The B-17 Locator: Where Are They?

B-17 Crash Sites

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The B-17 Locator: B-17 Crash Sites

Following is a growing list of B-17 crash sites. In round numbers, at least two-thirds of the 12,731 B-17s built were lost to combat, training accidents, or other incidents. Many of the sites of those aircraft crashes still exist, some documented but many otherwise unknown or unidentified. The list here has but a few of those, but I’d like that list to grow.

Most of these listed airframes are only a collection of scrap metal, be they buried under several hundred feet of ice in Greenland or underwater off a World War II battleground. Also included are various known crash sites for both military and civil B-17s.

Table Showing Selected Locations of B-17 Crash Sites

CountryStateLocationSettingSeriesIdentification SequenceStatusRemarksLink/Photos
AustraliaQueenslandBakers CreekB-17C40-2072Crash siteCrashed 6/14/43; 40 KIAPacific Wrecks
CroatiaVis IslandOffshoreB-17G44-6630UnderwaterLost 11/6/44Diving Center Croatia
FranceCorsicaCalvi BayOffshoreB-17G42-31044UnderwaterLost 2/14/44Dive The World
Greenland Near Narsak FjordB-17E41-9090UnderwaterSooner
Ditched 6/27/42; (at one point, civil registered as N3142U); attempted recovery 7/99; not located		Greenland Air Crash
GreenlandApproximately 17 miles from the coast at Kjøge Bugt. B-17E41-9101Under ice, wreckageBig Stoop; crash landed 7/15/42 (with one other B-17 and six P-38s); later unsuccessful recovery Greenland Air Crash
GreenlandApproximately 17 miles from the coast at Kjøge Bugt.B-17E41-9105Under ice, wreckageDo Do; crash landed 7/15/42 (with one other B-17 and six P-38s); later unsuccessful recovery Greenland Air Crash
GreenlandNear EgedesmindeB-17E41-9108UnknownAlabama Exterminator
Crash 6/26/42		Greenland Air Crash
GreenlandUnknownB-17F42-5088UnknownCrash 11/9/42Greenland Air Crash
Greenland Graah Fjord FjordB-17G42-97854UnderwaterDitched 4/9/44; was registered as N9094V; attempted recovery 8/99; believed located but unrecoveredAviation Safety Network
NorwayByglandMountainsideB-17C40-2057 (RAF AN 525)Crash siteShot down on 9/8/41 during RAF bombing raid.Facebook Page
Solomon IslandsGuadalcanalOffshore B-17E41-2420Underwater"Bessie, Jap Basher", ditched 9/24/42Pacific Wrecks
Papua New GuineaMt. ObreeMountainsideB-17E41-2505Crash sitePacific Wrecks
Papua New GuineaNear Kaisinik below Black Cat Pass to the east of Wau.HillsideB-17E41-9234Crash siteBlackcat Gap, ex RAF FL 461Pacific Wrecks
Papua New GuineaNear Boga BogaDitching siteB-17F41-24521Underwater"Black Jack", ditched 7/11/43Pacific Wrecks
USAAZ10 mi. E YumaMountainsideB-17G42-97619Crash siteCrashed 6/28/44 Aircraft Wrecks in Arizona and the Southwest
USAAZnear Flagstaffwest slope of San Francisco PeaksB-17G42-102899Crash siteCrashed 9/17/44AerospaceArchaeology
USACA35 mi. E GeorgetownMountainsideB-17C40-2047Crash siteCrashed 11/2/41Crash site photos
USACA10 mi. NE CoveloMountainsideB-17F42-5318Crash siteCrashed 5/30/43Macha's Aircraft Wrecks
USACODeadman GulchMountainsideB-17F44-3320Crash siteCrashed 5/13/43Colorado & Wyoming Aircraft Wreckchasing
USACOHaystack GateMountainsideB-17G44-83710(?)Crash siteCrashed 10/26/48Colorado & Wyoming Aircraft Wreckchasing
USACOPingree Park MountainsideB-17F42-6042Crash siteCrashed 10/18/43; mountainside, elev. 10500'Colorado & Wyoming Aircraft Wreckchasing
USACOLarkspurMountainsideB-17??Crash siteCrashed 2/26/44Colorado & Wyoming Aircraft Wreckchasing
USACOCrownpointMountainsideB-17F42-30891Crash siteCrashed 6/14/44; mountainside, elev. 10750'Colorado & Wyoming Aircraft Wreckchasing
USAIDClearwater National ForestMountainsideB-17F42-29563Crash siteCrashed 12/3/43Crash Report
USAMIPorcupine MountainsHill sideB-17G42-30762Crash siteCrashed 4/19/44Lost In Michigan
USAMTnear SuperiorMountainsideB-17G42-102715, N66573Crash siteAir Tanker; crashed July 21, 1979Aviation Safety Network
USANM15 mi. W of Las CrucesDesertB-17E41-9091Crash siteCrashed 8/23/42Aircraft Wrecks in Arizona and the Southwest
USANV15 mi. NW Las VegasDesertB-17G42-31324Crash siteMidair collision, 2/25/44
USANV25 mi. NE of EurekaDesert mountainsideB-17G44-85840Crash siteAir Tanker; crashed July 12, 1973Aviation Safety Network
USANV67 mi N-NE Las VegasDesertB-17G42-31257Crash siteCrashed 1/4/44
USAWA6 mi N Marmot Pass, Olympic PeninsulaMountainsideB-17G44-85746Crash siteSB-17G, crashed 1/19/52Crash site photos
USAWABlue Mountains southeast of Walla WallaMountainsideB-17F42-5367Crash siteCrashed 2/11/43Pacific Wrecks
USAWYBomber Mountain, W. of BuffaloMountainsideB-17F42-3399Crash siteCrashed 7/28/43WyoFile

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