Freckleton air disaster
On 23 August 1944, a United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) Consolidated B-24 Liberator crashed during a test flight into the centre of the village of Freckleton, Lancashire, England, killing all three crewmen aboard the aircraft and 58 individuals on the ground, including 38 children aged four to six.
The aftermath of the Freckleton air disaster | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 23 August 1944 |
| Summary | Loss of control. Precise cause unknown |
| Site | Vicinity of Lytham Road, Freckleton, Lancashire, England 53.75472°N 2.86585°W |
| Total fatalities | 61 |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Consolidated B-24H Liberator |
| Aircraft name | Classy Chassis II |
| Operator | US Army Air Force |
| Registration | 42-50291 |
| Flight origin | RAF Warton |
| Destination | RAF Warton |
| Passengers | 0 |
| Crew | 3 (pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer) |
| Fatalities | 3 |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Ground casualties | |
| Ground fatalities | 58 (38 children; 2 teachers; 7 civilians; 4 British servicemen; 7 American servicemen) |
An official inquiry was unable to pinpoint an exact cause for the accident, although a sudden thunderstorm and the resultant reduced visibility immediately prior to the accident had caused the test pilot of the B-24, First Lieutenant John Bloemendal, to be ordered to abandon the test fight and attempt to return to base. The report was unable to discount structural failure of the aircraft in such extreme weather conditions as a factor for the accident, and recommended that American pilots be warned how to respond to British thunderstorms.
This aviation accident would prove to be the deadliest to occur in Britain during World War II, and would remain the second worst aviation accident in the world (in terms of number of fatalities) until the 1950 Llandlow air disaster.