1. On 21 March 1945, 1st Lt Earl J. Bass was scheduled to fly a B-26C45 aircraft, A.F. #42-107620 on a local training mission. Lt Bass taxied out and pulled up at end of runway two-three, and stopped at angle of forty-five (45) degrees to the taxi strip, while waiting for aircraft ahead to be cleared for take-off. This aircraft, a B-26G15, A.F. #44-67986 was piloted by Lt Norman W. Sherwood, O-813962. Lt Sherwood, prior to take-off, ran his engines up to maximum power on the taxi strip, blowing loose slabs of asphalt from taxi strip into Lt Bass' aircraft, causing pilot's and co-pilot's windshields to be broken, plexiglass of nose broken, damage to left propeller, and minor dents in fuselage and left engine cowling.

2. Cause: One hundred percent (100%) airfield terrain. Taxi strip surfaces at the point of accident occurence are in bad condition. Asphalt surfacing is cracked and loose.

3. Recommendations: None.

On 4 July 1944, Donald D. O'Hare, O-735810, 1st Lt A.C., having properly checked his aircraft B-26B50 MA, AF No. 42-95832, took off on a local training mission with a seven man crew and ten (10) one hundred pound bomb load. Just as the aircraft was becoming airborne the left engine failed completely. The right propeller fluctuated considerably. The aircraft never attained enough air speed to insure retaining control and holding altitude. The pilot picked a grain field and made a belly landing. The landing was beautifully executed on a slight upslope. The soft dirt tore off the lower segments of each engine cowling, the wheel nacelle doors, the bombay doors, the keel beam of the bombay and part of the skin of under the fuselage. The aircraft slid straight up the slope for approximately 150-200 yards. At that time it went across a ditch approximately six (6) feet wide and four (4) feet deep. The shock even at slow speed swung the aircraft to the right, tore off the left engine, and set the aircraft afire. In the swing to the right the fuselage rode over the torn off left engine, tearing out the rear bombay and breaking the fuselage in two. The crew evacuated the airplane through the copilot's and navigator's hatch. The pilot's hatch was jammed. One enlisted man was in the tail. He was removed by the copilot and the engineer-gunner. The aircraft had checked out on the preflight but on previous flights had been criticized for lack of power. The crash was caused by 100% material failure, complete left engine failure and probable failure of the right propeller, cause undetermined. There are no recommendations.

NOTE: See Reel A0644 page 1264 for an account of the crash.

O'Hare stated that, after feathering the left engine, full rudder trim was not sufficient and that he made a gentle turn to the left to avoid the radar towers at North Weald airfield. He also stated that the bombardier and radio man suffered 1st and 2nd degree burns; the enlisted bombardier (Schwisow) suffered a broken arm, head injuries and and 1st and 2nd degree burns; the rest of the crew suffered minor 1st degree burns; and that he had minor lacerations of the jaw.