Date & Time: Mar 10, 1943 at 1840 LT
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
7279
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Dutch Harbor – Kodiak
MSN:
447
YOM:
1941
Location:
Becharof Lake
Alaska
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
8
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
En route from Dutch Harbor to Kodiak, while cruising at an altitude of 6,000 feet in marginal weather conditions, the airplane impacted the slope of a mountain located between Mt Martin and Becharof Lake. All eight crew members were killed. As the airplane failed to arrive at destination, SAR operations were initiated but eventually abandoned after few weeks as no trace of the airplane nor the crew was found. The wreckage was found on 25 June 1945 and eight mail bags were recovered.
Crew:
Lt R. C. Gish, pilot,
Ens E. F. Schmidt, copilot,
Ap1c H. H. Estes,
Amm2c L. H. Sommerville,
Qm3c T. D. Duff,
Aom3c J. Rampini Jr.,
Amm2c Harvey H. Eggersluss,
Rm2c John C. Herring.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.