B-17 Flying Fortress B-17 44-6682 / Lucky 7

History of
B-17 44-6682 / Lucky 7

Delivered Lincoln 11/10/44; Grenier 22/10/44; Assigned 429BS/2BG Amendola 30/10/44; Missing in Action {6m} Vienna 7/2/45 with Dale Gold, Co-pilot: Wayne Rickert, Navigator: Andres McGuire, Bombardier: Ellsworth Dougherty, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Louis Kaszak, Radio Operator: Duane Young, Ball turret gunner: Bob Gayle, Waist gunner: Andy McCay, Waist gunner: Larry Burgor (9 Prisoner of War);Tail gunner: Albert Matula (KIA, fired on from ground during his descent); flak, two engines out, crashed Papa, Hungary; Missing Air Crew Report 12086. LUCKY 7.

Last updated: 25. July 2017

B-17 44-6682 / Lucky 7 Details

Over the target area at about 1418 hours, the aircraft was hit by flak on the underside of its left wing.  The aircraft lost both engines and was thrown into a steep right bank.  An eyewitness from another aircraft described the events:

The pilot of the plane immediately attempted to correct this and the plane went into a steep bank to the left and in doing so the plane went into a skid and passed underneath the tail of our plane, jus avoiding a collision.  I watched the plane for the next two or three minutes and he continued on out – in his skid – losing altitude quite rapidly and then he disappeared into a cloud.

All crew members were able to bail out of the aircraft. The left waist gunner’s chute failed to open and he was killed as he hit the ground.  The other nine crew members including Kaszak were captured by a Hungarian captain and they later became POWs.  The aircraft crashed near Lake Balaton, Hungary.

via: https://www.fold3.com/page/565974899_crash_of_b17_446682_macr_12068