Consolidated PBY Catalina

The crew were performing touch and go and taxi maneuvers at Jacksonville-Towers Field NAS when the seaplane sank after the hatch remained open. There were no fatalities.

The seaplane departed Quonset Point NAS on a maritime patrol flight over the North Atlantic Ocean. It failed to return to base and was declared missing. No trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. Lost without trace.
Crew (VP-31):
Pbc Will R. Bueche, pilot,
Cpt Arthur W. Quick, pilot,
Ens Emil Cortemiglia, navigator,
Amm2c Edward S. Cay, crew chief,
Amm3c Herbert O. Wiecher, mechanic,
Amm3. Harry H. Shaw, mechanic,
Rm2c Clinton R. Cook, radio operator,
Rm3c Albert M. Davidson, radio operator.

After one hour and fifteen minutes of flight during a five hour engine run-in on the morning of 2 January 1943, the starboard engine lost power. This was indicated by decrease in RPM and loss of fuel pressure, followed by a drop in oil pressure. The flight engineer was unable to maintain fuel pressure by use wof wobble pump and crew feathered starboard engine propeller and stopped engine. Fuel supply was shut off during time propeller was feathering. Indications show that fuel pump line gave way before entering fuel pump or after leaving pump. In either case the action of wobble pump forced gas into accessory section. This gas undoubtly came in contact with exhaust collector ring and caused fire. Since this plane had airplane change #70 incorporated during engine change; crew was unable to make an attempt to put fire out. From C.O statement: After oil pressure had dropped and engines RPMs and manifold pressure fell off, the pilot immediately feathered the starboard engine. At this point co-pilot noticed the starboard engine was on fire. This fire spread rapidly and burned off all fabric on the starboard wing as well as the fabric on the rudder and elevators, thereby preventing successful single engine operation. With full power on the port engine the rate of decent could not be reduced below 500 feet per minute. The pilot continued to maintain control but at abut 150 feet the starboard engine fell off the wing. Floats were lowered and a landing at sea was made. All personnel aboard escaped in rubber boats and were picked up by a US Coast Guard Cutter shortly thereafter. After the plane was abandoned it continued to burn and later sank.
Crew (VP-53):
Ap1cWilliam E. Edwards, pilot,
Ap1c Granville C. Crumpler,
Ens Harry W. Wolfarth,
Amm1c Joseph O. McCadden,
Amm2c William L. Barnes,
Amm2c Michael Haloostock,
Rm3c William Moore,
Rm3c Carl D. Buchanon,
William A. Cooper.
Source: https://www.vpnavy.org/vp53_mishap.html

The pilot attempted to land somewhere in the Southwest Pacific when he saw a small boat. He made a violent maneuver to avoid the collision when the seaplane crashed. Four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Lt Roger S. Norton, pilot, †
Lt(jg) George J. Ernhardt,
Lt(jg) William Conway Armstrong,
Ap1c Edward G. Dennis Jr., †
Rm3c George J. Crossman, †
Amm2c Benjamine H. Wist Jr., †
Amm2c John J. Brown,
Amm3f Leon S. Taylor,
Rm2c John H. Vieth Jr.,
Amm3c Jack L. McPhail.

The crew was performing a night training flight off the Oregon coast. En route, weather conditions deteriorated with clouds, icing and strong winds. The pilot reduced his altitude and attempted to divert to Marchfield. Unable to locate Marchfield, he eventually landed about 8 km off the Heceta Head lighthouse. Only one crew member was found alive while all seven others drowned. The airplane sank and was lost.
Crew (VP-63):
Lt James E. Breeding, pilot, †
Ens Alvin L. Chamberlin, †
Ens Roderick M. Brush,
Rm3c George F. O'Callaghan, †
Rm1c Howard Stanley Gordon, †
Amm3c Henry L. Burtz, †
Amm1c Lody Helming, †
Sk2c Newell Smith. †

The seaplane departed Killadeas NAS on a cross country navigation exercise. En route, weather conditions deteriorated with limited visibility due to low clouds. While flying in clouds, the airplane crashed on Reaghan Hill located about 24 km northwest of Omagh. The airplane was destroyed and all 11 occupants were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Frederick Herbert Hilling, pilot,
Sgt John Samuel Orr, pilot,
Sgt John Edward Slade, flight engineer,
F/O Robert Mercer Adams, observer,
Lac Leslie Greenhalgh,
Sgt George Wilson Lowther,
Sgt Daniel Ward Yates,
Sgt William Nichol, wireless operator,
Sgt Arthur Horton Perkins, wireless operator,
Sgt Charles Bernard Ridge, wireless operator,
F/O Matthew James Hall Newman, air gunner.

The seaplane was engaged in an anti-submarine sweep operation and was supposed to assist a convoy of vessels en route to England. About 15 minutes into the flight, the crew encountered a heavy snow storm when the airplane crashed in a snow covered field located near Patterson Field, bursting into flames. The airplane was totally destroyed and all nine crew members were killed.
Crew (VP-84):
Lt Harvey H. Luce, pilot,
Lt(jg) Donald A. Helms, copilot,
Ap1c Wilfred A. Burri, copilot,
Ens Glenn S. Nelson, navigator,
Amm1c Willard P. Kantz,
Rm1c Chester A. Eichelberger,
Amm3c James L. Bryan,
Rm3c Brack W. Goode,
Amm3c William G. Hammond.

While on a transatlantic flight from Canada to UK, the seaplane failed to arrive at destination and is believed to have crashed somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. Lost without trace. Among the crew were two civilians, the pilot and the radio operator.
Crew:
Benson Hutches Pierce, pilot,
James Hamilton Auld, radio operator,
F/Sgt Douglas Oliver Bevan,
Sgt George Edward James Craven,
Sgt Roy Harding,
Sgt Reginald Edwin Thompson.

The seaplane departed North Island-Halsey Field NAS on a flight to Kaneohe Bay NAS, Hawaii, with two accompanying planes. En route, weather conditions deteriorated and the crew became separated from the rest of the group. A last radio communication at 0200LT reported the airplane was reported at 7000 feet on instruments, reducing altitude. As the airplane failed to arrive at destination and was declared as missing, SAR operations were initiated. No trace of the airplane nor the crew was found. Lost without trace.
Crew:
Lt Orrin J. McCausland, pilot,
Lt Warren K. Mesick,
Cpt James M. Kelly,
Am1 Leonard H. Davidson,
Am2 Edward R. Messenger,
Arm Arthur Dooke,
Arm Melvin F. Jurick.
Source: http://www.vpnavy.com/vp54_mishap.html

While in a maritime patrol flight, the crew was forced to make an emergency landing following an engine failure. The airplane crash landed 210 km off Natal and sank. All eight crew members were quickly rescued by the crew of a British ship.
Crew:
Lt(jg) V. G. Hassell, pilot,
Ens D. McKee,
Ens Grover C. Rannever,
Amm1c Russell K. Gerahofer,
Amm3c James E. Duggan,
Amm2c G. Brownlee,
Amm3c Merrill E. Hewitt,
Amm3c Robert L. Sexman,
Sea2c Robert L. Reyff.