Warbird Information Exchange

I'm conducting an investigation of a WWII crash involving a B-24 Liberator that has me puzzled. Anybody out there with technical skills on plane crashes?
Here's the question: What is the probability for an individual in the cockpit to survive a crash into water, flying at some 200mph, close to shore, from an altitude of 200 meters? This was not a controlled ditching. From the data, it appears the aircraft broke into several pieces upon impact with parts on shore and in the water. Would it be more likely that individuals in the rear of the aircraft would have had a better chance of surviving in such a crash?

I would say the probability would be low, but certainly not impossible. A flight attendant survived an in-flight breakup of a Russian airliner, riding her jumpseat in the tail section to the ground. There is also more than one account of a crew member jumping out of a bomber during WW2 and surviving landing in a tree with a parachute that failed to deploy.

Hi; Its hard to say, if he were launched out the windshield [B-26 pilot that was the first one to land in million dollar valley] ,still strapped in the seat in a chunk that was torn loose was tossed clear of the wreckage [Steve Hinton in the Red Baron] Anything is possible. B-24s were known to break up badly in water ditchings and even belly landings. Whats the rest of the story? Thanks Mike

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Part of the story, I'm writing an article about it, is that all of the crew died as a result of the crash or some possibly became POWs but died during captivity. I'm trying to find out whether the pilot, co-pilot, navigator, and/or bombardier survived but died while POWs. Civilian witnesses couldn't tell their rank (three to five members of the crew were picked up from what I can piece together). I'm wondering if I could rule out officer's as possible survivors. They don't show up on any POW list that I've seen.