Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Following the disappearance of a LI-2 registered CCCP-N444 on March 7, rescue operations were conducted and dispatched. Unfortunately, due to poor weather conditions (heavy snow falls), most of the crew were forced to stay on the ground. That day, a crew decided to make a sortie but the runway at Vorkuta Airport has not been cleared of snow. The captain ask three crew members to seat in the rear of the cabin and started the takeoff procedure on a snow covered runway (up to 30 cm of snow). After a course of about 700 meters, the aircraft lifted off but failed to gain height due to an insufficient speed. After passing the runway end, the aircraft hit the roof of a house, lost an engine, stalled and crashed in a field. All six crew members were injured and the aircraft was written off.

On final approach to Jacksonville-Towers Field NAS, following a maritime patrol flight, the seaplane was too low, hit tree tops and crashed in a wooded area located few hundred yards short of runway. Two crew members were killed while five others were injured.

The aircraft left Istres-Le Tubé Airbase in the morning to try to locate an USAF C-47 that disappeared in the region three days earlier. In fact, this C-47 registered 44-76443 crashed on the Cheval Blanc mountain, killing all 11 occupants. Around noon, the crew of the B-17 localized the wreckage of the C-47 on the east slope of the mountain and while flying to close from the terrain, the aircraft went out of control, maybe due to downdraft, and hit the north slope of the same mountain, near the village of Chanolles. The aircraft was destroyed on impact and eight of the ten occupants were killed. Two crew members, among them a pilot, survived. The pilot decided to leave the area to find help but his dead body was found in an isolated area on March 25, 1948. The only survivor, Sgt Angelo La Salle, was rescued few hours later.

After takeoff from Ambavalao Airport, while on a reconnaissance mission, the crew was forced to circle vertical to the city to gain sufficient height to clear the mountain. After passing the first mountainous terrain, the twin engine aircraft hit a rocky ridge and crashed. A crew member was seriously injured while six other occupants were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Anizet,
Lt Col Pierre Lequesne, †
Cpt Guillot, †
S/Lt de Tournadre, †
Adj Gourcerol, †
Sgt Allard, †
Sgt Katsia. †

On final approach to Whidbey Island-Ault Field NAS, the aircraft was too low, hit tree tops and crashed in flames. All five crew members were killed.

Some 80 minutes after its departure from Belfast-Aldergrove Airport, the aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances into the Atlantic Ocean, about 150 km northwest of the Irish coast, at approximately 55°00'00.0"N 12°00'00.0"W. All nine crewmen were lost in the crash. It is believed that the crew encountered technical problems with some instruments.
Crew (202nd Squadron):
S/L D. L. Bisgood, pilot,
J. S. Anderson, copilot,
F/Lt D. J. McMahon,
P. B. Higgins, navigator,
R. Miles, flight engineer,
F/Sgt A. A. Thompson,
F. Orwin,
S. Baldwin, flight engineer,
D. James.

Enroute to San Diego, the seaplane went out of control and crashed in unknown circumstances into the Pacific Ocean, off Baja California, Mexico. Two crew members were rescued while ten others were killed.
Those killed were:
Lt Jg Emerson W. Miles,
Ap1 Fabian J. Kestell,
Amm2 Eugene A. Widener,
Arm1 Winford C. Williams,
Aom3 Quell V. Buchanan,
AerM1 Merril J. Murphy,
Aom1 John G. Steuer,
Amm1 George R. A. Tracy,
Arm1 Robert G. Peshek.
Passenger:
G. C. Leavitt.

The crew left Fort Wainwright (Ladd Field) on a Top Secret flight over Soviet Union, a mission that should take from 12 to 20 hours. While returning to his base and flying over Greenland at an altitude of 24,000 feet, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and lost his orientation. The pilot was unable to locate his position and informed his base that he was forced to attempt an emergency landing as the fuel reserve was four minutes only. The aircraft crash landed on an icy area located about 280 NM north of Thule Airbase. The crew was rescued three days later and the aircraft christened 'Kee Bird' was abandoned. A team was created in the nineties to recover the wreckage but unfortunately, on May 21, 1995, the aircraft caught fire following a fuel leak and was destroyed.
Crew (46th Reconnaissance Squadron):
Vern Arnett, pilot,
Russel S. Jordan, copilot,
Talbert Gates, copilot,
John G. Lesman, astro navigator,
Burl Cowan, navigator,
Robert Luedke, flight engineer,
Howard Adams, radar observer,
Lawrence Yarborough, gunner,0
Ernie Stewart, gunner,
Paul McNamara, gunner,
Robert Leader, radio operator.

Crashed into the sea while landing off Gilimanuk, west coast of Bali. A crew member was killed while four others were injured. The seaplane was lost.

The crew was involved in a maritime patrol flight. Enroute, the crew informed ground that an engine caught fire and elected to return for an emergency landing. On final approach, at an altitude of 200 feet, the aircraft went out of control and crashed one mile short of runway. Five crew members were killed with two others were seriously injured.