Pacific Ocean | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The crew was engaged in a night maritime patrol flight over the Pacific Ocean. En route, while cruising some 80 km off the north coast of Oahu Island, the seaplane crashed into the sea in unknown circumstances. No trace of the aircraft nor the crew was ever found.

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

Date & Time: Jul 14, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Consolidated PBY Catalina

Operator:

Registration:

04463

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Pax on board:

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Circumstances:

The crew left Sand Point NAS on a survey flight over the North Pacific Ocean. En route, the seaplane crashed in unknown circumstances. No trace of the aircraft nor the crew was ever found.

Crash of a Martin B-26 Marauder into the Pacific Ocean: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jun 4, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Martin B-26 Marauder

Operator:

Registration:

40-1424

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Midway - Midway

MSN:

1424

YOM:

1940

Location:

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Circumstances:

The crew was taking part to the Battle of Midway and was dispatched to attack Japanese ships cruising some 180 miles away. In the target, the twin engine aircraft was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the ocean. The aircraft and all crewmen were lost.
Crew:
Lt Herbert C. Mayes, pilot,
Lt Garrett M. McAllister, copilot,
2nd Lt William D. Hargis,
Lt Gerald J. Barnicle, bomber,
S/Sgt Salvadore Battaglia, air gunner,
Pvt Benjamin F. Huffsticker,
Pvt Roy W. Walters.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina in the Pacific Ocean: 11 killed

Date & Time: Jan 30, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Consolidated PBY Catalina

Operator:

Registration:

2413

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Topham - Pearl Harbor

MSN:

0229

YOM:

1941

Location:

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Circumstances:

The floatplane failed to arrive at destination while on a flight from Topham (Canton Island) to Pearl Harbor with 11 crew members on board. Lost without trace. SAR operations stopped on 10 February 1942.

Crash of a Martin M.130 China Clipper into the Pacific Ocean: 15 killed

Date & Time: Jul 29, 1938 at 0411 LT

Type of aircraft:

Martin M.130

Operator:

Registration:

NC14714

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

San Francisco – Honolulu – Agana – Manila

MSN:

556

YOM:

1934

Flight number:

PA229

Location:

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Region:

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Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

1900

Copilot / Total flying hours:

1650

Aircraft flight hours:

4757

Circumstances:

The float plane was on a transpacific flight from San Francisco to Manila with two intermediate stops in Honolulu and Guam Island. En route, the aircraft named 'Hawaiian Clipper' crashed in unknown circumstances into the ocean. SAR operations were initiated but eventually suspended after few weeks as no trace of the aircraft nor the 15 occupants was found.
Crew:
Leo Terletsky, pilot,
Mark A. Walker, copilot,
George M. Davis, Second Officer,
Jose M. Sauceda, Third Officer,
John W. Jewett, Fourth Officer,
William McGarty, Radio,
Howard L. Cox, Engineer,
T. B. Tatum, Assistant Engineer,
Ivan Parker, Steward.
Passengers:
Earl B. McKinley,
Fred C. Meier,
Edward E. Wyman,
Kenneth A. Kennedy,
Howard C. French,
Choy Wah Sun.

Probable cause:

In conclusion, it appears that the only definite facts established up to the present time, are that between 0411 and 0412 G.C.T on July 29, was a failure of communication between the ground and the Clippers. Communication was not thereafter reestablished, and that no trace of the aircraft has since been discovered. A number of theories have been advanced about the possible basic cause of or reason for the disappearance of the Clipper. The Board has considered each of them. Some have not been disproved and some have been contradicted by the facts. However, the Investigating fecls that this report cannot properly include a discussion of conjection unsupported by developed facts. The Board, therefore, respectfully submit this report with the thought that additional evidence may yet be discovered and the investigation completed at that time.

Final Report:

Crash of a Sikorsky S-42B into the Pacific Ocean: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jan 11, 1938 at 0830 LT

Type of aircraft:

Sikorsky S-42

Operator:

Registration:

NC16734

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Postal (mail)

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Oakland – Honolulu – Kingman Reef – Pago Pago – Auckland

MSN:

4207

YOM:

1936

Location:

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Circumstances:

The crew was performing a mail flight from Oakland, California, to Auckland, New Zealand, with intermediate stops in Honolulu, Kingman Reef and Pago Pago. One hour after his departure from Pago Pago, in the early hours, the crew encountered technical problems and was forced to dump the fuel. Apparently, an oil leak occurred on the engine n°4 that was shut down. The captain decided to return to Pago Pago but the seaplane named 'Samoan Clipper' crashed into the sea some 120 km south of Pago Pago. Few debris were found floating on water and all seven occupants were killed, among them Captain Edwin C. Musick, first official Captain by Pan Am.
Crew:
Edwin C. Musick, pilot,
Cecil G. Sellers, pilot,
P. S. Brunk, copilot,
F. J. MacLean, navigator,
J. W. Stickrod, flight engineer,
J. A. Brooks, machanic,
T. D. Findley, radio operator.

Probable cause:

It was theorized that gasoline vapors had become trapped by a wing flap when it was extended after the crew began dumping fuel in preparation for landing, causing an in-flight fire and/or explosion.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-1 Catalina into the Pacific Ocean: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jan 6, 1938

Type of aircraft:

Consolidated PBY Catalina

Operator:

Registration:

0159

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

MSN:

YOM:

1937

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Circumstances:

The float plane crashed in unknown circumstances into the Pacific Ocean some 200 miles off Point Loma, California. No trace of the aircraft nor the seven crew members was ever found.

Crash of a Lockheed 10E Electra in the Pacific Ocean: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jul 2, 1937

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed 10 Electra

Operator:

Registration:

NR16020

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Private

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Lae - Howland Island

MSN:

1055

YOM:

1936

Location:

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Circumstances:

The crew was engaged in a world tour and the aircraft has been prepared with special equipment. It was able to fly 20 hours without fuel stop. The crew departed Lae in New Guinea bound for Howland Island, in the South Pacific Ocean. The trip was estimated to be 20 hours and it seems that the aircraft crashed into the sea some 30 minutes prior to its arrival at Howland Island. SAR operations never found any trace of the aircraft nor the crew. Both occupants, famous aviation pioneers and aviators, were lost for ever.
Crew:
Amelia Earhart, pilot,
Frederick Noonan, radio navigator.

Probable cause:

Fuel exhaustion was suspected but the exact cause of the accident has never been elucidated.

Crash of an Airspeed AS.6A Envoy into the Pacific Ocean: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 3, 1934 at 1000 LT

Type of aircraft:

Airspeed AS.6 Envoy

Operator:

Charles T. P. Ulm

Registration:

VH-UXY

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Private

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Vancouver – San Francisco – Oakland – Honolulu – Melbourne

MSN:

YOM:

1935

Location:

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Circumstances:

The crew was attempting a new record over the Pacific Ocean on a flight from Vancouver to Melbourne with intermediate stops in San Francisco, Oakland and Honolulu. En route to Hawaii, the crew encountered poor weather conditions. Due to low visibility, he was unable to localize the islands and sent several radio messages advising he was lost and running out of fuel. The aircraft named 'Stella Australis' eventually crashed into the ocean around 1000LT. Despite an extensive and immediate search by aircraft and 23 naval ships, no trace of the Envoy nor the crew was ever found. Captain Ulm had chosen not to carry a life raft on board, preferring to save weight and predicting the aircraft would float for two days if it were forced to land on water.
Crew:
Charles T. P. Ulm, pilot,
G. M. Littlejohn, copilot,
J. S. Skilling, radio navigator.

Probable cause:

It is believed an unexpected tailwind and bad weather caused the aircraft to fly past the islands in the dark (early morning). The wind was about 35 knots from the south-southeast and the aircraft may also have been pushed north of the islands.

Crash of a Junkers W.33f in the Pacific Ocean: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 24, 1932

Type of aircraft:

Junkers W.33

Operator:

Hochi Shimbun

Registration:

J-BFUB

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Private

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

MSN:

2581

YOM:

1931

Location:

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Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed Sabishiro Beach on a transpacific flight to the US with three people on board. It crashed into the Pacific Ocean and was lost without trace.

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