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I just ordered the accident report for this aircraft and unfortunately there are no photos in it:/ I had always heard stories from my grandparents about a plane crashing a couple miles from where I grew up in TN. Never knew when it happened or what type of plane it was until recently. Turns out one of my cousins (much older than me) was one of the first people on the scene and helped get one of the guys out of a tree. I know it's a long shot but if anyone happens to have a photo of the B-17 it would be awesome!!
Aircraft Accident Report #44-9-5-11
Unit: 2AF_ 346th Bomber Group, 502nd Squadron.
Type of Aircraft: B-17, No. 42-30690
Station: AAR, Dyersburg, Tenn.
Pilot’s Mission: High attitude mission, enroute to rendezvous point for mission in Gulfport, Mississippi
Nature of accident: Airplane disintegrated in the air.
Date of accident: September 5th, 1943
Number of crew: 10
According to Aircraft Accident Report #44-9-5-11: At 8000 feet the flight indicator went out and the pilot had considerable difficulty in flying the airplane under instrument conditions. It appeared as though after getting into the clear, the pilot continued to climb and went into the overcast again trying to reach 20,000 feet though bombardier stats the airplane exceeded the maximum safe operation conditions which placed a great strain on the airplane. It is believed because of the statements of the co-pilot and bombardier concerning this attitude of flight and the loss of control surface that the airplane went out of control and into a spin, thereby disintegrating and crashing.
According to the report of the Co-pilot 2ndLT Morence, He noticed excessive cylinder head temperature on engines 1, 3 and 4, and opened the cowl flips. Then there was a explosion that jolted the plane and we went off into a spiral to the right. We leveled the plane off but immediately it went off to the left in a spin. Then after few seconds of being tossed around the fuselage broke right at the top turret and managed to get out of the way. I noticed the pilot, Lt. Anderson, getting out. My chute was buckled at the thighs only and not across my chest and when it opened I was coming down head first. I managed to turn and land flat on my back.
Crew:
2nd LT Anderson, Harry N. [PILOT]
2nd LT Morence, Leonard J. [CO-PILOT]
2nd LT Kohlhof, Andrew G.
2nd LT Stinson, John A. Jr.
S/SGT Gerafeld, Milton (NMI)
SGT Goodner, Donald A.
SGT Mullins, Clyde (NMI)
SGT Funai, Clement J.
SGT French, O. R.
SGT Nincehelser, Forland F.
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Oh really?? I see it every year when I go to the airshow. Sadly, since it's on base that's the only way to get near it. No airshow this year though:/ Do you happen to have the gps coordinates for the crash site so I could find it on google maps?