1943 – Oct 3, USAAF B-17F runway approach crash, Brooksville Army Air Field, FL– 11
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 4-25-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
–11 Baugher, Joseph F. 1942 USAAF Serial Numbers (42-001 to 42-30031). 10-28-2011 rev.
–11 Mireles 2006. Fatal Army AF Aviation Accidents…US…, V2, July 1943-July 1944, p. 537.
–11 Panama City News-Herald, FL. “11 Killed in Crash…Brooksville, Fla.” 10-4-1943, p. 8.
Narrative Information
Baugher: “Boeing B-17F-40-BO Fortress…5229… Have a report that this plane stalled and crashed on approach to runway Oct 3, 1943 and 11 were killed.” (Baugher, Joseph F. 1942 USAAF Serial Numbers (42-001 to 42-30031). 10-28-2011 revision.)
Mireles: “At 0610 EWT, a Boeing B-17F crashed about 200 yards west of the East-West runway at the Army Air Field at Brooksville, Florida, killing 11 fliers.
“The B-17 had taken off at 0602 on a weather-checking mission but soon returned to the field and asked for landing instructions. Apparently the airplane was returning to the field because of a failed engine, which engine could not be determined because of darkness. The pilot overshot the runway on his turn from base to final and was about 100 feet south of the East-West runway, heading east. The pilot elected to go around and the landing gear was retracted. The airplane was at an altitude of about 200 feet as it passed the west end of the field. The airplane began a standard turn to the left to begin the go-around. This turn increased in bank angle until the airplane was heading west on the downwind leg. The B-17, flying very slow, had lost some altitude in the turn and it was not visible to tower personnel on most of the downwind leg because of tall trees. After completing the turn to the base leg the airplane gained a little altitude, climbing to about 250 to 300 feet above ground level. Investigators speculated that a second engine had failed during the turn from the base leg to final approach, causing the airplane to enter a stalling attitude. Before the pilots could feather the propeller and trim the airplane for two-engine operation the B-17 stalled, did a complete roll to the left and smashed into the ground upright approximately 200 yards from the runway where it burst into flames immediately upon impact. The crew was killed instantly.” (Mireles 2006, Vol. 2, July 1943-July 1944, p. 537.)
Newspaper
Oct 4, Associated Press: “Brooksville, Fla., Oct. 4. – (AP) – A Flying Fortress on a routine training mission crashed here yesterday, killing its entire crew of 11 men. The bomber, attached to the Army air forces school of applied tactics at Satellite field here, fell two miles west of the base and was demolished. Public relations officers of the field gave names of the dead as:
First Lt. Herman W. Keppen, Bear Falls. Pa., pilot;
Second Lt. Harry R. Blunt, Coscob, Conn., co-pilot;
First Lt. Abraham Lew, Brooklyn, N. Y., navigator;
Cpl. Roy J. McClung, Greenbrier, W. Va., engineer;
Pfc. Robert F. McElroy, Wrightsville, Pa., assistant engineer;
T-Sgt. Kelly Fields, Busy, Ky., radio operator;
Pfc. John O. Glass, Deridder, La., assistant radio operator;
Cpl. John M. Eilers, Utica, N.Y.;
T-Sgt. Woodrow W. Roy, Doonesbury, Vt.;
S-Sgt. Raymond A. Rivo, St. Paul, Minn.;
Pfc. Alton M. Moen, Minneapolis, Minn.”
(Panama City News-Herald, FL. “11 Killed in Crash…Brooksville, Fla.” 10-4-1943, p. 8.)
Sources
Baugher, Joseph F. 1942 USAAF Serial Numbers (42-001 to 42-30031). Oct 28 2011 revision. Accessed 12-9-2011 at: http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1942_1.html
Mireles, Anthony J. Fatal Army Air Forces Aviation Accidents in the United States, 1941-1945 (Volume 2: July 1943 – July 1944). Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Co., 2006.
Panama City News-Herald, FL. “11 Killed in Crash of Flying Fortress near Brooksville, Fla.” 10-4-1943, 8. At: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=34822747