Crash of a Consolidated PBY-1 Catalina in the Great Machipongo Inlet: 10 killed

Date & Time: Apr 7, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
0134
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Norfolk - Quonset Point
MSN:
33
YOM:
1937
Location:
Great Machipongo Inlet
Virginia
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
The floatplane departed Norfolk-Chambers Field NAS on a flight to Quonset Point NAS, Rhode Island, carrying a crew of 10. About 20 minutes into the flight, it crashed in unknown circumstances in the Great Machipongo Inlet located about 70 km northeast of Chambers Field NAS. All 10 crew members were killed.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-2 Catalina near Glenade: 8 killed

Date & Time: Mar 21, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
AM265
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Castle Archdale - Castle Archdale
Location:
Glenade
Ulster
Country:
Ireland
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The floatplane departed RAF Castle Archdale in the evening of March 20 on a patrol mission with eight crew members on board. The following night, it crashed in a mountainous area located near Glenade. All eight occupants were killed.
Crew:
F/O Albert Edmund Whitworth, pilot,
P/O Harold Lewis Seward, pilot,
F/O Charles Peers Davidson, observer,
Sgt Henry Dunbar, mechanic,
Sgt Harry Harley Newbury, wireless operator,
AC1 Ronald Henry Oldfield,
Sgt Frederick Rodney Albert Chalk, air gunner,
Sgt Gordon Henry Slack, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-2 Catalina off San Juan

Date & Time: Mar 3, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
0467
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
14
YOM:
1937
Location:
San Juan
All Puerto Rico
Country:
Puerto Rico
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While taking off from the harbor of San Juan, the floatplane collided with a surface craft and crashed. All six crew members suffered minor injuries.

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

Date & Time: Feb 9, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
1244
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
North Island - North Island
MSN:
1244
YOM:
1941
Location:
North Island-Halsey Field NAS (San Diego)
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
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 Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina in Lamesa: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jan 2, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
2291
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
San Diego - Pensacola
MSN:
05
YOM:
1941
Location:
Lamesa
Texas
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
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-2 Catalina in Pearl Harbor: 2 killed

Date & Time: Nov 17, 1938
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
0482
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Pearl Harbor - Pearl Harbor
MSN:
29
YOM:
1937
Location:
Pearl Harbor
Hawaii
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The float plane crashed against a dock in Pearl Harbour and came to rest. Two crew members were killed, threes were injured and one was unhurt.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-3 into the San Diego Bay: 4 killed

Date & Time: Aug 15, 1938
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
0896
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
San Diego - San Diego
MSN:
55
YOM:
1937
Location:
San Diego
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew was practicing night landings when the float plane collided with a second USN Catalina registered 0896 and also carrying a crew of five. Both planes crashed into the San Diego Bay and were lost. On board 0895, one crew member was killed and four others were injured. On board 0896, four were killed and a fifth occupants was injured.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-3 into the San Diego Bay: 1 killed

Date & Time: Aug 15, 1938
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
0895
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
San Diego - San Diego
MSN:
54
YOM:
1937
Location:
San Diego
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The crew was practicing night landings when the float plane collided with a second USN Catalina registered 0896 and also carrying a crew of five. Both planes crashed into the San Diego Bay and were lost. On board 0895, one crew member was killed and four others were injured. On board 0896, four were killed and a fifth occupants was injured.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-1 Catalina off Kaena Point: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 30, 1938 at 0400 LT
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
0142
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Honolulu - Honolulu
MSN:
41
YOM:
1937
Location:
Kaena Point (Lanai Island)
Hawaii
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
While completing a night exercice, the float plane crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off Kaena Point, Lanai Island. Two crew members were rescued and five others were killed. Weather conditions were marginal at the time of the accident.
Those killed were:
Lt (jg) Leo O. Crane, pilot,
Av Cadet Wilbur Howard Lear,
RM 2c Vernon August Luciana,
ACMM Garland Harold O'Neal,
AOM 1c Bluitt Iven Windham.

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

Date & Time: Feb 2, 1938 at 2040 LT
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
0463
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
North Island - North Island
MSN:
10
YOM:
1937
Location:
San Clemente Island NAS
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a night flight in formation with another Catalina registered 0463. While cruising side by side in heavy rain falls, both aircraft collided and crashed into the sea off the San Clemente Island, some 110 km west of San Diego. All occupants on board 0462 were killed while three crew members on boar 0463 survived.
Probable cause:
In-flight collision following a poor judgement on part of each crew.
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