Crash of a Douglas C-54A-1-DC Skymaster in Prestwick: 25 killed

Date & Time: Aug 28, 1944 at 0100 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
42-72171
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Boston – Gander – Keflavik – Prestwick
MSN:
10276
YOM:
1943
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
14
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
25
Circumstances:
The pilot started the descent by night and poor weather conditions. On final approach, the four engine aircraft was too low and hit the roof of a house before crashing onto houses, short of runway. All 20 occupants were killed and five people on the ground as well. Due to low visibility, the crew did not realize his altitude was insufficient.
On board the aircraft:
G. Golden,
B. S. Oglesby,
D. McGrew,
L. Bigotto,
A. Gorski,
A. Scott,
Eugene R. Venabe,
Norman A. Loeb,
Madison C. Schepps,
John E. Fissel Jr.,
Vivanna Cronin,
Thomas W. Kirk,
Braxton G. Flemming,
Horace J. Fortenberry,
Ernest E. Jesch,
William C. Farley,
Glenn K. Erickson,
Burt D. Hogsett,
John B. Krusi,
Harry Berman,
Civilians killed on the ground:
Thomas George Maitland,
Robert A. Handyside,
William K. Snowden,
Thomas Kinnear,
Irene Haswell.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24H-20-CF Liberator in Freckleton: 61 killed

Date & Time: Aug 23, 1944 at 1047 LT
Operator:
Registration:
42-50291
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Warton - Warton
MSN:
722
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
61
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a circular test flight at RAF Warton after the plane had been refurbished. Following an uneventful flight, the crew started the approach to runway 08 and received the authorization to land. At that time, weather conditions deteriorated with low clouds down to 120 meters above ground, heavy rain falls and winds gusting up to 25 knots. From a height of dozen feet, the aircraft went out of control, banked left and came with wings near vertical before crashing in a huge explosion in the center of the village of Freckleton. The aircraft hit several houses, a school and a cafe as well. All three crew members were killed and 58 others on the ground: 38 children and two teachers in the school, and 18 people in the cafe: seven US officers, four British officers and seven civilians. To date, this was considered as the worst air disaster in the world.
Crew:
1st Lt John A. Bloemendal, pilot,
T/Sgt James M. Parr, copilot,
Sgt Gordon W. Kinney, flight engineer.
More info on http://laituk.org/B-24 42-50291.htm
Probable cause:
The official report stated that the exact cause of the crash could not be determined. However, it was concluded that the pilot had not fully realized the danger the storm posed until underway in his final approach, by which time he had insufficient altitude and speed to maneuver, given the probable strength of wind and downdrafts that must have prevailed. A structural failure of the aircraft in the extreme conditions was not ruled out, although the complete destruction of the airframe had precluded any meaningful investigation. Noting that many of the pilots coming to the UK commonly believed that British storms were little more than showers, the report recommended that all US trained pilots should be emphatically warned of the dangers of British thunderstorms.

Crash of a Consolidated C-87-CF Liberator Express in Merriam: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jul 26, 1944
Operator:
Registration:
43-30565
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Lincoln - Lincoln
MSN:
45
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a training flight from Lincoln and the mission consisted in a test of the embarked compass system. While flying in the region of Kansas City, the crew encountered technical problems with the compass and attempted an emergency landing when the aircraft hit tree tops, electric and telephone cables before crashing onto a house located in Merriam, in the suburb of Kansas City. Three crew members were killed while three others were injured. Four people on the ground were injured as well.
Probable cause:
Compass failure in flight.

Crash of a Airspeed AS.10 Oxford I in Warrenpoint: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jul 15, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
LX598
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Newtownards - Newtownards
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
On 15th July 1944 two aircraft from 290 Squadron Royal Air Force, based at Newtownards, were entertaining a crowd of spectators at Warrenpoint during a Civil Defence Demonstration when disaster struck. The aircraft involved were a Miles Martinet TT1 (Number MS626), which was used by the Royal Air Force specifically for the role of towing targets and an Airspeed Oxford (Number LX 598) which was a twin engined trainer aircraft. There were misty conditions while the display was taking place and then, while one aircraft was climbing over the town the second aircraft approached from the direction of Carlingford Lough. It appears that the pilots saw each other at the last minute and both attempted to take evasive action with one climbing and the other diving however this was not to be as the tail sections struck each other and as an explosion occurred in the sky pieces of both aircraft rained down. Some sections of wreckage from the Martinet landed in the Church Street and Queen Street area of the town however most crashed at Duke Street and Church Street, where the cockpit was found with the dead crew inside. The Airspeed Oxford fell into Carlingford Lough near to the swimming baths and the bodies of the 3 Pilots who were killed were recovered and taken initially to the Charlotte Street Morgue then on to the Mortuary at Daisyhill Hospital in Newry.
Crew (290th Squadron):
W/O Lucien Arthur William Joseph Eccles, pilot,
F/S Dennis Myers, pilot,
Sgt Peter Sturdy, pilot.
Crew of the Miles Martinet:
W/O Albert Gordon Gibb, pilot.
Sgt George William Mosey, air gunner.
Source: http://ww2ni.webs.com/countydownpart4.htm

Crash of a Douglas A-26B-5-DT Invader in Portland: 21 killed

Date & Time: Jul 11, 1944 at 1640 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
43-22253
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Barksdale - Portland
MSN:
18400
Location:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
21
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a flight from Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. While descending to Portland, the visibility was reduced due to fog and the crew was unable to localize the airfield and the runway. On approach, the aircraft crashed in a huge ball of fire in the Redbank Trailer Park. Both pilots and 18 people on the ground (mothers and their children) were killed. Less than one month later, one of the survivor died from his injuries.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24J-130-CO Liberator in Bruges: 10 killed

Date & Time: Jun 19, 1944
Operator:
Registration:
42-110081
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
MSN:
3877
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
While cruising some 15 km east of Bruges, the aircraft christened 'Able Mable' was shot down by the German Flak, dove into the ground and crashed in the quarter of Saint Joseph, in Bruges. It seems there was no casualties on the ground but all ten occupants were killed.
Photo: http://www.americanairmuseum.com/aircraft/2728
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Junkers JU.86-E8 in Genas: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jun 17, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
MSN:
124
YOM:
1937
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances in Azieu, near Genas, in the suburb of Lyon. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
Obf Rudolph Ponitzer,
radio operator,
observer,
engineer,
gunner,
two radio pupils.

Crash of a Martin B-26 Marauder in Gillingham: 10 killed

Date & Time: Jun 6, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
42-96050
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Location:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Boreham at 0505LT with several others airplanes on a mission to France (D-Day). While flying over the county of Kent in low visibility, the bomber collided with another Martin B-26 Marauder of the USAAF. Registered 42-96263, it was also carrying a crew of six. Following the collision, the first B-26 dove into the ground and crashed in an orchard, killing all six crew members. The second B-26 crashed at Corporation Road in Gillingham. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and six houses were destroyed as well. All six crew members and four people on the ground were killed.
Crew (394th BG):
Lt Witcher Terrell Berger,
Lt Warren D. Rodgers,
Sgt Edward H. Monaghan,
Sgt George S. Knight,
Sgt Alfred M. Zussa,
Cpl Forrest W. Pafenberg.
Civilians who perished in Gillingham:
Fanny F. Whittingham,
Joan Beatrice Ada Taylor,
Percy Montague Williams,
George Thomas William Gandon.
Source: ASN

Crash of a Martin B-26 Marauder in Gillingham: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jun 6, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
42-96263
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Location:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Boreham at 0505LT with several others airplanes on a mission to France (D-Day). While flying over the county of Kent in low visibility, the bomber collided with another Martin B-26 Marauder of the USAAF. Registered 42-96050, it was also carrying a crew of six. Following the collision, the first B-26 dove into the ground and crashed in an orchard, killing all six crew members. The second B-26 crashed at Corporation Road in Gillingham. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and six houses were destroyed as well. All six crew members and four people on the ground were killed.
Crew (394th BG):
Lt Claude Wallace Kline Jr,
Lt Emil F Ostrowski,
Sgt George S. Rogers,
Sgt Raymond F. Sablatura,
Sgt Joseph Amato.
Sgt James F. Bechtler.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax III in Acht: 3 killed

Date & Time: May 25, 1944 at 0110 LT
Operator:
Registration:
LK885
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Snaith - Snaith
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
By night, the bomber went out of control and crashed in Acht, in the suburb of Eindhoven. Three crew members were killed while all four other occupants were taken POW.
Crew (51st Squadron):
P/O W. Carl Lawson, †
Sgt. Willford Gosnay, †
Sgt Stan Beech, †
Sgt J. H. Noel,
Sgt K. C. Minifie,
Sgt B. A. M. Fraser,
Sgt Joe Hooks.