ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 25084
Last updated: 3 March 2021
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| Date: | 15-FEB-1942 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Consolidated B-24A Liberator Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | BOAC |
| Registration: | G-AGDR |
| C/n / msn: | 9 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 9 / Occupants: 9 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | English Channel, off the Eddystone Lighthouse, SSW of Plymouth, Devon -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Passenger |
| Departure airport: | RAF Cairo, Egypt |
| RAF Hurn, Dorset |
AM918 (ex 40-2357) s/n 9 was converted to Liberator C.Mk.I and assigned to the RAF Ferry Command. Assigned to BOAC with registration G-AGDR. In May 1941, it was delivered to England by Ferry Command (Pilot: W/C John Francis).
On 24–25 January 1942, B-24 Liberator AM918 (after being transfered to BOAC with civil registry G-AGDR) flew nonstop from Hurn to Cairo. However, on its return trip, it was shot down in error by a Spitfire over the English Channel, off the Eddystone Lighthouse, 23 Km south-south-west of Plymouth on 15 February 1942 with all nine on board killed, including BOAC Captain R.H. Page, four other crew members and four passengers. RAF said the Spitfire pilot was a Polish citizen who misinterpreted the aircraft and thought it was an enemy airplane. Following this tragedy, RAF Authorities increased the aircraft reconnaissance training to avoid such situation.
Registration G-AGDR formally cancelled by the CAA on 15.2.42 due to "destruction or permanent withdrawal from use of aircraft"
Sources:
1. http://www.rafdavidstowmoor.com/pages/crash_log/crashlog42.html
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consolidated_Liberator_I#Aircraft
3. http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/HistoricalMaterial/G-AGDR.pdf
4. http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1940.html
5. http://www.rafb24.com/index.php/the-liberator/b-24indetail/4586-consolidated-b-24a-liberatorlb-30b
6. [LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.baaa-acro.com/1942/archives/crash-of-a-consolidated-b-24-liberator-in-manche-9-killed/]
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Sep-2008 01:00 | ASN archive | Added |
| 11-Jan-2012 15:17 | angels one five | Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Phase, Nature, Source, Narrative] |
| 09-Jun-2013 11:55 | Uli Elch | Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 09-Jun-2013 12:03 | Uli Elch | Updated [Narrative] |
| 02-Mar-2014 22:25 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 09-May-2015 13:50 | DB | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport] |
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