1943 — June 14, USAAF B-17 initial climb crash, Bakers Creek, 5M S Mackay, Australia–40
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 5-20-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
–40 Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation. ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 59008.
–40 Wikipedia. “Bakers Creek air crash.” 5-5-2024 edit.
Narrative Information
Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation. ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 59008:
“Date: Monday 14 June 1943
“Time: 06:00
“Type: Boeing RB-17C Flying Fortress
“Owner/operator: 46th TCSqn /317th TCGp USAAF
“Registration: 40-2072
“MSN: 2973
“Fatalities: Fatalities: 40 / Occupants: 41
“Aircraft damage: Destroyed
“Location: Bakers Creek, 5 miles S of Mackay, QLD [Queensland] – Australia
“Phase: Initial climb
“Nature: Passenger
“Departure airport: RAAF Mackay
“Destination airport: RAAF Port Moresby [Papua New Guinea, north of Australia.]
“Narrative:
“The B17C Flying Fortress bomber, 40-2012, had been converted to a passenger carrying aircraft after being damaged in a bombing raid in the Philippines on December 25th, 1941. In June 1943 it was being operated by the 46th Troop Carrier Squadron, 317th Troop Carrier Group of the US Fifth Air Force.
“Early in the morning of 14/6/43 it took off from Mackay in Queensland, for Port Moresby in New Guinea with a crew of six and carrying 35 passengers, the latter all US Army personnel returning to their units after leave in Australia. Only minutes after getting airborne in foggy dawn flying conditions the RB-17C crashed about 5 miles from the airport. Only one man, a passenger, survived.
“The crash was the worst air accident in the SW Pacific area in WW2, and remains the worst aviation accident in Australia.”
Sources
Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation. ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 59008. Accessed 5-20-2024 at: https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/59008
Wikipedia. “Bakers Creek air crash.” 5-5-2024 edit. Accessed 5-20-2024 at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakers_Creek_air_crash#cite_note-1