1944 – May 27, USAAF B-24J crash after night takeoff, Mt. Holyoke ~So. Hadley MA– 10
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 4-3-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
— 10 AP. “Probe Mt. Holyoke Bomber Crash.” The Lowell Sun, MA. 5-29-1944, p. 1.
— 10 Baugher. 1942 USAAF Serial Numbers (42-91974 to 42-110188). 10-28-2011 rev.
— 10 Mireles 2006. Fatal Army AF Aviation Accidents…US…, V2, July 1943-July 1944, p. 806.
Narrative Information
Baugher: “Consolidated B-24J-60-CO Liberator….100024 flew into side of Mt. Holyoke, MA May 27, 1944. All 10 crew killed.” (Baugher. 1942 USAAF Serial Numbers (42-91974 to 42-110188). 10-28-2011 revision.)
Mireles: “At 2353, a Consolidated B-24J collided with rising terrain just after take-off from Westover Field, Chicopee, Massachusetts, killing ten crewmembers. Investigators stated,
Pilot took off at 2350 EWT and crashed two or three minutes later. The flight was a maximum load take-off. The point at which the airplane hit the [terrain] was approximately 500 feet above the level of the airfield and between six and a half and seven miles from the end of the runway. An examination at the scene of the wreckage showed that the airplane cut a path through the trees for approximately 100 yards and then crashed into the side of the mountain. One witness stated that the ground beneath the trees through which the airplane passed was heavily saturated with gasoline…. It appears that what the pilot must have done was to take off, hold the airplane down in order to gain airspeed, forgetting that the mountains were off the end of the runway. This made his pattern larger than normal and when he turned, it put him parallel with the range of mountains. It being an extremely dark night, it is probable that he either ran into the trees without seeing them or attempted to turn away from them too late.” (Mireles 2006, Vol. 2, July 1943-July 1944, p. 806.)
Newspaper
May 29, AP: “South Hadley, May 29 (AP) – An army board of inquiry today began investigating cause of a B-24 bomber crash which took the lives of 10 army fliers. The plane smashed into the side of Mt. Holyoke early yesterday shortly after leaving Westover field on a routine night combat training mission.” (AP. “Probe Mt. Holyoke Bomber Crash.” The Lowell Sun, MA. 5-29-1944, 1.)
Sources
Associated Press. “Probe Mt. Holyoke Bomber Crash.” The Lowell Sun, MA. 5-29-1944, p. 1. Accessed 4-3-2024 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/lowell-sun-may-29-1944-p-16/
Baugher, Joseph F. 1942 USAAF Serial Numbers (42-91974 to 42-110188). Oct 28, 2011 revision. Accessed 12-17-2011 at: http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1942_5.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.