No fatalities

Four-Engine Aircraft Ditched Off Liberian Coast Due to Fuel Exhaustion (42-6383)

Greenville, LiberiaFlight

On June 17, 1944, a Boeing B-29 Superfortress (registration 42-6383) operated by United States Army Air Forces - USAAF (1941-1947) was involved in an aviation accident near Greenville, Liberia in flight. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Fuel exhaustion forced the pilot to ditch the aircraft in the sea off the Liberian coast. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-08-05Data APIEditorial standards

A four-engine aircraft ditching off the coast of Liberia after running out of fuel during a ferry flight from the US to India. All crew members were rescued, and the airframe was lost.

What happened

The incident occurred while the crew was conducting a ferry flight originating in the United States with a destination in India. While traversing airspace off the coast of Liberia, the pilot encountered a critical situation requiring an emergency landing in the water. The aircraft, described as a four-engine model, ditched near the Greenville coast. Following the impact, all crew members on board were successfully rescued. The airframe was subsequently lost at the scene.

Findings

The official investigation identified fuel exhaustion as the primary cause of the accident. This factor forced the pilot to execute an emergency ditching procedure over open water rather than attempting a landing at a suitable airport.

Probable cause

Fuel exhaustion forced the pilot to ditch the aircraft in the sea off the Liberian coast.