Historical note: January 24, 1943 was the deadliest day in U.S. Army aviation history,
when 12 separate fatal airplane crashes in the United States killed 51 personnel
Staff Sergeant McKnight was a Flight Engineer aboard U.S. Army Air Forces
B-24D Liberator #41-24037. He was one of eleven airmen who were killed in a crash in the White Sands National Monument, approximately ten miles west of the airbase at Alamogordo, New Mexico, on a training flight during World War II.
There was only one witness to the accident. The aircraft was observed to come out of cloud cover about 5,000 feet above terrain, in a slight downward path. It then levelled out, then banked to the right and went into a flat spin. Investigators could not determine an exact cause, but the bomber was in a near recovery when it impacted terrain. Encountering turbulence may have induced an engine stall.
The crew members killed aboard were:
2nd Lt. William A Ebert, Pilot
2nd Lt. Arthur M Thomas, Co-pilot
2nd Lt. Stanley G Netz, Bombardier
2nd Lt. Paul Vistuba, Navigator
Sgt. Billie D Francis, Gunner
S/Sgt. Robert A Garrett, Radio Operator
Sgt. Howard G Lilley, Gunner
S/Sgt. Glenn M McKnight, Flight Engineer
Sgt. John J Mikolich, Gunner
Sgt. Joseph P Rafac, Radio Operator
Sgt. Willard S Schrader, Passenger
Body released January 27, 1943.
when 12 separate fatal airplane crashes in the United States killed 51 personnel
Staff Sergeant McKnight was a Flight Engineer aboard U.S. Army Air Forces
B-24D Liberator #41-24037. He was one of eleven airmen who were killed in a crash in the White Sands National Monument, approximately ten miles west of the airbase at Alamogordo, New Mexico, on a training flight during World War II.
There was only one witness to the accident. The aircraft was observed to come out of cloud cover about 5,000 feet above terrain, in a slight downward path. It then levelled out, then banked to the right and went into a flat spin. Investigators could not determine an exact cause, but the bomber was in a near recovery when it impacted terrain. Encountering turbulence may have induced an engine stall.
The crew members killed aboard were:
2nd Lt. William A Ebert, Pilot
2nd Lt. Arthur M Thomas, Co-pilot
2nd Lt. Stanley G Netz, Bombardier
2nd Lt. Paul Vistuba, Navigator
Sgt. Billie D Francis, Gunner
S/Sgt. Robert A Garrett, Radio Operator
Sgt. Howard G Lilley, Gunner
S/Sgt. Glenn M McKnight, Flight Engineer
Sgt. John J Mikolich, Gunner
Sgt. Joseph P Rafac, Radio Operator
Sgt. Willard S Schrader, Passenger
Body released January 27, 1943.
Historical note: January 24, 1943 was the deadliest day in U.S. Army aviation history,
when 12 separate fatal airplane crashes in the United States killed 51 personnel
Staff Sergeant McKnight was a Flight Engineer aboard U.S. Army Air Forces
B-24D Liberator #41-24037. He was one of eleven airmen who were killed in a crash in the White Sands National Monument, approximately ten miles west of the airbase at Alamogordo, New Mexico, on a training flight during World War II.
There was only one witness to the accident. The aircraft was observed to come out of cloud cover about 5,000 feet above terrain, in a slight downward path. It then levelled out, then banked to the right and went into a flat spin. Investigators could not determine an exact cause, but the bomber was in a near recovery when it impacted terrain. Encountering turbulence may have induced an engine stall.
The crew members killed aboard were:
2nd Lt. William A Ebert, Pilot
2nd Lt. Arthur M Thomas, Co-pilot
2nd Lt. Stanley G Netz, Bombardier
2nd Lt. Paul Vistuba, Navigator
Sgt. Billie D Francis, Gunner
S/Sgt. Robert A Garrett, Radio Operator
Sgt. Howard G Lilley, Gunner
S/Sgt. Glenn M McKnight, Flight Engineer
Sgt. John J Mikolich, Gunner
Sgt. Joseph P Rafac, Radio Operator
Sgt. Willard S Schrader, Passenger
Body released January 27, 1943.
when 12 separate fatal airplane crashes in the United States killed 51 personnel
Staff Sergeant McKnight was a Flight Engineer aboard U.S. Army Air Forces
B-24D Liberator #41-24037. He was one of eleven airmen who were killed in a crash in the White Sands National Monument, approximately ten miles west of the airbase at Alamogordo, New Mexico, on a training flight during World War II.
There was only one witness to the accident. The aircraft was observed to come out of cloud cover about 5,000 feet above terrain, in a slight downward path. It then levelled out, then banked to the right and went into a flat spin. Investigators could not determine an exact cause, but the bomber was in a near recovery when it impacted terrain. Encountering turbulence may have induced an engine stall.
The crew members killed aboard were:
2nd Lt. William A Ebert, Pilot
2nd Lt. Arthur M Thomas, Co-pilot
2nd Lt. Stanley G Netz, Bombardier
2nd Lt. Paul Vistuba, Navigator
Sgt. Billie D Francis, Gunner
S/Sgt. Robert A Garrett, Radio Operator
Sgt. Howard G Lilley, Gunner
S/Sgt. Glenn M McKnight, Flight Engineer
Sgt. John J Mikolich, Gunner
Sgt. Joseph P Rafac, Radio Operator
Sgt. Willard S Schrader, Passenger
Body released January 27, 1943.
Inscription
SSGT, 459 BOMB SQ, 330 BOMB GP WORLD WAR II
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