Consolidated B-24 Liberator
Safety Rating
9.4/10Total Incidents
261
Total Fatalities
1649
Incident History
Indian Air Force - Bharatiya Vayu Sena
The crew departed Sulur AFB, Tamil Nadu, on a training mission. En route, weather conditions deteriorated and the pilot-in-command decided to gain altitude when the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain shrouded in clouds and located in the region of Palakkad. All ten crew members were killed.
Transportes Aéreos Mexicanos - TAMSA
After takeoff from runway 10, while climbing to an altitude of 300 feet, the pilot made a turn to the left heading 65° then continued climbing for about 400 to 600 feet when control was lost. The airplane stalled and crashed in a huge explosion in the Calle 54 Sur Street, about two km north of the airport. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and all three occupants were killed, among them the Mexican Actor and Singer Pedro Infante who was acting pilot on this flight. A kid on the ground was also killed.
Linea Aérea Ala de Chile
The aircraft left Iquique at 0840LT bound for Santiago with 15 passengers and a crew of four. Upon landing at Los Cerrillos Airport in Santiago, the aircraft banked right, causing the propeller of the engine number four to hit the runway surface. The airplane swerved on runway and the pilot-in-command elected to counteract but the aircraft veered off runway to the right. While contacting soft ground, the right main gear collapsed and the airplane came to rest in a grassy area. All 19 occupants were evacuated safely while the airplane was considered as damaged beyond repair.
British Overseas Airways Corporation - BOAC
An undercarriage failed upon landing at RAF Heathfield. The aircraft slid for several yards before coming to rest. There were no injuries but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Scottish Airlines
On final approach to Liverpool-Speke Airport, the aircraft hit two candelabrum, stalled and crashed short of the runway threshold. All four crew members were slightly injured while the aircraft was written off. The crew was performing a cargo flight with a load of milk.
Royal Australian Air Force - RAAF
Enroute, both left engines (number one and two) failed. The captain lost control of the aircraft that crashed into the Celebes Sea but was able to report his exact position. On scene, the crew of 'HMS Opposum' was able to evacuate eight wounded people while two others were killed. Crew (23rd Squadron): W/Cdr J. Handbury, pilot, W/O F. Welsh, copilot, F/Lt P. Mathews, navigator, † W/O C. McKenzie, wireless operator, W/O W. Nesbitt, radar operator, W/O R. Smith, flight engineer, F/Sgt D. Norton, flight engineer, Cpl E. Pye, fitter. Passengers: Cpt J. McFadden, Lt J. Potten. †
United States Navy - USN
Hit the slope of a mountain located near Kisarazu, killing all eight crew members. The aircraft was a PB4Y-1 version but delivered from the USAAF to USN with a B-24 Liberator serial number.
British Overseas Airways Corporation - BOAC
While cruising along the east Canadian coast, the crew informed ATC about severe icing conditions and obtained the permission to divert to Charlottetown Airport. The aircraft passed the runway threshold at a height of 7 meters and then stalled and crashed in flames on the runway. The copilot was killed while 13 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.
United States Army Air Forces - USAAF
While flying in a thunderstorm, the aircraft went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in a hilly terrain. All five crew members were killed. It appears there were severe turbulence in the area at the time of the accident.
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Safety Profile
Reliability
Reliable
This rating is based on historical incident data and may not reflect current operational safety.
