TonyM
Airman
I have been asked to post an excerpt from my three volume reference work titled:
FATAL ARMY AIR FORCES AVIATION ACCIDENTS
IN THE UNITED STATES 1941-1945
The following summary, based on the official AAF Form No. 14 Aircraft Accident Report, appears in Volume II on page 447:
7-24-43. Ephrata, Washington. At 0054 PWT, a Boeing B-17F collided with a hill 10 miles north of Ephrata Army Air Base, Ephrata, Washingon, killing thirteen fliers. The B-17F was returning from a bombing training mission and was circling the area in an attempt to enter the traffic pattern for the base when the accident occurred seven miles north of the pattern area. Investigation revealed that the airplane was in a left bank that exactly matched the the slope of a hill that the airplane was flying over. It is probable that the pilots could not see the surface because of darkness and were unaware of their proximity to the ground. The B-17 was configured for landing with flaps partially down and the landing gear extended. The B-17 contacted the surface of the hill in a left bank with the main wheels and rolled about 200 yards before striking a horse that weighed an estimated 1,500 pounds. The horse was severly slashed in two places by the number-two propeller, which was knocked off by the collision. The collision with the horse knocked off the port landing gear. As the B-17 bounded back into the air for about 100 feet, the port landing gear and the port main wheel hurtled backward into the port horizontal stabilizer and elevator, knocking them off. Other than the tracks made by the two main wheels, there was no other marks on the ground that appeared to be made by the wings or the tail wheel, indicating that the airplane had been rolling on the hill on both main wheels when it collided with the horse. After colliding with the horse and losing the port landing gear, the airplane continued across a gulley and collided with another hill, smashing up the side for aobut 400 yards, breaking up and bursting into flames. The main wreckage came to rest about one-half mile from the point of first contact with the terrain. Killed in the crash were: 2Lt. James P. Ticksman, pilot; 2Lt. John W. O'Chesky, co-pilot; 2Lt. Jay D. Underwood, co-pilot; 2Lt. Julian M. Crapp, co-pilot; F/O Owen E. Longest, bombardier; Sgt. George L. Dobson, engineer; Sgt. Bobby P. Cone, engineer; Sgt. Edwin Johnstone, engineer; Sgt. Arthur D. Grant, engineer; Sgt. Werner F. Haukop, engineer; Sgt. George O. Cartwright, radio operator; Sgt. Willim W. Aulwes, gunner; Sgt. Anneslely E. Hodson III, gunner.
ABOUT THE WORK
The work consists of three volumes and covers the time from 1 January 1941 to 31 December 1945. There are over 6,350 fatal AAF aircraft accident summaries based on official accident reports; the work includes the names of over 15,500 AAF airmen killed in AAF airplane accidents in the US during WWII; the work includes an index of over 7,100 AAF aircraft involved in fatal accidents in the US during WWII (including serial numbers); the work includes a listing of over 6,350 fatal AAF aircrash locations in the continental US during WWII. There are over 32,000 individual index entries; Includes Author notes, Bibliography and Statistics. The three-volume set was published by McFarland Co. Inc. Publishers, Jefferson, NC, in 2006. The work is still in print. See amazon for reviews. Noted aviation author and historian Nick Veronico: Tony's work "is an important addition to the historical record." Aviation News of the UK stated: "This is a superlative work for aviation enthusasts and historians and a staggering piece of research into previously unexplored avenues of aviation history."
TonyM.
Anthony J. Mireles
FATAL ARMY AIR FORCES AVIATION ACCIDENTS
IN THE UNITED STATES 1941-1945
The following summary, based on the official AAF Form No. 14 Aircraft Accident Report, appears in Volume II on page 447:
7-24-43. Ephrata, Washington. At 0054 PWT, a Boeing B-17F collided with a hill 10 miles north of Ephrata Army Air Base, Ephrata, Washingon, killing thirteen fliers. The B-17F was returning from a bombing training mission and was circling the area in an attempt to enter the traffic pattern for the base when the accident occurred seven miles north of the pattern area. Investigation revealed that the airplane was in a left bank that exactly matched the the slope of a hill that the airplane was flying over. It is probable that the pilots could not see the surface because of darkness and were unaware of their proximity to the ground. The B-17 was configured for landing with flaps partially down and the landing gear extended. The B-17 contacted the surface of the hill in a left bank with the main wheels and rolled about 200 yards before striking a horse that weighed an estimated 1,500 pounds. The horse was severly slashed in two places by the number-two propeller, which was knocked off by the collision. The collision with the horse knocked off the port landing gear. As the B-17 bounded back into the air for about 100 feet, the port landing gear and the port main wheel hurtled backward into the port horizontal stabilizer and elevator, knocking them off. Other than the tracks made by the two main wheels, there was no other marks on the ground that appeared to be made by the wings or the tail wheel, indicating that the airplane had been rolling on the hill on both main wheels when it collided with the horse. After colliding with the horse and losing the port landing gear, the airplane continued across a gulley and collided with another hill, smashing up the side for aobut 400 yards, breaking up and bursting into flames. The main wreckage came to rest about one-half mile from the point of first contact with the terrain. Killed in the crash were: 2Lt. James P. Ticksman, pilot; 2Lt. John W. O'Chesky, co-pilot; 2Lt. Jay D. Underwood, co-pilot; 2Lt. Julian M. Crapp, co-pilot; F/O Owen E. Longest, bombardier; Sgt. George L. Dobson, engineer; Sgt. Bobby P. Cone, engineer; Sgt. Edwin Johnstone, engineer; Sgt. Arthur D. Grant, engineer; Sgt. Werner F. Haukop, engineer; Sgt. George O. Cartwright, radio operator; Sgt. Willim W. Aulwes, gunner; Sgt. Anneslely E. Hodson III, gunner.
ABOUT THE WORK
The work consists of three volumes and covers the time from 1 January 1941 to 31 December 1945. There are over 6,350 fatal AAF aircraft accident summaries based on official accident reports; the work includes the names of over 15,500 AAF airmen killed in AAF airplane accidents in the US during WWII; the work includes an index of over 7,100 AAF aircraft involved in fatal accidents in the US during WWII (including serial numbers); the work includes a listing of over 6,350 fatal AAF aircrash locations in the continental US during WWII. There are over 32,000 individual index entries; Includes Author notes, Bibliography and Statistics. The three-volume set was published by McFarland Co. Inc. Publishers, Jefferson, NC, in 2006. The work is still in print. See amazon for reviews. Noted aviation author and historian Nick Veronico: Tony's work "is an important addition to the historical record." Aviation News of the UK stated: "This is a superlative work for aviation enthusasts and historians and a staggering piece of research into previously unexplored avenues of aviation history."
TonyM.
Anthony J. Mireles
Thats quite alot of fatalities....
