On Jan. 13, 1943 at 1125 Midwestern time Boeing B-17F (Serial No. 42-5103)

exploded in Mid-air and crashed three miles east of Medio, New Mexico, killing the

crew of seven. The aircraft was returning to its base at Casper, Wyoming Army

Airfield after it had ferried a skeleton aircrew to Pyote, Texas, to ferry another B-17F

back to its base in Casper. B-17F (Serial No. 42-5103) checked in by radio while

flying at 9000 feet about ten miles north of Tucumcari, New Mexico, and had

reported no problems. A short time later the aircraft exploded in the bomb bay and

radio room area causing the aircraft to break up in mid-air and fall to the ground.

Pieces of the B-17 were scattered over a wide area, but the main wreckage fell onto a

remote mesa 35 miles north of Tucumcari, New Mexico. It is not known how much

of the wreckage remains on this mesa today. Five of the crew members were hurled

from the wreckage at a high altitude and fell to their deaths. The two pilots were

found strapped to their seats in the mangled wreckage. Investigators noted that the

aircraft was equipped with a 410 gallon bomb bay fuel tank that had been filled to

had accumulated in the bomb bay and radio room areas and were ignited from an

unknown source.