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
Second Lieutenant Ebert was the pilot of 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, O-663877, AZ, Pilot
2nd Lt. Arthur M Thomas, O-735697, LA, Co-Pilot
2nd Lt. Stanley G Netz, O-732648, OR, Bombardier
2nd Lt. Paul Vistuba, O-733494, TX, Navigator
Sgt. Billie D Francis, 15103270, IN, Gunner
S/Sgt. Robert A Garrett, 39234404, CA, Radio Operator
Sgt. Howard G Lilley, 32388375, NJ, Gunner
S/Sgt. Glenn M McKnight, 19080846, CA, Flight Engineer
Sgt. John J Mikolich, 37276169, MN, Gunner
Sgt. Joseph P Rafac, 36043753, IL, Radio Operator
Sgt. Willard S Schrader, 19061819, MN, Passenger
when 12 separate fatal airplane crashes in the United States killed 51 personnel
Second Lieutenant Ebert was the pilot of 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, O-663877, AZ, Pilot
2nd Lt. Arthur M Thomas, O-735697, LA, Co-Pilot
2nd Lt. Stanley G Netz, O-732648, OR, Bombardier
2nd Lt. Paul Vistuba, O-733494, TX, Navigator
Sgt. Billie D Francis, 15103270, IN, Gunner
S/Sgt. Robert A Garrett, 39234404, CA, Radio Operator
Sgt. Howard G Lilley, 32388375, NJ, Gunner
S/Sgt. Glenn M McKnight, 19080846, CA, Flight Engineer
Sgt. John J Mikolich, 37276169, MN, Gunner
Sgt. Joseph P Rafac, 36043753, IL, Radio Operator
Sgt. Willard S Schrader, 19061819, MN, Passenger
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
Second Lieutenant Ebert was the pilot of 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, O-663877, AZ, Pilot
2nd Lt. Arthur M Thomas, O-735697, LA, Co-Pilot
2nd Lt. Stanley G Netz, O-732648, OR, Bombardier
2nd Lt. Paul Vistuba, O-733494, TX, Navigator
Sgt. Billie D Francis, 15103270, IN, Gunner
S/Sgt. Robert A Garrett, 39234404, CA, Radio Operator
Sgt. Howard G Lilley, 32388375, NJ, Gunner
S/Sgt. Glenn M McKnight, 19080846, CA, Flight Engineer
Sgt. John J Mikolich, 37276169, MN, Gunner
Sgt. Joseph P Rafac, 36043753, IL, Radio Operator
Sgt. Willard S Schrader, 19061819, MN, Passenger
when 12 separate fatal airplane crashes in the United States killed 51 personnel
Second Lieutenant Ebert was the pilot of 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, O-663877, AZ, Pilot
2nd Lt. Arthur M Thomas, O-735697, LA, Co-Pilot
2nd Lt. Stanley G Netz, O-732648, OR, Bombardier
2nd Lt. Paul Vistuba, O-733494, TX, Navigator
Sgt. Billie D Francis, 15103270, IN, Gunner
S/Sgt. Robert A Garrett, 39234404, CA, Radio Operator
Sgt. Howard G Lilley, 32388375, NJ, Gunner
S/Sgt. Glenn M McKnight, 19080846, CA, Flight Engineer
Sgt. John J Mikolich, 37276169, MN, Gunner
Sgt. Joseph P Rafac, 36043753, IL, Radio Operator
Sgt. Willard S Schrader, 19061819, MN, Passenger
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2LT, US ARMY AIR FORCES WORLD WAR II
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