ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 100555
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| Date: | Sunday 26 March 1944 |
| Time: | 21:35 |
| Type: |  Consolidated B-24E Liberator |
| Owner/operator: | United States Army Air Force (USAAF) |
| Registration: | 41-28525 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 10 / Occupants: 11 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | 1 Mi N Melbourne NAS, FL -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Chatham Army Airfield, Georgia |
| return to same |
Crashed. During a navigational training flight, there was a failure of the № 1 engine. The pilot radioed the Melbourne Naval Air Station for emergency landing instructions. However, he came in high and to the right of the runway on his first attempt. Climbing to about 400 feet and while conducting a left banking turn to attempt a second approach, the bomber lost altitude and plummeted into a railroad embankment and exploded, killing ten of the eleven men aboard. Miraculously the co-pilot survived, but with serious injuries. The № 1 engine was thrown forward of the wreck and investigators found it had damaged bearings. They also speculated the № 2 engine may have failed as the pilots were performing their go-around.
Killed were:
2nd Lt. Richard E. Kelly, O-813390, MA, Pilot
2nd Lt. James D. Campbell, O-702012, WI, Bombardier
2nd Lt. Thomas C. L. Godown, O-698113, NJ, Navigator
T/Sgt. Theodore F. Katirzak, 7021411, PA, Flight Engineer
Sgt. Royall M. Barbour, 14107079, NC, Flight Engineer
Sgt. William V. Hanchett, 39124802, CA, Gunner
Sgt. Robert J. McCabe, 31289905, RI, Radio Operator
PFC Paul F. Graham, 36440590, IL, Gunner
PFC Archie L. McCormick, 37672328, IA, Gunner
PFC Melvin E. Rosenberg, 31307233, MA, Gunner
Sources:
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/db.asp
http://usaafdata.com/?q=search&page=1606&order=field..
Fatal Army Air Forces Aviation Accidents in the United States, 1941-1945, Anthony J. Mireles
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Mar-2022 07:27 | Gumby778 | Updated [Time, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category] |
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