B-17 crash north of Flagstaff on Sept 17, 1944

B-17G 42-102899 crash into San Francsco Peaks, Flagstaff, Arizona, on September 17, 1944

Copyright © Chris McDoniel

Two days after TB-24J crashed into the San Francisco Peaks, B-17G 42-102899 crashed into the peaks on September 17, 1944, killing all four men onboard the Flying Fortress.

B-17G 42-102889 took off from Kingman Army Air Field on a round robin training night flight to Winslow-Tucson-Kingman.  While in the vicinity of Flagstaff, the Flying Fortress caught fire and crashed in the San Francisco Peaks.

According to the AAF mishap report, “the airplane crashed 15 miles off course on wrong side of airways...The airplane crashed against the west slope of the San Francisco Peaks at approximate elevation of twelve thousand (12,000) feet. The scene of the crash was fifteen miles off-course on the north side of the airway.”

Four men died in the crash:

Richard V. Howell

Richard A. Davis

Lafayette R. Brown

Edward M. Sikora

Boeing B-17G at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.  (U.S. Air Force photo)

Fabric still attached to this piece, possibly a control surface.

You can still make out the word "BOEING" on this part.

Piece of aluminum with remains of plexiglass.

Portion of the turret.

One of the engines in the bottom of a drainage.

Tail number still visible on damaged tail section high in San Francisco Peaks.

One of the main landing gears. The "wiry" looking items are remains of the tire's steal belts.

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