B-17C 40-2042 crash, 1-25-43

[Chris Brame]

I was going through my .doc file copy of David Osborne's book B-17 FORTRESS MASTER LOG and noticed this listing for the first B-17C built:

RB-17C
40-2042 Del Air Force 21/7/40, the first such service flight, but then sent back to Boeing for two years, before returning to AF. Del Lockbourn(e), OH, then on 25/1/43 cr NW of New Albany, OR., w/Jack Pack (KIS-crew?). WO 29/1/43.

I did some searching on the Newspapers site and came up with more info about the accident; note New Albany is in Ohio, not Oregon:
















I updated my copy of the document and did the same for the American Air Museum site as well:

RB-17C
40-2042
Del Air Force 21/7/40, the first such service flight, but then sent back to Boeing for two years, before returning to AF. Del Lockbourn, OH, then on 25/1/43 exploded mid-air and cr on farm near New Albany, OH, w/Jack Pack, cp-Capt. Robert Cooley, 1Lt. George Stobridge, SSgt. Chester B. Fudge, Cpl. Richard J. Klaetsch, Pvt. Salvatore B. Curcio, Pvt. Christian Mauthe, Sgt. Walter F. Baran, Pfc. Gordon D. Rutters, SSgt. John A. Swataka, Pvt. George A. Box, Sgt. James H. Foldesi (who survived crash but died next day) (12 KIS). WO 29/1/43.

Does anyone have the final accident report, and was a cause of the explosion found? I've posted about this on Aerovintage and Wreckchasing as well.

[quemerford]

I'd suggest contacting AAIR: a request fro just the findings will be less than you'd pay for the full report.

[mike furline]

https://www.americanairmuseum.com/archi ... ft/40-2042

[Rauhbatz]

Very grateful for sharing...this crash occurred just up the road from where I live.

While stopping in at Eagles Pizza in New Albany I picked up a copy of the New Albany Historical Society newsletter where Dennis its president gave a presentation on this crash. He has a desire to raise funds for a monument there where a new housing development is in place.

Link to the Historical Society is here >>>> https://newalbanyhistory.info/

You can see more about the presentation in their Facebook site >>>> https://www.facebook.com/NAPTHS/

If anyone is interested I have Dennis's email...he is quite the collector of aircraft items as well.

It makes me sad that this aircraft was so far off course from Rickenbacker when it crashed...if only back in the air they had even half of the nav aids we have today...

[JohnB]

The pilot's wife died in 1984 at 67. No record of her getting remarried.
His son, born in 1941, is listed as deceased.


There are a lot of Dr. John C. Packs in Utah. His father was born in 1892 and died in 1950. His mother, Bertha, lived 1894-1957.
An older sister, born in 1918, died in 2000.
Another older sister, was born in 1916...I could not find a date of death, but she was married 1938.

If one belongs to an online genealogy site, I'm sure you could find out more about all the crew.