On a practice mission 42-30091 B-17F A/C crashed on air base at Eye.

US Army Air Forces Report of Aircraft Accident

Aircraft crashed while attempting to join the formation for a Practice mission. Aircraft banked up behind other aircraft at Low Altitude, turning the ship over in a steep bank and causing it too crash. Visibility three miles, 6/10 to 8/10 at 20, 000 feet.

Description of Accident:
1. Aircraft # 42-30091 took off from Station #139 at 1010 hrs on a practice mission. Lt Myron D. Richmond, pilot of the ship, was attempting to join his formation in the first turn after take-off. He apparently was closing on the formation at a rather sharp angle and consequently overshot, and crossed through the slipstream of the formation. He apparently banked the plane up at a sharp angle at the same time that he crossed the slip-stream, causing the plane to stall. Since he had attained only about seven-hundred feet altitude, he did not have time to recover from the stall. The plane crashed and burned on the perimeter track at the Air Force Station # 134 (EYE)

2. All of the ten crew members on board were killed. The plane was completely destroyed. There was no injury sustained by anyone on the ground and no damage to private property.

John B. Kidd
Lt Col Air Corps
President
Aircraft Accident Committee

Sumner H. Reeder
Capt. Air Corps
Member
Aircraft Accident Committee

Maurice F. Youngs
Capt. Air Corps
Member
Aircraft Accident Committee

April 26, 1944

Pilots Statement of Accident of 21 April 1944

To: Aircraft Accident Board, Lt Col John B. Kidd, President

1. The accident happened while getting into formation after takeoff at between 400-500 feet indicated altitude. The plane was cutting off the element leader, over-shot, skidded under him and over into the right wing position. He was to fly the left wing. As he skidded under the element leader, I saw smoke coming out of #3 engine exhaust. Immediately after this, he went into a sharp bank of about 70 degrees or 80 degrees and went into the ground-almost nose first.
2. My opinion of what happened is that the pilot accidently turned on the A. F. C. E. entirely instead of just the master bar switch-not having it set up, or in some way his controls were fouled. He didn't or would not have hit any prop wash at the position he was in.

William A. Ryan Jr.
2nd Lt. Air Corps