Consolidated B-24 Liberator accident at Indio, United States of America, 12 Aug 1943 (42-7122)

Accident narrative

A few minutes before 2200LT, the aircraft left Blythe Airfield and set an altitude for 15,000 feet and a heading towards Muroc for a night training bombing mission. No radio contact was made with the crew of the Liberator after take-off. At 2206LT, approximately 50 miles west of Blythe and north of Indio, the B-24 crashed and burned on a mountainside. All ten crew members were killed and the aircraft was totally destroyed. Crew (34th BG): 2nd Lt Harold Schonberg, pilot, 2nd Lt Gene Healy, copilot, 2nd Lt Arnold Johnston, navigator, 2nd Lt Harry Louis, bombardier, Sgt Ernest Simard, flight engineer, Sgt Arnold Wilensky, radio operator, Sgt Melvin Steeley, flight engineer, Sgt Ross Hill, radio operator, Sgt Paul Trusley, air gunner, Sgt John Sweeney, air gunner. Source: http://www.aircraftarchaeology.com/indiob24.html

Probable cause (official findings): Although an investigation revealed the loss of the horizontal and vertical stabilizers in flight, a lack of witnesses and no communication with the crew precluded investigators from determining the exact cause of the crash.