runway end. Both crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
Loss of control during initial climb after the pilot failed to position the elevator trim tab in a correct position for takeoff.

Crash of a Lockheed 12A Electra Junior in Ensenada

Date & Time: Apr 2, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Los Angeles - Ensenada
MSN:
1239
YOM:
1938
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The pilot, sole aboard, was completing a ferry flight from Los Angeles. The twin engine crashed on landing for unknown reason. While the pilot was unhurt, the aircraft christened 'Presidente Venustiano Carranza' was written off.