Notable Filming Incidents
One of the French B-17's (F-BEEA) used as a filming platform hit a tree and a pile of gravel during takeoff from Binbrook and was destroyed by the subsequent fire. The crew of ten escaped, with two of them suffering from serious injury and three from minor injury.
Whilst lined up on runway 21 awaiting takeoff a puff of smoke was observed by a ground engineer from the vicinity of engine three which he conjectured could have been due to an overboost. The aircraft commenced its ground roll and after about 100 yards swung slightly to the left, which the commander (the handling pilot) corrected with the rudder and by reducing power to number 3 and 4 engines. Once corrected full power on all engines was resumed but the aircraft swung right. The commander applied corrective rudder and reduced power to number 1 and 2 engines, but this was not immediately effective and the aircraft left the runway before straightening, parallel to the runway. Knowing that the aircraft was capable of being operated from grass landing strips, the pilot opted to continue the take off, however, after 4-500 yards and at an airspeed of 90-95 knots the aircraft swung right and its course was obstructed by a tree which hit the left wing and a pile of gravel which hit the number 4 propeller. The aircraft yawed to the right and came to rest in a cornfield, the fuselage broke into two places aft of the bomb bay and caught on fire.
Read more about this topic: Memphis Belle (film)
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