Coral Sea

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Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Schedule:

Cooktown – Finschafen

MSN:

20477

YOM:

1944

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Crashed enroute into the Coral Sea, while on a flight from Cooktown to Finschafen, Morobe Province. SAR operations were conducted but no trace of the aircraft was ever found.
Crew:
Cpt Eldred E. Kellogg,
Cpt James E. Dickey,
S/Sgt William P. Caruthers,
S/Sgt Morris Cohen.
Passengers:
Cpt Robert F. Mekker,
1st Lt Richard F. Stanley,
S/Sgt William I. Shaw,
2nd Lt Harvey J. McHenry,
1st Lt Victor Paschild,
2nd Lt Gregor N. Bronson,
S/Sgt Luigi F. Bettina,
S/Sgt Fred O. Miller,
Sgt Frank A. Lovalle,
Sgt James F. Tyres,
Sgt Glenn E. Sinclair,
Sgt Albert L. Descochers,
Sgt Harry C. Gould,
Sgt Michael Mikula,
Sgt Emerson A. Tanner,
Sgt Selby L. Yates,
2nd Lt Robert A. Daube,
2nd Lt Thomas D. Galey,
2nd Lt Kenneth W. Sober,
2nd Lt Robert G. Powell.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3 Dakota IV into the Coral Sea

Date & Time: Mar 19, 1945

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Registration:

KN343

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Survivors:

Yes

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Schedule:

Madang – Port Moresby – Townsville

MSN:

32659/15911

YOM:

1945

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The aircraft was on its way from Madang to Townsville with an intermediate stop in Port Moresby-Jackson Airport. While cruising over the Coral Sea, a dual engine failure forced the crew to ditch the aircraft some 200 km south of Port Moresby. All 28 occupants took refuge into dinghies and were later rescued. The aircraft sank and was lost.
Crew (243rd Squadron):
P/O Frank Leslie Carnell, pilot,
W/O Nutt,
F/Sgt Wrench,
F/Sgt Moffatt.
Source: http://www.ozatwar.com/ozcrashes/qld20.htm

Probable cause:

Dual engine failure.

Crash of a Douglas R4D-5 into the Coral Sea: 24 killed

Date & Time: Dec 27, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-3

Operator:

Registration:

12432

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Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Schedule:

Nouméa – Luganville

MSN:

9529

YOM:

1943

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Lost without trace while on a flight from Nouméa-la Tontouta Airport to Luganville-Santo-Pekoa Airfield.

Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL into the Coral Sea: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jan 11, 1943

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Registration:

41-18573

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North American B-25 Mitchell

Schedule:

Nouméa - Luganville

MSN:

4698

YOM:

1942

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The airplane departed Nouméa-La Tontouta Airport on a flight to Luganville, Vanuatu. It failed to arrive at destination and is believed to have crashed somewhere in the Coral Sea. Lost without trace.
Crew:
1st Lt Neal Allen,
2nd Lt Louis W. Nelson,
M/Sgt John Rinaldi
2nd Lt Ralph L. Saltsman,
Cpl James S. Stratton.

Crash of a North American B-25D Mitchell into the Coral Sea: 11 killed

Date & Time: Dec 20, 1942

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Registration:

41-29706

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Charters Towers - Port Moresby

MSN:

87-7871

YOM:

1941

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The airplane departed Charters Towers Airport on a transit flight to Port Moresby-Jackson (7 Mile Drome). En route, it crashed in unknown circumstances into the Coral Sea some 112 km north of Osprey Reef, off Queensland. The airplane burst into flames upon impact and all 11 occupants were killed.
Crew:
1st Lt Donald K. Emerson,
1st Lt Lloyd C. Miller,
T/Sgt Paul R. Ervin,
S/Sgt Ernest R. Fanta,
S/Sgt Albert Belcher, pilot,
S/Sgt Everett E. Walker,
Sgt Donald D. Ruth,
Sgt Richard H. Saint Sauveur,
Sgt Stephen L. Taylor,
Pfc Delmar A. Klemmer,
Pvt William S. Vidmar.

Crash of a Martin B-26B Marauder into the Coral Sea: 7 killed

Date & Time: Nov 15, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Martin B-26 Marauder

Operator:

Registration:

41-17558

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Schedule:

Honirara - Luganville

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The airplane departed Honiara-Henderson Field on a flight to Luganville, Vanuatu. En route, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with thunderstorm activity. The airplane went out of control and crashed into the Coral Sea some 520 km southwest of Guadalcanal Island. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Walter L. Callaham,
1st Lt William R. McNeese,
2nd Lt Leonard M. Feldman,
2nd Lt Samuel R. Hufstedler Jr.,
S/Sgt Frank L. House,
Pfc Richard Gray,
Pfc John E. Lawler.

Probable cause:

Poor weather.

Crash of a Lockheed C-60B LodeStar into the Coral Sea: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jul 14, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed C-60 LodeStar

Operator:

Registration:

VH-CAD

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Schedule:

Townsville – Cooktown

MSN:

2109

YOM:

1941

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The crew was performing a flight from Townsville to Cooktown. The twin engine airplane failed to arrive at destination and is believed to have crashed somewhere into the Coral Sea between both cities. Lost without trace.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson IIIA into the Coral Sea: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 4, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed L-414 Hudson

Operator:

Registration:

A16-193

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site: