ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 98031
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| Date: | Sunday 30 July 1944 |
| Time: | 17:30 |
| Type: |  Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress |
| Owner/operator: | United States Army Air Force (USAAF) |
| Registration: | 42-102746 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 9 / Occupants: 10 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | 6 mi E of St. Marks, FL -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Avon Park Army Airfield, Florida |
| return to same |
Crashed. B-17G Flying Fortress #42-102746, with the 325th Base Unit, Avon Park Army Airfield, suffered a structural failure after encountering a severe thunderstorm and turbulence during a training flight, and crashed six miles east of St. Marks, Florida. Thirteen bombers had taken off for a mock bombing target at Tallahassee and were flying at about 13,000 feet elevation when strong storm clouds, rising up to 25,000 feet high, were entered. This airplane disintegrated in flight and crashed into a marshy area of the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. The accident investigation board concluded the Boeing bomber had broken up in flight due to severe weather, as evidenced by another flying fortress that returned to base with severe hail damage. One crewmember survived by bailing out and parachuting.
Killed were:
2nd Lt. Gordon E. Thrall, O-825331, CT, Pilot
2nd Lt. Charles W. Shannon Jr., O-828247, MA, Co-Pilot
2nd Lt. John W. Smidt, O2060402, NC, Navigator
2nd Lt. Donald L. Price, O-547269, NV, Bombardier
Cpl. James Dracopoulos, 11004260, RI, Flight Engineer
Cpl. Arthur L. Davis, 19041031, CA, Asst. Radio Operator
Pvt. Albert C. Fries, 16187991, IL, Gunner
Pvt. William M. Gehman Jr., 6908916, NJ, Asst. Flt. Engineer
Pvt. Horace W. Newton, 39209593, WA, Gunner
Corporal Marvin J Magee Jr., the radio operator, survived by bailing out and parachuting.
Sources:
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/db.asp
Fatal Army Air Forces Aviation Accidents in the United States, 1941-1945, Anthony J. Mireles
http://usaafdata.com/?q=search&page=1606&order=field..
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/133533670/charles-w-shannon
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 12-Mar-2022 08:23 | Gumby778 | Updated [Time, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category] |
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