Date & Time:
May 5, 1944 at 1026 LT
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
Operator:
Registration:
41-11889
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Homestead - Homestead
MSN:
385
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
4
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew departed Homestead AFB in the morning for a training exercise along the east coast of Florida. En route, the aircraft collided with a Pennsylvania Central Air Lines DC-3 flying from Miami to Savannah on behalf of the USAAF. Registered NC21788, the DC-3-313 was carrying four people (two crew and two passengers). Both aircraft crashed into the sea, less than one mile from each other, and the wreckage were found some 6 miles southeast of Lake Worth. All eight occupants on both aircraft were killed.
Probable cause:
Investigations determined that both aircraft were flying face to face at the altitude of 1,500 feet when the collision occurred. It appears that both crews did not realize the presence of each other because their attention was focused on cockpit duties and workload.
