Douglas B-26 Invader

Distinkhorn, Darvel, E Ayrshire

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Operator/Nationality

Operating Country

USA (USAF)

Intended Operator

France (Free French Air Force)

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Acknowledgments

Many thanks to Alan Leishman for kindly providing information for this page.

Many thanks also to Ross Purfit for providing further details and photos of the crash site.

Again, many thanks to William Clark for kindly providing approach route information.

Copyright Notice

All photographic material remains the property of the original author, and may not be reproduced elsewhere without that author's prior written permission.

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Aircraft Type Photo

BELOW: A USAF Douglas B-26 (A-26B) Invader, similar to the type featured on this page.

Douglas B-26 Invader in flight

Photo: U. S. Air Force. As a work of the U. S. Federal Government, this image is now in the public domain.

Aircraft Type and Background

USAF Douglas B-26 (A-26) Invader / 8811B

(A distinct aircraft from the Martin B-26 Marauder)

In 1948, all Douglas A-26 Invaders were reclassified as B-26 Invaders.

Equipped with two Pratt and Whitney R2800-27 Double Wasp radial piston engines, the A-26 / B-26 Invader was, at the time, the fastest attack aircraft in the USAAF / USAF. It had a top speed of 355mph.

First flown in 1942, the original A-26 Invader was armed with 6 machine guns in the solid nose and up to fourteen more in the remotely-operated turrets. The A-26 Invader could also carry a substantial bomb load (up to 4,000lbs), in addition to rocket projectiles. Although used for other purposes, the A-26 Invader was an attack aircraft primarily.

In later variants, four of the six nose guns were deleted to allow for a bomb-aimer's position in the now-glazed nose.

Shortly after the end of WWII in the Pacific, the USAF (formerly, USAAF) re-designated the A-26 Invader as B-26's. It is one of these re-designated aircraft that is featured on this page.

The Douglas Invader saw service with the USAAF in WWII (as A-26's) and with the USAF in Korea and Vietnam (as B-26's). The B-26 was used also by France.

BELOW: The cockpit and instrument panel of a Douglas A-26 Invader light bomber.

cockpit instrument panel of douglas a-26 invader

Photo: U. S. Air Force. As a work of the U. S. Federal Government, this image is now in the public domain.

Aircraft Accident Details

At the time of the accident, B-26 Invader 8811B was on a ferry flight from the USA via Reykjavik, Iceland and Prestwick, Scotland to France. The aircraft was intended for use by Free French Air Force in Indo-China¹in their war against the Viet Minh. This B-26, therefore, was bearing French roundels.

This B-26 Invader was being flown by two US civilian crew employed by Fleetways Incorporated²of Burbank, California. This company had been retained by the US Government to operate ferry flights on behalf of the USAF.

After refuelling at Meeks Field / Patterson Field (Reykjavik-Keflavik Airport) Iceland, the B-26 was scheduled to make a stopover at Prestwick Airport. When Prestwick ATC had provided clearance to land, the pilot began his descent toward the airport. However, while still a few miles distant from the airport, Air Traffic Control lost contact with the B-26, both from their radio transmissions and also on their radar screens.

As soon as it was realised that the aircraft had crashed, Prestwick ATC issued an alert to the search and rescue services. Teams were assembled from Catrine, Sorn, and Darvel to join in the search. USAF personnel based at Prestwick were advised of the situation and joined in the search for the missing aircraft.

Mr. J. Anderson and his wife, the owners of Weitshaw Farm, Sorn, had seen a glare in the sky and then heard reports of a missing aircraft. Shortly afterward, police and rescue services arrived in their farmyard. Mr. Anderson was able to tell them what he had seen. Then, the local police and the USAF rescue teams proceeded to that area a few miles away over rough and boggy moorland.

After searching in the darkness for about 5 hours, the wreckage was found eventually, partially buried in very boggy ground at Avon Head near Distinkhorn. The search parties soon discovered that fire had engulfed the B-26 shortly after impact. There were no survivors.

Due to the boggy ground and inaccessibly of the site for road vehicles, it was not possible to recover the bodies except by using the accompanying search and rescue helicopter. However, high winds prevented the helicopter from making an immediate recovery, and this had to be postponed until the winds had abated.

Possible Cause

Unconfirmed reports state that 'instrument failure' was the primary cause of this accident.

Footnotes:

¹ French Indo-China: Strictly, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. More widely, Malay Peninsula, Myanmar (Burma), Singapore, and Thailand (Siam).

²Fleetways Incorporated: Specialising in aircraft ferry flights, Fleetways Inc. was a distinct company from the present-day and similarly named Fleetway Inc.

Aircraft Crew Casualties

The crew who died in this accident were:

Edgar Joseph Flanagan (38) Collingswood, NJ (Pilot)
Wayne Archer Taylor (32) Lamissa, CA (Navigator)

Crash Site Photos

BELOW: Part of the aircraft's debris field.

(The tyre in the foreground is not considered to be part of the aircraft's wreckage, as it appeared at this location relatively recently.)

Part of debris field. Tyre not part of aircraft debris

BELOW: One of the two rotary engines from the B-26 Invader.

one of the two rotary engines from the b-26 invader

BELOW: Another section of wreckage from the light bomber.

section of wreckage from the light bomber

BELOW: The above section view from another angle.

The above section viewed from another angle

Photo Gallery

At the moment, there are no additional photos of this crash site in the Photo Gallery.

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Crash Date / Site

Accident Date: 13 Aug 1956

Accident Site:

Avon Head near Distinkhorn

(384m / 1259ft)

(Hill W of Laird Knowe)

(Suggested Approach Route: From Blacksidend / Glen Garr (Sheet 71: 592 310) then head for Distinkhorn. Wreck is about Avon Head NS 590 322.) [William Clark]

Region: East Ayrshire

Nearest town or village: