Date & Time:
Nov 1, 1946
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Operator:
Registration:
43-39338
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Naples – Bovingdon
MSN:
10316
YOM:
1943
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
8
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The aircraft left Naples-Capodichino Airport at 0054LT bound for RAF Bovingdon with an overflight of Bastia, Istres, Lyon and Paris. As the aircraft failed to arrive at destination, SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended 18 days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. On July 25, 1947, mountaineers of the 99th French Alpine Infantry Battalion found the wreckage on the slope of the Aiguille des Glaciers (3,750 meters high), about 8 km southwest of the Mont-Blanc.
Crew:
Col Ford L. Fair, pilot,
Col Hudson H. Upham, pilot,
Maj Lawrence L. Cobb, copilot,
2nd Lt Alfred D. Ramirez, navigator,
Sgt John E. Gilbert, flight engineer,
S/Sgt William A. Hilton, assistant to flight engineer,
S/Sgt Zoltan J. Dobovich, radio operator,
T/Sgt William S. Cassell, assistant to radio operator.
Crew:
Col Ford L. Fair, pilot,
Col Hudson H. Upham, pilot,
Maj Lawrence L. Cobb, copilot,
2nd Lt Alfred D. Ramirez, navigator,
Sgt John E. Gilbert, flight engineer,
S/Sgt William A. Hilton, assistant to flight engineer,
S/Sgt Zoltan J. Dobovich, radio operator,
T/Sgt William S. Cassell, assistant to radio operator.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the crew encountered poor weather conditions with thunderstorm activity, turbulence and severe icing conditions, which may contribute to the accident.
