Accident Boeing B-17C Fortress I AN522,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 74496
 
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Date:Sunday 22 June 1941
Time:
Type:Silhouette image of generic B17 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Boeing B-17C Fortress I
Owner/operator:90 Sqn RAF
Registration: AN522
MSN:
Fatalities:Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 9
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Location:Near Catterick Bridge, Yorkshire -   United Kingdom
Phase: En route
Nature:Military
Departure airport:RAF West Raynham, Norfolk
Destination airport:
Narrative:
Built for USAAF as B-17C 40-2053. Diverted to RAF as AN522 on 19 February 1941. Crashed 22 June 1941: Royal Air Force Boeing Fortress I, AN522, of No. 90 Squadron, RAF West Raynham, flown by F/O J. C. Hawley, breaks up in mid-air over Yorkshire during a high altitude flight experimental flight.

Sole survivor, Bill Stewart, a medical officer from RAE Farnborough, reports that the bomber entered a cumulo-nimbus cloud at 33,000 feet (10,100 m), became heavily iced-up with hailstones entering through open gunports, after which control was lost, the port wing detached, and the fuselage broke in two at 25,000 feet (7,600 m).

Survivor Bill Stewart, who was in the aft fuselage, was able to bail out at 12,000 feet (3,700 m). What isn't mentioned is that the young American 2nd pilot Follett Bradley was the first US casualty of WWII -- they had to keep that quiet at the time, as the USA was supposedly neutral

Crew:-
Pilot : Flying Officer John Charles Michael Hawley RAF 42002 [Killed] (Commission Gazetted : Tuesday 06 February, 1940)
2nd Pilot : Lieutenant (Army) Follett Bradley USAAF [Killed]
Observer : Sergeant Horace Philip Black RAFVR 915945 [Killed]
Observer : Flight Lieutenant John Bernard William Humpherson DFC RAF 39317 [Killed]
Observer : Squadron Leader David Alan Hope Robson MB ChB RAF 23394 [Killed]
Observer : Flight Lieutenant William Kilpatrick 'Bill' Stewart AFC RAF
Wireless Operator : Flight Sergeant George James Garwood RAFVR 701916 [Killed]
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner : Sergeant Thomas James Wills RCAF R/53359 [Killed]

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accidents_and_incidents_involving_the_Boeing_B-17_Flying_Fortress#1940s
http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/yorkshire/york41/an522.html
https://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-17/index.html
https://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?38006-Yorkshire-B-17-crash-1941
http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1940.html
https://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-17/40-2053.html
Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
25-May-2010 18:24 angels one five Added
25-May-2010 19:12 angels one five Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Narrative]
03-Sep-2011 08:52 Uli Elch Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
03-Sep-2011 08:53 Uli Elch Updated [Aircraft type]
07-Sep-2011 20:44 angels one five Updated [Operator]
07-Sep-2011 20:44 angels one five Updated [Operator]
17-Jan-2012 06:37 Nepa Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
19-Jan-2012 03:28 angels one five Updated [Operator, Total occupants, Source, Narrative]
23-Jan-2012 01:42 angels one five Updated [Narrative]
21-Mar-2013 15:16 Dr. John Smith Updated [Registration, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
04-Apr-2013 14:15 Nepa Updated [Operator]
19-Sep-2013 22:49 angels one five Updated [Operator, Location, Narrative]
31-Oct-2018 19:39 Nepa Updated [Operator, Operator]
22-Jun-2023 06:36 Rob Davis Updated [[Operator, Operator]]

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