Military | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

While cruising at an altitude of some 2,580 meters, the aircraft hit the slope of Mt Gerlachovský (2,655 meters high) located in the Tatras mountain range. All 24 occupants were killed.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3m near Banak: 3 killed

Date & Time: Oct 14, 1944

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.52

Operator:

Registration:

SE+HZ

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

6269

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While flying some 20 km south of Banak Airport, the three engine aircraft was shot down by the crew of a Soviet Air Force Douglas Boston and crashed. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Ofw Hermann Schminke,
Fw Alfred Nährig,
Ofw Eduard Huhnholdt.
Source & photos: https://ktsorens.tihlde.org/flyvrak/uccagagga.html

Probable cause:

Shot down by a Soviet Air Force plane.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24J-10-FO Liberator in Rochetta Sant’Antonio: 16 killed

Date & Time: Oct 14, 1944

Type of aircraft:

Consolidated B-24 Liberator

Operator:

Registration:

42-51661

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Naples - Castellucio

MSN:

3192

Location:

Rochetta Sant’Antonio

Apulia

Country:

Italy

Region:

Europe

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The crew started the descent to Castellucio AFB when the four engine aircraft hit a hill located in Rochetta Sant’Antonio, some 10 km south of the airbase. All 16 occupants were killed.

Crash of a Focke-Wulf Fw.200 C-4 Condor in the Lavangen fjord: 51 killed

Date & Time: Oct 11, 1944 at 1245 LT

Type of aircraft:

Focke-Wulf Fw.200 Condor

Operator:

Registration:

F8+ES

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Banak – Trondheim

MSN:

163

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En route from Banak to Trondheim, while cruising north of Narvik, the four engine aircraft went out of control and crashed into the Lavangen fjord, east of Harstad. All 51 occupants were killed, among them 41 Luftwaffe Helferinen (female military assistants).
Crew (III./7./KG 40):
Lt Hans Gilbert, pilot,
Oberfw Gert Jochums, copilot,
Oberfw Martin Hochmuth, radio operator,
Fw Hubert Langguth, flight engineer,
Fw Hans Prahl.
Passengers:
Hauptmann Major Franz Krenn,
Obering D. L. Bömike,
Hauptmann Eduard Clement,
SS-Rottenführer Emil Widmer,
Kriegsmarine Obermaat Eugen Däumichen.
Stabshilferin Passengers:
Edith Allihn,
Erika Busack,
Anny Chalupnik,
Irmgard Dorth,
Gerda Fiebke,
Irmgard Friedrich,
Anna Glaser,
Ruth Griebsch,
Elsbeth Grommisch,
Anna Göring,
Barbara Hill,
Elisabeth Hoffmann,
Emma Hoffmann,
Theresia Hoffmann,
Irmgard Karp,
Hildegard Krause,
Edith Krüger,
Ingeborg Kruschewitz,
Margrete Leuschner,
Charlotte Nickel,
Lieselotte Oeffner,
Eveline Peters,
Franziska Ruhl,
Anni Schima,
Charlotte Schmidt,
Erika Schöne,
Hildegard Siegler,
Irma Sorgatz,
Angela Trenz,
Emma Wagner,
Gunda Weber,
Elisabeth Wiesenhütter,
Marianne Seidel,
Christel Stappen,
Elsbeth Streletzki,
Margarete Seibert,
Brunhilde Otto,
Ilse Otto,
Anneliese Ebert,
Hilda Röstel,
Gertrud Staeglich.
Source & photos: http://ktsorens.tihlde.org/flyvrak/salangen.html

Probable cause:

The loss of control was caused by a structural failure of the tail that broke off in flight, causing the aircraft to enter a spin and crashing into the fjord. It appears the aircraft was heavily loaded at the time of the accident.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando in Hsinching

Date & Time: Oct 10, 1944 at 1200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Curtiss C-46 Commando

Operator:

Registration:

42-96553

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

30215

YOM:

1944

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Collided in mid-air with another USAAF C-46 registered 42-96699. Both aircraft crashed and were destroyed. Crew fate remains unknown.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando in Hsinching

Date & Time: Oct 10, 1944 at 1200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Curtiss C-46 Commando

Operator:

Registration:

42-96699

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

30361

YOM:

1944

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Collided in mid-air with another USAAF C-46 registered 42-96553. Both aircraft crashed and were destroyed. Crew fate remains unknown.

Crash of a Lockheed PV-1 Ventura on Guadalcanal Island: 5 killed

Date & Time: Oct 10, 1944 at 0855 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed PV-1 Ventura

Operator:

Registration:

NZ4575

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Luganville – Honiara

MSN:

6139

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Took off at 0600LT from Luganville on a flight to Honiara. En route, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and low visibility. The last radio contact was heard at 0855LT when the aircraft was overflying the south part of the Guadalcanal Island. The twin engine aircraft hit a hill and its wreckage was found a day later. All five crewmen were killed.
Crew (1st Squadron):
F/O Selwyn Houghton, pilot,
W/O Joseph Crisp,
W/O Geoffrey Robins,
W/O Albert Douglas,
F/Sgt Francis Larnach.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-35-CU Commando near Accra: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 9, 1944 at 1200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Curtiss C-46 Commando

Operator:

Registration:

42-3655

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

26788

YOM:

1944

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Few minutes after take off from Accra Airport, while climbing, the C-46 collided with an unidentified aircraft and crashed 6 miles southeast of the airfield. At least one crew member was killed on board the Commando.
Crew:
1st Lt Arthur Gartenberg.

Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL in Kunming: 3 killed

Date & Time: Oct 7, 1944

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

41-18546

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Kunming – Chengdu

MSN:

4671

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Few minutes after take off from Kunming-Wujiaba Airport, while climbing, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in flames. All three crew members were killed.