Meteorological / Weather

In the morning, the airplane departed RAF Brawdy for a sortie but was unable to return to base due to poor weather conditions. The crew diverted to RAF Westonzoyland where it landed at 1245LT. The crew departed RAF Westonzoyland in the early afternoon for a meteorological survey mission over the Atlantic. In the evening, while returning to base, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and the visibility was limited due to fog. Also, communications between the crew and ATC seemed to be interrupted. While completing an extended circuit to land, the airplane impacted the slope of a hill located in the Quantock Hills, about 20 km west of RAF Westonzoyland. The wreckage was found about 1,5 km northeast from the village of Crowcombe. All nine crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Keith Gordon Proverbs, pilot,
F/O John Joseph Frederick Hobden, pilot,
F/Sgt Dennis Norman Everett, flight engineer,
F/O Lindsay George McMillan, navigator,
F/O Patrick Alfred Bee, wireless operator,
W/O Roy Donald Cartwright, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Robert William Vinton, wireless operator,
Sgt John Macilrick Bryce Gordon, meteorologist,
Sgt Louis Grimble Groves, meteorologist.

The aircraft took off from Wick at 0930LT for a routine met reconnaissance RECIPE sortie, a straight line track north from Wick to 69N 02W and return. The aircraft encountered snow and ice about 4 hours north of Wick on the return leg, and these persisted for the remainder of the flight. When the aircraft approached Wick at about 2000LT, the weather was atrocious, low cloud, frequent showers and a strong gusty wind. The aircraft was heard over the airfield and given a course to fly, but contact was then lost. At 2040LT, the Fortress flew into a gently sloping hill, probably Cnocan Ruar, at an altitude of 700 feet. Six crew members were killed while three others were injured.
Crew (519th Squadron):
F/Lt F. K. Humphries, pilot,
F/O G. H. Pullan, pilot,
F/O T. G. Wrigley, pilot,
F/S Geoffrey Arthur Francis Panzer, air gunner, †
F/S William Henry Payne, flight engineer, †
F/S Kenneth Anthony Ian Day, air gunner, †
Sgt Alexander Purdie Beatson, wireless operator, †
E. A. Wood, †
D. A. Pressley. †
Source:
http://www.aircrashsites-scotland.co.uk/boeing_b-17e_loch-rangag.htm

The crew was performing a meteorological mission (called MERCER) over the Atlantic Ocean and left the RAF Tiree in Scotland during the day. After completing two circuits, the crew was returning to his base and while passing over Ireland, the aircraft was too low by night and hit a cliff near Bundoran, Donegal County. All eight occupants were killed.
Crew:
Lloyd Joyce Upshall, pilot,
Clarence Loree Scott, pilot,
Norman Glyn Gzowski, navigator,
Vladimir Adamic, wireless operator,
Frederick Edward Dawson, wireless operator,
Frank Ash, wireless operator,
Frederick Lewarne Eric Hussey, flight engineer,
Donald Parr Hewitson, meteorological observer.

The take off run was too long and the aircraft took off late. After rotation, it hit tree tops located at the end of the runway, stalled and crashed in a huge explosion in a wooded area. All ten crew members were killed.
Crew:
2nd Lt Otto H. Ahlers
M/Sgt John P. Buchanan,
S/Sgt Bernard Cohen,
T/Sgt Peter W. Costello,
Cpl Matthew Ekes,
Sgt Ralph W. Harding,
2nd Lt William H. Holcomb,
F/Lt Howard Harry John Leigh-Clare,
W/Cdr Jack Herbert Osborne,
2nd Lt LaVerne P. Rissinger.

The crew was performing a meteorological reconnaissance mission over the North Pacific Ocean. While cruising off Kiska Island, Aleutian Islands, the aircraft crashed into the sea in unknown circumstances, killing all six occupants.

The pilot departed Ashgabat Airport to collect meteorological data. While flying in poor weather conditions, he lost control of the airplane that crashed on the slope of Mt Gora Markou (1,530 metres high) located about 25 km west of Ashgabat. As the airplane failed to return to base, SAR operations were initiated and the wreckage was found a week later, on April 25, some 20-30 metres below the summit of the mountain. The airplane was destroyed and the pilot was killed.

The airplane was completing a weather operation along the Norwegian coast when it suffered an engine failure and crashed somewhere in the North Sea. Lost without trace.
Crew:
Oblt Johann Marthe, pilot,
Reg Rat Frank Weiland, meteorologist,
Fw Walter Zink, radio operator,
Ofw Alfons Müller, flying engineer.

The airplane suffered an engine failure and is believed to have crashed somewhere in the North Sea. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Ofw Gabriel Hummel, pilot,
Ernst-Christian Westermann, meteo,
Ofw Paul Keller, radio operator.

The airplane suffered an engine failure and crashed upon takeoff from Lanvéoc-Poulmic NAS. A crew was injured and the airplane was damaged beyond repair.
Crew:
Uffz Kurt Sier, pilot,
Arthur Klanke, meteo,
Gefr Gerhard Tiedt, radio operator,
Uffz Johannes Nass, air gunner.

The airplane departed Rostov-on-Don Airport at 0602LT on a meteorological mission over the area. While cruising at an altitude of 5,000 metres, the crew encountered an unexpected situation with the right engine. Following the advice from the mechanic, the pilot shut down the right engine then decided to return to Rostov Airport. On final approach on one engine, the airplane' speed dropped to 150 km/h then it stalled and crashed 2 km from the runway threshold. The pilot and the mechanic were injured and the meteorologist was killed.