Date & Time:
Nov 29, 1944 at 0930 LT
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
Operator:
Registration:
44-49669
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Manchester – Gander
MSN:
4524
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
9
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
Few minutes after take off from Grenier Field AFB in Manchester, en route to Gander, the aircraft went out of control, nosed down and crashed in the Pawtuckaway State Forest in Nottingham, some 16 miles northeast of Manchester. All nine crew members were killed.
Crew:
Cpl Robert Hunter Wells,
2nd Lt Paul E. Hackstock,
2nd Lt Wilbur C. Stephensen,
F/O Russell L. Jones,
Cpl Calvin R. Rickenbach,
Cpl Thomas L. McDougall,
Cpl William L. Swarmer Jr.,
Cpl Preston K. Smith,
Cpl Kenneth J. Young.
Crew:
Cpl Robert Hunter Wells,
2nd Lt Paul E. Hackstock,
2nd Lt Wilbur C. Stephensen,
F/O Russell L. Jones,
Cpl Calvin R. Rickenbach,
Cpl Thomas L. McDougall,
Cpl William L. Swarmer Jr.,
Cpl Preston K. Smith,
Cpl Kenneth J. Young.
Probable cause:
It appears the loss of control occurred when a tail surface hinge failed.
