AAR 45-12-23-510

416th Bombardment Group (L)

Aircraft Accident Report 45-12-23-510

December 23, 1944, Saturday

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Report Summary

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(AAR images from AAIR - Aviation Archaeological Investigation and Research.)

Aircraft Serial Number (Type): 44-560 (Douglas A-20K-15-DO Havoc)

9th AF; 416th Bomb Gp; 671st Bomb Sq

Mission # 173; Box: II; Flight: 2; Position: 1; A/C Fuselage Code: 5C-X

Reason: Crash Landing Engine Failure (CRLEF)

Damage: Completely destroyed (4)

Point Of Departure: A-55 Melun/Villaroche, France

Location: Marchais, France O-1716

*Personnel*
Duty	Name	Rank	S/N	Status
Pilot	Buskirk, John A.	1Lt	O-739723	Not Injured
Bombardier/Navigator	Hanna, Robert C.	1Lt	O-732466	Slightly Injured
Airplane Mechanic - Gunner	Corbitt, Charles Houston Jr.	S/Sgt	14061249	Not Injured
Airplane Mechanic - Gunner	Mahoney, Robert J.	S/Sgt	37478736	Not Injured

Notes:
Nature of Accident: "Emergency forced landing."
Cause of Accident: "Power plant failure. Materiel failure of propeller governor."

Description:
Lt. Buskirk, flying an A-20 Havoc, had to drop out of the formation on the return trip with one propeller feathered when the engine failed. He made a crash-landing at A-69 near Reims, and the plane was washed out. He and his two gunners were uninjured. His Bombardier-Navigator, Lt. R.C. Hanna, suffered a sprained back.
(416th BG History 1944)

Handwritten on Loading List: Crash landed near Laon.

See Mission # 173 for additional details