North Island-Halsey Field NAS (San Diego)

Operator:

Registration:

08135

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Consolidated LB-30 Liberator

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route, the crew encountered poor weather conditions. In stormy weather, the seaplane went out of control and crashed into the Pacific Ocean. No trace was found.
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

Probable cause:

The cause of the disappearance of this plane is undetermined, but there are several possibilities indicated. Structural failure as the result of high winds and strong vertical currents encountered in the storm may have cause the plane to crash into the water. The plane may have exploded mid-air due to accidental ignition of high octane gasoline vapor present in the plane as a result of transfer of fuel from hull tanks to wing tanks. These vapors may have ignited by static spark, an accidental spark from other sources or lightning. Crew members of one of the other planes saw a large red flash in the clouds which appeared to localized to be lightning.

Crash of a Consolidated LB-30 Liberator II off North Island NAS: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 2, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

AL503

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Test

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

North Island-Halsey Field NAS (San Diego)

Schedule:

North Island - North Island

MSN:

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was completing a local test flight on this first example to be delivered to the Royal Air Force. After takeoff from North Island-Halsey Field NAS, while climbing to a height of about 500 feet, the airplane nosed up and stalled from the tail, entered a dive and crashed into the bay. Four crew members were killed and a fifth was seriously injured.
Crew:
William Wheatley, pilot, †
Allen T. Austin, pilot, †
Bruce K. Craig, engineer, †
William H. Reiser, †
Lewis M. McCannon, mechanic.

Probable cause:

It is believed that the accident was the consequence of a malfunction of the elevator system.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-4 Catalina off North Island NAS: 1 killed

Date & Time: Feb 9, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

1244

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

North Island-Halsey Field NAS (San Diego)

Schedule:

North Island - North Island

MSN:

1244

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The floatplane was engaged in a local training flight at NAS North Island-Halsey Field. On behalf of the 'Project Baker', the floatplane was experimented with a new instrument landing equipment. Upon landing, it water looped and crashed. A crew member was killed and six others were injured.

Crash of a Douglas R2D-1 on Mother Grundy Peak: 11 killed

Date & Time: Jan 4, 1941 at 1830 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-2

Operator:

Registration:

9622

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Webb AFB - North Island NAS

MSN:

1327

YOM:

1934

Location:

Mother Grundy Peak

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Webb AFB in Big Spring, Texas, on a flight to North Island-Halsey Field NAS in San Diego, carrying seven passengers and a crew of four. While cruising at night, the crew encountered poor visibility when the airplane impacted the slope of the Mother Grundy Peak (3,068 feet high) located 45 km southeast of North Island NAS. The wreckage was found about 20 feet below the summit and all 11 occupants were killed, among them four crew members from the USN Catalina registered 2291 that crashed near Lamesa on January 2.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina in Lamesa: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jan 2, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

2291

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

San Diego - Pensacola

MSN:

YOM:

1941

Location:

Lamesa

Texas

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The floatplane departed San Diego on a ferry flight to Pensacola, carrying a crew of five. While overflying Texas, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with severe turbulence in overcast. They decided to bail out and abandoned the airplane that dove into the ground and crashed near Lamesa. A crew was killed and four others were unhurt.

Probable cause:

Aircraft abandoned in severe atmospheric turbulence.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-2A Catalina off San Clemente Island: 3 killed

Date & Time: Feb 2, 1938 at 2040 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

0463

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

North Island - North Island

MSN:

YOM:

1937

Location:

San Clemente Island NAS

Country:

Region: