Navy Aviation Machinists Mate 3rd Class Horace E. Bell was born in Alabama in 1923, the son of John Henry Bell (1876-1939) and Molly Virginia Bell (1888-1946).

Contributor: Daniel Ward (48249754)

VP-73

Air Crash Port Lyautey, Morocco

Type:    Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina

Owner/operator:United States Navy

Registration:08047

Suffered engine fire on takeoff, spun in and burned.

Fatalities:Fatalities: 8

Location: NAAF Agadir, French Morocco Strike: Yes Deaths: 00 BUNO: 08047 CAUSE: Three witnesses stated the take-off was normal. Two men observed an unusually bright exhaust from the left engine and one man stated the port engine sputtered for a few seconds during the take-off. The statements of three witnesses agree that one engine cut out completely for about two seconds after plane became airborne. Plane maintained a westerly course for about one and a half minutes after leaving runway and climbed to about 350 to 400-ft. Within a minute after completing the turn, the plane was near enough to the field for the engines to be heard quite distinctly. Eight witnesses agreed the engines were not synchronized and that at least one was being operated at or near full power. After the plane had flown an easterly heading for two minutes, three men stated a fire broke out in or near the plane and that the plane entered a steep diving right hand turn and crashed. Five other witnesses saw the plane suddenly dive to the ground in a steep right turn but observed no fire prior to the crash. Four members of the French Foreign Legion were within one mile of the scene of the crash. All were positive that one engine was not running properly when the plane passed nearly overhead. One of these men saw a fire on the plane a few seconds before the crash. The other three stated they did not see a fire. The statement of all agree the plane suddenly entered a steep diving right turn and stuck the ground. The only person known to have seen the plane from ahead immediately prior to the accident, was an Arab sentry stationed about one and a half miles from the scene of the crash. This man insisted that there was a fire in or on the plane before it suddenly whipped to the right and dived into the ground. The plane was within four miles of the field during the entire time it was airborne. The port wing light or tail light or both, were seen from the field from the time of take-off until it crashed.It is believed that one depth bomb detonated at time of crash. The second exploded two minutes later and the third eighteen minutes later. The fourth did not exploded, although it was scorched by fire. Damage:Completely destroyed by fire.

Crew killed: Pilot Lt(jg) Robert S. Fuchs A-V(N) Usnr, Ens R. B. Wade, Ens H. A. Bradtke, Amm1c E. M. Muller, Amm3c H. Bell, Amm3c B. M. Howle, Rm3c R. C. McKibben, Rm3c R. A. Downer, and Aom3c C. E. Pariseau

https://www.vpnavy.org/vp73_mishap.html

Remembered by Buffalo (50696055)