Date & Time:
Apr 13, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
A24-36
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Cairns - Cairns
MSN:
1084
YOM:
1941
Country:
Australia
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
6
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
6
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.
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.
