Consolidated PBY Catalina

Operator:

Registration:

A24-36

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Cairns - Cairns

MSN:

1084

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Circumstances:

Following an uneventful night anti-submarine mission off the Australian coast, the crew was returning to base after a 23 hours and 23 minutes flight. On approach to Cairns' harbor, the seaplane stalled and crashed into the sea. Six crew members were killed and two others were rescued. The aircraft was lost but later converted to ground training aid.
Crew:
F/Lt Arnold Hinchcliffe, pilot, †
Sgt Len Carr, pilot, †
Sgt Harold McGillivary, flight engineer, †
Lac Malcolm F. Merrett, assistant to flight engineer, †
P/O Leslie L. Henstridge, navigator, †
Sgt Geoff Suckling, radio operator,
Sgt James N. S. Lahey, rigger, †
Lac Murray Byham, armourer.

Probable cause:

It appears that the loss of control on approach was caused by a double engine failure due to a fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina off Rathmines

Date & Time: Apr 10, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

A24-16

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

332

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Water looped on landing and damaged beyond repair. There were no fatalities.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina into the Gulf of Carpentaria: 11 killed

Date & Time: Apr 8, 1943 at 0216 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

A24-41

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Cairns - Cairns

MSN:

1098

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

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Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The seaplane departed Cairns at 1505LT on April 7 on an anti-submarine patrol flight off the Australian coast. The following night, the captain declared an emergency and reported a fire on board. SAR operations were conducted over the Gulf of Carpentaria and only a fuel leak was found on the water surface. No trace of the airplane nor the crew was ever found.
Crew (11th Squadron):
F/Lt Clement William Haydon, pilot,
Sgt Lawrence Neild Oppy, pilot,
F/O Leopold Albert Elkington, pilot,
Cpl Noel Clifford Marshall, flight engineer,
Cpl Malcolm James Mutton, flight engineer,
F/O John Goulburn Lancaster, navigator,
F/O James David Fisk, navigator,
F/Sgt Leonard George Adamson, wireless operator,
Sgt Derek Alan Wray, wireless operator,
Lac James Augustus Scott, rigger,
Cpl William Ivan Myers, armourer.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY Catalina off Vougo: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 7, 1943 at 1345 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

FP138

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Hamilton - Largs

Location:

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Circumstances:

The seaplane departed Hamilton, Bermuda, on a transatlantic flight to Largs, Scotland, carrying two passengers and four crew members. For such a long flight, the airplane was unarmed. Approaching Europe, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions and became disoriented. He was rerouted to Plymouth instead of Largs but due to a navigation error, the airplane continued over Brittany. Due to a fuel exhaustion, the crew was forced to land off the French coast when the airplane was shot down by a combination of German Flak and fighter. The seaplane crashed into the sea off Vougo. Three crew members were killed and three others became PoW.
Crew:
Cpt Edward Howard Stafford, pilot,
Sgt Alan Rodgers, flight engineer, †
F/O Keith Thompson, navigator,
Sgt Howard Lionel Covert, radio operator.
Passengers:
F/O Harry Leo Abrin, †
R/O Roslyn Lloyd George Browne. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by a combination of German Flak and fighter.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina off Copalis Beach

Date & Time: Apr 3, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

05038

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

367

YOM:

1941

Location:

Copalis Beach

Washington

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

After landing off Copalis Beach, the seaplane sank in deep water and was lost. There were no fatalities.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina off Trinidad

Date & Time: Apr 2, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

2385

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

200

YOM:

1941

Location:

Port of Spain

All Trinidad and Tobago

Country:

Trinidad and Tobago

Region:

Central America

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The seaplane bounced on takeoff and nose dug into water and sank at NAS Port of Spain. All 10 crew members were injured, some seriously.
Crew (VP-81):
Lt Stanley R. Quackenbush, pilot,
Lt(jg) Walter N. Welch,
Lt(jg) Richard K. Fisher,
Lt(jg) John W. Eden,
Cpt Robert W. Grissom,
Amm3c Lawrence H.May,
Amm3c John F. Canfield,
Rm1c William J. Utterback,
Rm3c Ross P. Wallace,
Arc L. B. Friend.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina into the Albemarle Sound: 8 killed

Date & Time: Mar 30, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

08251

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

1145

YOM:

1941

Location:

Albemarle Sound

North Carolina

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

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Circumstances:

The seaplane was overflying the Albemarle Sound at night when the pilot attempted to land near the Wade Point Lighthouse. Doing so, the seaplane hit the water surface, water-looped and sank. All eight crew members were killed.
Crew (VP-63):
Lt Frederick A. Brown, pilot,
Ens Robert D. Warren,
Ap1c Lewis W. Gretton,
Amm1c Guy N. Newton,
Amm2c LaVerne D. Bentley,
Rm2c Maurice B. Turover,
Rm3c Walter K. Abranz,
Sea2c Eugene F. Harbour.

Probable cause:

It was determined from eye witness's account that this accident resulted from faulty judgment on the part of the pilot while making a low altitude run on Wade Point Lighthouse at night to test searchlight mounted in the bow of the plane. The accident occurred because the pilot failed to observe his radio altimeter and attempted to make a turn while at a dangerously low altitude, catching one wing tip and water looped at high speed. Board believes that material failure did not affect this accident in any way and that the accident resulted directly from pilot errors as follows:
- Failing to observe the altimeter at low altitude under instrument conditions,
- Attempting to make a turn at a dangerous low altitude.
In addition to the opinion of the board, it is believed that the pilot attempted to fly contact using the light and became confused due to the high diffusion of light at or just beneath the surface of the water.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina off Johnston Atoll: 10 killed

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1943 at 2027 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

2354

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

United States Minor Outlying Islands

Schedule:

Johnston Atoll - Johnston Atoll

MSN:

140

YOM:

1941

Location:

Johnston Atoll

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

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Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The seaplane departed Johnston Atoll on a SAR operation in the Pacific Ocean, of a crashed Army B-24 enroute from Oahu to Johnston Atoll. In the evening, while approaching the base at an altitude of about 1,000 feet, the airplane nosed over and plunged into the sea some 1,650 metres offshore, bursting into flames. All 10 crew members were killed.
Crew:
Lt(jg) Robert Thomas O'Donnell, pilot,
Ens Harold James Klopp,
Ens Daniel Leo O'Sullivan Jr.,
Amm2c Ernest Alameda Isaia,
Amm2c Eugene Degs French,
Amm3c George Elvidge,
Rm2c Harold Ernest Ostergard,
Rm3c Douglas Levi Thomas,
Aom3c Jack Hailey Ross,
Lt J. S. Lockey.

Probable cause:

The exact cause of the accident could not be determined. Nevertheless, the following possibilities were mentioned:
- The pilot did not get corrected altitude settings before attempting his landing and flew into the water without realizing he was so near the surface. (another pilot stated that his altimeter read 200-ft plus when he landed just an hour or so before crash).
- A collision with large birds which are numerous in the area and are known to fly at night.
- Engine failure.
- Fire in air just prior to crash.
The Pilot was considered competent without restrictions for any assignment in the PBY-5 type aircraft.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina into the Indian Ocean: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 28, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

04461

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site: