Military | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

Few minutes after takeoff from Sprottau (now Szprotawa) Airport, while climbing, the airplane went out of control and crashed one km south of Dobre nad Kwisą, about 16 km west of the airport. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Fw Werner Trockel, pilot,
Ogfr Erwin Roth, pilot,
Uffz Robert Murach, radio operator,
Ogfr Martin Sengespeik, mechanic.

Probable cause:

The accident was attributed to icing.

Crash of a Douglas B-18A Bolo in Pine Bluff

Date & Time: Feb 9, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Douglas B-18 Bolo

Operator:

Registration:

37-622

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

2622

YOM:

1937

Location:

Pine Bluff

Arkansas

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was forced to make an emergency landing due to poor weather conditions. The airplane was damaged beyond repair in the forced landing. There were no casualties.
Crew:
Harvey Hogan.

Probable cause:

Emergency landing due to poor weather.

Crash of a Boeing B-17B Flying Fortress near Nucla: 8 killed

Date & Time: Feb 9, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

Operator:

Registration:

38-217

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

MSN:

2010

YOM:

1938

Location:

Nucla

Colorado

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane was en route to Wright-Patterson AFB when it crashed in unknown circumstances in rugged terrain near Nucla. All eight crew members were killed.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111 in Rastenburg: 5 killed

Date & Time: Feb 8, 1942 at 0940 LT

Type of aircraft:

Heinkel He.111

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Kętrzyn - Berlin

MSN:

2108

Location:

Kętrzyn

Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship (Warmińsko-Mazurskie)

Country:

Poland

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Rastenburg (now Kętrzyn) Airport, the pilot elected to return for unknown reasons. The airplane went out of control and crashed 500 metres from the airfield. All five occupants were killed, among them General Major Fritz Todt, Reich Minister for Armaments and Ammunition. He was flying back to Berlin following a meeting in Rastenburg with Adolf Hitler.
Crew:
Lt Albert Hotz, pilot,
Uffz August-Kurt Hauptmann, radio operator,
Ofw Karl Bäuerle, mechanic.
Passengers:
Gen Maj Dr. Fritz Todt,
Mr. Hellford, Todt's secretary.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3mge near Smolensk: 5 killed

Date & Time: Feb 8, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.52

Operator:

Registration:

G6+GV

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Yukhnov - Smolensk

MSN:

5486

YOM:

1935

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Juchnow (Yukhnov) on a flight to Smolensk with a crew of five on board. It crashed in unknown circumstances somewhere these two cities. All five crew members were killed. Lost without trace.
Crew:
Ofw Arthur Scheich, pilot,
Oblt Oskar von Bonin, observer,
Uffz Albert Brühl, observer,
Fw Hans Kröz, radio operator,
Fw Hugo Runge, mechanic.

Crash of a Boeing B-17E Flying Fortress in Malang

Date & Time: Feb 8, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

Operator:

Registration:

41-2484

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

2295

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

For unknown reasons, the airplane crashed upon landing at Malang-Singosari Airport and was damaged beyond repair. There were no casualties among the crew.

Crash of a Caudron C.445 Goéland off Copenhagen: 2 killed

Date & Time: Feb 7, 1942 at 1425 LT

Type of aircraft:

Caudron C.440 Goéland

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Copenhagen - Værløse

MSN:

541

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Few minutes after takeoff from Copenhagen-Kastrup Airport, en route to Værløse AFB, the twin engine airplane went out of control and crashed into the Køge Bugt Bay, few km offshore. Both crew members were killed.
Crew:
Uffz Walter Herzig, pilot,
Ogfr Erich Bendler, flight engineer.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111 in Stralsund: 3 killed

Date & Time: Feb 7, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Heinkel He.111

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

1623

Location:

Stralsund

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Country:

Germany

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane collided with a German Air Force Focke-Wulf Fw.58 Weihe and crashed in Stralsund. Three crew members were killed and a fourth was injured.
Crew:
Fw Walter Möbus, pilot, †
Ogefr Paul Kämmer, radio operator, †
Uffz Wolfgang Kohl, mechanic, †
Uffz Erich Meyer, air gunner.