Date:	Friday 15 December 1944
Time:
Type:	Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress
Owner/operator:	168 Sqn RCAF
Registration:	9203
MSN:	6397
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 8
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near Lajes, Terceira, Azores -   Atlantic Ocean
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Rabat Sale, Morocco
Destination airport:	Lajes, Açores

Narrative:
B-17 9203 of RCAF 168 Heavy Transport Squadron, with 5 crew and 3 passengers, took off from Rabat Sale, Morocco to Lajes Airfield, Azores. Its final destination was RCAF Station Rockcliffe (Ottawa) Ontario, bringing a load of Christmas mail and gifts from troops fighting in North Africa. Approaching Lajes, the radio operator requested the weather conditions and landing instructions. The aircraft was never heard from again. Some mail bags from the aircraft were found by a British destroyer 100 miles from the Azores, but no trace of the aircraft or crew and passengers were ever found.

Air Enthusiast 50
Canada’s Wings 2: The Liberator and Fortress; Carl Vincent: Page 135
Joe Bauger: USAAF B-15F-45-VE, 42-6101; RCAF 9203
Saskatoon Star-Phoenix 22 December 1944, p4/2 January 1945, p1
Fortress 9203

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
10-Dec-2008 08:33	ASN archive	Added
01-Sep-2011 03:41	Uli Elch	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator]
20-Apr-2015 04:11	Yukonjack	Updated [Date, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
13-Jun-2016 20:18	TB	Updated [Date, Location, Destination airport, Narrative]
14-Jun-2016 08:38	TB	Updated [Narrative]
30-Dec-2017 16:20	TB	Updated [Location, Destination airport, Source]
14-Feb-2018 07:53	tachel	Updated [Operator, Source]
16-Feb-2018 20:27	Nepa	Updated [Operator]
28-May-2022 08:52	Ron Averes	Updated [Location]