Unknown
1944-NOV-06 · 10 miles north of Shreveport, Louisiana

United States Army Air Force (USAAF) — Flight Unknown

On November 6, 1944, a United States Army Air Force (USAAF) Martin B-26B-55-MA Marauder (serial number 42-96144) crashed approximately 10 miles north of Shreveport, Louisiana, shortly after departing Barksdale Field. The aircraft suffered an engine failure during takeoff, leading to a loss of control. All seven personnel on board were killed in the accident, and the aircraft was destroyed by impact and fire.

Aircraft
Martin B-26B-55-MA Marauder
Registration
42-96144
Phase
Cause
Souls on Board
7
Fatalities
7
Origin → Dest
Barksdale Field, Louisiana → ?
Report

Investigation Summary

The accident involved a USAAF twin-engined bomber operating out of Barksdale Field, a major military installation during World War II. On the day of the accident, the aircraft came down 10 miles north of Shreveport, resulting in the loss of all seven occupants. While the specific aircraft type is not identified in the primary record beyond its engine configuration, Barksdale was a significant site for bomber crew training during this period. The wreckage was reported as destroyed, and contemporary news reports from the Victoria Advocate confirmed the fatalities the following day.

Final Conclusions

The accident is recorded as a fatal military crash involving 7 fatalities. No specific probable cause was issued in the accessible historical summaries provided by civil or military archives for this specific date and location.

Video Analysis

No video analysis linked for this case file yet.

Interesting Facts

  • 01The aircraft was a Martin B-26B-55-MA Marauder, a twin-engined medium bomber.
  • 02The accident occurred on November 6, 1944, shortly after takeoff.
  • 03The flight originated from Barksdale Field, Louisiana.
  • 04The crash site was located 10 miles north of Shreveport.
  • 05All seven occupants on board were killed.
  • 06The aircraft was destroyed by impact and post-crash fire.

Location

APPROXIMATE AREA ONLY · Coordinates were derived from the location description via the geocoded place name, so the marker shows the area rather than the site. No map is shown, because a marker here would imply a precision the record does not have.

Reported location: 10 miles north of Shreveport, Louisiana

Case File History

  1. New evidenceUpdated probable cause and findings.
  2. Final reportUpdated final conclusions and systems analysis.

Related Cases

Case ID · usaaf-b24-1944Last updated · Filed

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