Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress crash, Aug 16, 1942 (11 killed)
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress accident on August 16, 1942 near Cairns Queensland, Australia with 11 fatalities. Cause: A failure in the new flare...
- Date: August 16, 1942
- Aircraft: Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
- Location: Cairns Queensland, Australia
- Fatalities: 11
- Phase of flight: En route
- Cause: A failure in the new flare dropping mechanism caused a flare to explode inside the cabin.
The USAAF B 17E Flying Fortress 41-2434 of the 19th Bomb Group was on a test of a new flare dropping mechanism. A flare exploded inside the cabin and the bomber crashed into the sea about a mile off Cairns, Queensland. All 11 occupants were killed.