Warbird Information Exchange

9 February 1943. Atlantic Ocean, Florida. At 0230 EWT, the crew of a Consolidated C-87 bailed out over the Atlantic Ocean approximately ten miles east of Hollywood, Florida, killing two crewmembers and injuring six others. The C-87 flew unoccupied for over 1,300 miles before crashing into El Viejo Mountain near Zaragoza, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Assistant navigator 2Lt. Bernard A. Brannon and radio operator Pvt. Stanley Gutowsky were never found and were presumed lost at sea. Six other crewmembers suffered minor injuries after parachuting into the sea.

Investigation revealed that the airplane had taken off at 0101 EWT from Morrison Field, West Palm Beach, Florida, on a ferry flight to an undisclosed overseas destination. The C-87 climbed normally after take off and the pilots leveled off at an altitude of 9,000 feet about 80 miles out to sea. The pilot reduced power and set the controls for cruise flight. Soon after leveling off and reducing power the pilot noticed that the airplane was not gaining enough airspeed. Moments later the rudders and elevators began vibrating violently. The airplane began losing altitude at a rate of 300 feet per minute. The pilots increased power to maintain altitude but were barely able to sustain level flight. The pilot then turned the airplane back toward the mainland and ordered the crew and passengers to jettison all luggage and cargo.

The pilot increased power and was able to maintain level flight but the vibration in the tail controls became so violent that it was difficult for the pilots to keep their hold on the control wheels or their feet on the rudder pedals. The pilots struggled with the airplane until they reached the area near Miami, Florida, but the C-87 soon became uncontrollable and began to lose altitude. The pilot, fearing that the violent vibrations would tear the C-87 apart in mid air, ordered all crewmembers and passengers to abandon ship. After all crewmembers had bailed out, the pilot set the automatic pilot and then exited the airplane. U.S. Coast Guard and civilian vessels operating in the area rescued six of the eight crew and passengers who had parachuted into the sea.

The C-87, its control anomolies apparently self corrected, flew un-occupied until it reached the area south of Zaragoza, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, at 0630 local Mexican time. The C-87 apparently circled the area for two hours before crashing into the south side of El Viejo Mountain approximately 400 feet below the peak at 0830 local Mexican time. It was noted by investigators that the subject airplane had had previous problems with tail surface buffetting. Copyright 2006, Anthony J. Mireles.

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"Welcome back Mr. Lasky."

One of the the RAF's 617 Sqn Lancasters was known as a lousy airplane to fly - difficult to trim out, vibrated, difficult to land well, etc. After returning from a raid one morning and having been shot up some, it was discovered that the elevator was installed upside down! Once corrected it became a typically well behaved Lanc!

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Defending Stearmans on WIX since Jeff started badmouthing them back in 2005.

Thats a h e l l of a note having to get the c r a p shot out of you to find out what was really wrong with the plane.

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Hang The Expense

It's mentioned in Paul Brickhouses' book 'The Dam Busters'

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-