41-39234 Baby Alan
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UPL 48264
A-26B-20-DL #41-39234 "Baby Alan" Code: 5C-P
416th BG - 671st BS - 9th AF
Crash landed at Melun 23 Jan 1945
416th BG - 671st BS - 9th AF
Crash landed at Melun 23 Jan 1945
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 416th Bomb Group 671st Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-739723
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 416th Bomb Group 671st Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 14061249
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade)
- Role/Job: Aerial Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 416th Bomb Group 671st Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-759579
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 416th Bomb Group 671st Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Melun, Alsace
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Other First 416th BG Combat Mission |
Haguenau, France | 17 November 1944 | |
Crashed |
23 January 1945 | After taking off for an operational mission in aircraft A-26B-20, ACSN 41-39234, Lt. Gary was unable to retract his left landing gear. Repeated attempts failed to retract the gear. Because the weather was extremely poor and was closing in, Lt. Gary was advised to land. Because his aircraft was overloaded approximately siz thousand pounds above maximum allowable landing weight he was advised to use extreme caution in landing. Weather conditions prevented his jettisoning his bomb load on the bombing range before landing. In attempting to maintain a balance between a safe flying speed with that load and a safe landing speed with which he could stop the aircraft with that load, Lt. Gary underestimated the stalling speed and dropped the aircraft in from approximately ten feet. The force of the landing caused failure of the brace assembly, nose wheel side, and broke the left axle from the main strut assembly adjacent to the inboard bearing collar. |