Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina into the Gulf of Bengal

Date & Time: Dec 9, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
Y-78
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Minneriya - Minneriya
MSN:
841
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew left Minneriya Airport in Sri Lanka for a maritime patrol mission of 18 hours over the Bay of Bengal. En route, an engine failed, forcing the crew to ditch the aircraft. All 11 occupants were rescued while the aircraft sank one hour after the accident.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina off Pensacola NAS: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 4, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
08316
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Pensacola - Pensacola
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
While landing by night in the Pensacola Bay, the seaplane water looped and sank. A crew member was killed while six others were injured.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina in Beaufort NAS: 6 killed

Date & Time: Nov 28, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
7261
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Beaufort - Beaufort
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
Shortly after take off from runway 32 by night, the pilot started a turn to the right when the aircraft hit the ground and crashed. Six crew members were killed while four others were injured.
Crew:
Lt Joseph F. Beach, pilot, †
Lt Albert M. Slingluff, †
A2C James G. Margiotis, †
A3C Arthur Mecalfe, †
Lt Jacob C. Phares, †
William B. Turner, †
William Pinkley Merck,
Robert Lewis Livellara,
Ferdinand Francis Deeley,
William E. Thompson.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident was not determined with certainty.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina near Belém: 10 killed

Date & Time: Nov 28, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
2472
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Location:
Country:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
During a convoy mission, the pilot was forced to attempt an emergency landing for unknown reason. The seaplane crashed in a river near Belém and some debris were found five days later, on December 3. All ten crew members were killed.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina into the Summer Bay: 3 killed

Date & Time: Nov 26, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
08118
Survivors:
Yes
Location:
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
Ensign Johnson was crewman in a Navy PBY-5A that had been running baselines for calibrating new LORAN stations in Alaska. While attempting to enter Unalaska Bay for a landing at Dutch Harbor, during weather conditions of low visibility and rain, the pilot made a landfall in the bay which he did not recognize. Feeling that a turn would probably result in a collision with a mountainside, the pilot elected to land in this bay. After readying the aircraft for a water landing he proceeded to make a normal landing, but was unaware of the height of the ground swells (approximately 5-feet). Immediately after contacting the water, the aircraft nosed into a ground swell and broke apart at the pilot's compartment. The wing broke off and the plane filled with water and sank. ENS Charles E. Johnson was killed, along with two Navy crewmen. The ten others aboard, including the pilot, were injured but survived.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina into the Atlantic Ocean: 9 killed

Date & Time: Nov 22, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
FP240
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Killadeas - Killadeas
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
The float plane left Killadeas NAS, Northern Ireland, on a training mission over the Atlantic Ocean when he crashed in unknown circumstances into the ocean. No trace of the aircraft nor the 9 crew members was ever found.
Crew (131st OTU):
F/O Francis Peter Graves,
Sgt Robert Anderson,
Sgt Edwin Alfred Dennis Barnes,
Sgt Earl Darragh Morrison,
Sgt Alexander Fordyce Sutherland,
Sgt Allan Douglas Warder,
Sgt John Glynne Williams,
Sgt Owen Douglas Hodgkison,
Sgt John George Ley.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina off Malaita Island: 5 killed

Date & Time: Nov 19, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
08388
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
Crashed into the sea off Malaita Island during a maritime patrol mission. Two crew members were rescued while five others were killed.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina into the Gulf of Mexico: 8 killed

Date & Time: Nov 17, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
04473
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
During a maritime patrol mission, while circling around a merchant ship, the seaplane went out of control and crashed into the Gulf of Mexico, killing all eight crew members.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina into the Pacific Ocean: 9 killed

Date & Time: Nov 6, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
34035
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
North Island - Kaneohe
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
Disappeared en route from North Island-Halsey Field NAS (San Diego) to Kaneohe Bay NAS, Hawaii. No trace of the aircraft nor the crew was ever found.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina in Port Lyautey: 6 killed

Date & Time: Nov 4, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
7251
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
Shortly after take off from Port Lyautey NAS, while climbing, the seaplane crashed and burned, killing all six crew members.