Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Autonomous Region of Bougainville

Schedule:

Honiara - Piva

MSN:

414-3825

YOM:

1941

Location:

Piva

Country:

Papua New Guinea

Region:

Oceania

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On final approach, the twin engine aircraft stalled, crashed onto the runway and exploded. Two crew members were seriously injured while three others were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt Robert Lamason, †
F/O Wilfred Hall, †
LAC John Medhurst, †
W/O P. Doody,
LAC R. McAnich.

Crash of a Curtiss R5C-1 Commando near Shanghai

Date & Time: Apr 23, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Curtiss C-46 Commando

Operator:

Registration:

39512

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

MSN:

26712

YOM:

1943

Location:

Shanghai

Country:

China

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed southwest of Shanghai-Kiangwan Airport. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Boeing B-17G-95-BO Flying Fortress near Ramsey: 31 killed

Date & Time: Apr 23, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

43-38856

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Ridgewell – Belfast

MSN:

9834

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft was on its way from RAF Ridgewell to Belfast-Nutts Corner Airport with a crew of five and 26 US soldiers on a 3-day leave. While cruising at an altitude of 2,000 feet, the aircraft hit the slope of Mt North Barrule located 2 miles south of Ramsey. The wreckage was found meters from the summit and all 31 occupants were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Charles Earl Ackerman,
Cpl Earl G. Ammerman,
Cpl Edward G. Bailey,
Pvt Andrew R. Barbour,
1st Lt John P. Fedak,
Cpl Thomas P. Flaherty,
T/Sgt William E. Geist,
M/Sgt Edward Z. Gelman,
S/Sgt Ralph L. Gibbs,
T/Sgt Joseph L. Gray,
Cpl Herbert C. Gupton Jr.,
T/Sgt Wesley M. Hagen,
Sgt Irwin R. Hargraves,
1st Lt Wayne W. Hart,
1st Lt James M. Hinkle,
F/O Edwin A. Hutcheson Jr.,
Sgt Michael J. Kakos Jr.,
T/Sgt David H. Lindon,
S/Sgt Wayne K. Manes,
Sgt Jose M. Martinez,
S/Sgt Alfred M. Mata,
1st Lt Martin M. Matyas,
Cpl Leslie H. Maxwell Jr.,
Tec Walter A. McCullough,
1st Lt Lawrence E. McGhehey,
Tec Andrew Piter Jr.,
Pfc Angelo Quagliariello,
Cpl Merle L. Ramsowr,
T/Sgt Joseph W. Sullivan.

Crash of Avro 683 Lancaster III in RAF Fulbeck: 21 killed

Date & Time: Apr 22, 1945 at 1000 LT

Type of aircraft:

Avro 683 Lancaster

Operator:

Registration:

PB463

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Schedule:

Fulbeck - Syerston

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after lift off, the aircraft went out of control and crashed on a depot. All six crew members were killed and 15 people on the ground as well.
Crew (49th Squadron):
F/O G. F. Elkington, pilot,
F/S C. I. Walker, flight engineer,
F/S L. W. Evans, navigator,
F/S J. W. Petch, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/O H. Macaulay, bombardier,
F/S M. J. C. Garrett, air gunner.
Those killed on the ground were:
AC2 George Henry Brenchley,
AC1 Robert John Clewley,
F/O George Frank Elkington,
F/S Leonard William Evans,
F/S Maurice John Clive Garrett,
SGT Cyril Lesley Hammond,
CPL Haydn Spencer Hancox,
F/O Hugh Macaulay,
LAC Leonard Masterman,
F/S John William Petch,
LAC Frank Plumtree,
LAC James William Rogers,
F/S Cyril Ivan Walker,
F/L Geoffrey Wimpenny,
LAC William Wright.

Crash of a Junkers JU.352 Herkules in Börnersdorf: 8 killed

Date & Time: Apr 21, 1945 at 0600 LT

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.352 Herkules

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Berlin – Prague

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

At 0600LT, while overflying Saxony, the three engine aircraft crashed in flames in a wooded area located in Börnersdorf. A crew member was rescued while eight others were killed. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire.

Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL in Sweetwater: 25 killed

Date & Time: Apr 20, 1945 at 0640 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

41-18451

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Canadian Vickers PBV-1 Canso (OA-10 Canso)

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Midland – Nashville

MSN:

4513

YOM:

1942

Location:

Sweetwater

Texas

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Enroute, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with thunderstorm activity and turbulence. While cruising at an estimated altitude of 5,000 feet, the twin engine aircraft went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in a field located 4 miles south of Sweetwater. All 25 occupants were killed.
Crew:
2nd Lt Richard Britton Arnold,
1st Lt James A. Bailey,
1st Lt David L. Bennell,
Sgt Robert H. Blaess,
Cpl Daniel B. Boone,
Pfc Grady O. Boyd,
Pfc Kenneth W. Carlson,
Cpl Vincent R. DiSterano,
Sgt William T. Downey,
Sgt William H. Edwards,
1st Lt Leonard K. Epperly,
Pvt Robert L. Fuller,
Sgt Robert C. Goodenough,
Pfc William A. Green,
Cpl D. E. Jennelle,
1st Lt Samuel Kamrass,
Pfc James D. McLaughlin,
1st Lt Chester W. Mrozek,
1st Lt Frank A. Prete,
Cpt John R. Rawls,
1st Lt Joseph A. Scieszka,
Cpl Myron V. Testement,
1st Lt James H. Wallace Jr.,
Cpl Virgil E. Walston,
1st Lt Robert L. West.

Probable cause:

It appears that severe turbulence caused the elevators and stabilizers to fail in flight. In such condition, the aircraft was unflyable.

Crash of a Canadian Vickers PBV-1A Canso A in Morhiban Lake

Date & Time: Apr 20, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

11076

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Moncton – Keflavik

MSN:

CV-401

Location:

Morhiban Lake

Newfoundland & Labrador

Country:

Canada

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

An engine failure forced the captain to attempt an emergency landing on the icy Morhiban Lake. On touchdown, the seaplane went out of control and crashed in flames. All four crew members were rescued while the aircraft was destroyed by fire.

Probable cause:

Engine failure.

Crash of a Douglas R4D-5 in Perth: 13 killed

Date & Time: Apr 19, 1945 at 0533 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

39067

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Schedule:

Perth – Adelaïde

MSN:

10017

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew departed Perth Airport runway 11 in foggy conditions. Three minutes after takeoff, while in initial climb, the aircraft did not gain sufficient height, hit a tree and crashed in flames in Gooseberry Hill. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire. All 13 occupants were killed.
Crew:
Lt William C. Armstrong, pilot,
Ens Victor F. Padelsky, copilot,
A1c Robert A. Dunleavy,
A2c Stanley A. Gober,
A1c James A. Glenn,
Cdr R. R. Helbert,
Lt Cdr Montrose G. McCormick,
Lt Sidney S. Cook,
Cre Robert V. Daly,
Tec Buships C. L. Nelson,
Anne Woodward,
Geraldine Crow,
Cecil Nichols.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-25-DK in Vitrolles: 7 killed

Date & Time: Apr 19, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

KN332

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site: