41-003

Safety history

• February 18, 1943Accident

  The crew was performing a test flight on this second prototype. Ten minutes after departure from Seattle-Boeing Field, the crew informed ATC that engine n°1 caught fire and attempted to return. At an altitude of 2,400 feet, the pilot feathered the propeller and notified ATC that the fire was spreading quickly. One minute later, as it was about to land, the bomber struck a power line and crashed on an industrial butchery. Extensive emergency resources were dispatched to the scene where rescuers d

  Boeing B-29 Superfortress · 34 fatalities

  A fire on engine n°1 was likely due to the rupture of a supply fuel line. When fuel contacted the engine nacelle and several other components whose temperature was high, a fire erupted that quickly spread across the wing. Full accident record