Lakenheath - Lakenheath

On October 13, 1949 at 09:30 AM, Lakenheath - Lakenheath experienced a crash involving Boeing B-50 Superfortress, operated by United States Air Force - USAF, with the event recorded near Isleham Cambridgeshire.

The flight was categorized as training and the reported phase was takeoff (climb) at a plain, valley crash site.

12 people were known to be on board, 12 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 12, crew fatalities: 12, passengers on board: 0, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is technical failure. The aircraft departed RAF Lakenheath at 0925LT on a training mission consisting of a climb to 25,000 feet, break up the formation then drop 16,500 pounds of high explosive bombs individually on the bombing target at Heligoland. During the initial climb, while at a height of 500 feet, the captain reported to ATC that all was OK on board. Shortly later, while climbing into clouds, the aircraft went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in a huge explosion in a field located half a mile southeast of Isleham. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces and several explosions caused by the bombs and the 6,000 gallons of fuel. All 12 crew members were killed. Source: http://www.islehaminformer.org.uk/Images/Informer201110.pdf

Aircraft reference details include registration 46-060, MSN 15780, year of manufacture 1947.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 52.3550°, 0.3958°.