On 21 April , 1st Lt Kenneth L. Baker, was flying an-AC25 aircraft, A. While returning from the mission, adverse weather conditions existed at the home base, Lt. Baker lost the home field, because of low ceilings and very poor visibility.
He located Y, and made a decision to land there. This field is under construction and has no flying control. After landing, Lt Baker had to turn around at end of runway, to proceed to taxi-strip, as there were no strips at end of runway, onto which he could turn. Another aircraft landing behind him, made him taxi directly off the runway, in order to-avoid a collision of two aircraft. In so doing, the right wheel dropped into a hole, causing right prop to dig into the ground.
All three blades of the right prop were bent. One of two bombs, which had hung up, because of faulty shackles, fell, and slightly damaged the bomb-bay doors. Immediate cause: Taxied into hole with right wheel damaging right prop blades. Underlying cause: Pilot had to get off rurway to avoid landing aircraft colliding with his aircraft and no taxi strips were available at end of runway.
Recommendations: None. The statement by Rice in the accident report states "Returning from a combat sortie on the afternoon of August 25, , number four ship in our lead flight was running low on gas and called up that he was going to leave the formation and land on the Cherbourg Peninsula for gas. I was flying left wing of number four ship, and acknowledged his call. I saw his plane leave the formation to the rear and well below me. I began to pull up on the lead element of the flight.
Some time elapsed, when the plane came up from my left and under me. The instant I saw the plane coming up, I immediately try to pull up to avoid a collision but it was impossible. The plane tore my left wing up a bit, and bent the left propeller, rendering the left engine inoperative. I immediately feathered the prop, and by the time I had the plane under control, I was to the left of course. With the bad wing, I could not hold my altitude. We broke below the overcast at approximately feet, just off the coast of the German held Island of Jersey, at which time we received intent accurate flak.
