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Registration
or Serial: 42-41030 (Part of Knox Provisional Group)
Operator:
United States Army Air Forces (USAAF)
Operating Base:
Unknown
Base
Location:
Unknown
Aircraft Type Nickname:
Lib;
Lumbering Lib; Flying Boxcar, and others.
Aircraft Type & Background
The
Consolidated B-24 heavy bomber first flew in 1939. The prototypes
were equipped with four Pratt & Whitney 1200hp R-1830-33 Twin Wasp
engines. Early production versions were fitted with P&W 1200hp R-1830-41
engines with GE turbo superchargers. Later production versions
(B-24Ds) were
fitted with P&W R-1830-43 engines. Later variants followed. Their maximum speed was about
487km/h (303mph).
The
B-24 was fitted with 11 machine guns and had a bomb carrying
capacity of about 3,629kgs (8,000lbs); and, with modifications, had a
range of about 4600km (2,858 miles).
Although
overshadowed by the B-17 (Flying Fortresses), the B-24
was produced in greater numbers than any other aircraft in history
(in excess of 18,000 aircraft).
Aircraft Accident Details
Accident details for this aircraft are
sparse. The B-24 had taken off from Gander in Newfoundland for
Prestwick in Scotland. However, as he began his descent into
Prestwick (then, RAF Ayr / Heathfield) the pilot flew too low over
the peaks of Arran. Consequently, the aircraft struck the side of
Beinn Nuis, not far from Goatfell on Arran.
All ten people on board died in this
accident (eight crew and two service personnel travelling as
passengers).
Casualties (USAAF)
-
2nd Lt
William M Connelly, Pilot
-
F/O
Francis J. Chew, Co-Pilot
-
2nd Lt
Albert T. Spindle, Navigator
-
2nd Lt
Robert J. Hartl, Bombardier
-
S/Sgt
Fred W. Brantner, Flight Engineer
-
S/Sgt
Joseph B. Moore, Radio Operator
-
S/Sgt
Chester E. Cislo, Flight Engineer
-
Sgt
Glenn H. Paton, Gunner
-
Sgt.
Robert F. Daud, Gunner
-
Sgt
Louis S. Golis, Radio Operator
2nd Lt A.
T. Spindle was buried at the Cambridge American Cemetery, England.
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Accident Date
20 August 1943
Accident
Site
Beinn Nuis
(792m / c. 2,600ft)
Region: North Ayrshire (Isle of
Arran)
Nearest town or village:
Brodick
OS
Grid Ref:
Not yet available
Present
Condition
Some scattered remains still onsite.
Related
Links
Other Links
(B-24
Liberator Aircraft)
Below: An overhead view of a USAAF B-24 Liberator
in flight.
Photo : [no date] US Federal
Government photo released to the public domain.
Below: B-24 'Diamond Lil'
in flight
Photo : [no date] US Federal
Government photo released to the public domain. |
