Pacific Ocean

Transocean Air Lines' Flight 512 departed Guam. M. I., at 0004 on July 12, 1953, for Oakland, California, with planned intermediate stops at Wake Island and Honolulu, T. H. The crew consisted of Captain W. L. Word, First Officer H. A. Hudson, Second Officer L. H. Nowell, Navigator J. R. Hay, Flight Engineer G. C. Haaskamp, Student Flight Engineer P. Yedwabnick, flight Purser H. H. Sargent and Stewardess N. L. Downing. Forty-nine passengers were on board including one infant. The flight to Wake Island was accomplished without incident in five hours and 35 minutes. One passenger boarded the aircraft at Wake Island and since none were discharged at this point, there was a total of 50 passengers on board for the Wake Island-Honolulu segment of the flight. Following a briefing by the U. S. Weather Bureau personnel on the expected en route weather conditions, the crew filed an IFR flight plan. This plan indicated that a rhumb-line course to Honolulu was to be flown at a cruising altitude of 15,000 feet at an air speed of 236 miles per hour. Also that the estimated elapsed time was nine hours and three minutes with 11 hours and 15 minutes of fuel on board. Prior to departure the aircraft was serviced with 2,503 gallons of 100/130 octane gasoline (to a total of 4,069 gallons) and 32 gallons of oil. Takeoff from Wake Island was at 0658, July 12, 1953, with the same crew on board. According to the company's records, the total gross weight of the aircraft at takeoff was 94,397 pounds which was within the allowable gross takeoff weight of 100,000 pounds; the load was properly distributed relative to the approved CG limits. Seven minutes after departure, Flight 512 was cleared from the Wake Island CAA Control Tower frequency. At 0729 the flight made the required 100-mile-east position report and stated that it had reached cruising altitude two minutes earlier. At 0829, one hour and 31 minutes after departing Wake Island, the flight made a scheduled position report as 19 degree 48’ north latitude, 171 degree 48’ east longitude, and cruising at 15,000 feet between cloud layers. This was the last known radio contact with the flight. Since the flight did not report over its next scheduled reporting point, an alert was declared by Wake Island ARTC (Air Route Traffic Control) at 1001. An aircraft flying from Honolulu to Wake Island reported at 1212 that a green flare had been seen. This aircraft's position was 19 degree 23’N and 172 degree 05’E at the time the flare was sighted. The U. S. Coast Guard immediately dispatched several aircraft and a surface vessel to search the area. A Preliminary Accident Notice was filed by Wake Island ARTC at 1643, July 12, 1953.

The four engine aircraft left Vancouver at 1853LT bound for Tokyo-Haneda with an intermediate stop in Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage. While cruising along the Alaskan shore, vertical to the Cape Spencer, near Elfin Cove, the crew informed ground about his position and gave an estimate about 0000LT vertical to Yakutat. This was the last message as the airplane disappeared few minutes later. As the aircraft failed to arrive in Anchorage, SAR operations were conducted but no trace of the aircraft nor the 37 occupants was found. All operations were eventually suspended on October 31, 1951.

Crashed in unknown circumstances into the Pacific Ocean about 140 miles southeast of Guam Island. Three crew members were killed while eight others were rescued.

The crew was engaged in the simulation of an aerial attack over the Pacific Ocean. While flying at low height, the crew used the 20 mm cannon for a gunnery practice when several bullets ricoched on water and hit the engine nacelle. An emergency landing was completed about 200 miles southwest of Cape Flattery, Washington State. While all crew members were rescued, the aircraft was lost.

Crashed in unknown circumstances into the Pacific Ocean, off the Baja California coast. No trace of the aircraft nor the eight crew members was found. Local medias stated that the aircraft was carrying a load of seven thousand pounds of live lobsters, which would suggest that the aircraft could also have been operated by a civil airline, not the Mexican Air Force.
Source: ASN

En route from Kwajalein to the Johnston atoll, the crew encountered an unexpected situation and the captain decided to make an emergency landing into the ocean about 608 miles southwest of the Johnston atoll. The crew was rescued nine hours later and the Catalina was destroyed by gunfire and sank.

While cruising over the Pacific Ocean on a flight from Kadena to Spokane, the crew encountered technical problems and informed ATC he would attempt an emergency landing. The pilot ditched the aircraft about 1,206 miles southwest of Hawaii. SAR operations were conducted and rescuers arrived on site about forty hours later. Thirty-three people were evacuated while four others were killed.

While approaching the Hawaiian coast of Oahu Island on a flight from Tokyo, the crew encountered a fuel exhaustion and was forced to ditch the aircraft about 60 miles west of Hickam Field where it should land. Ten people were rescued while three others were killed, among them George Acheson, personal advisor of General McArthur and President of the Allied Council in Japan.

The aircraft was on its way from Kodiak to Unalaska, carrying a crew of five and fifteen members of a Navy football team. While cruising some 250 km from the destination, the crew informed ground he encountered strong head winds. Shortly later, the seaplane crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea. All 20 occupants were killed.

While on a cargo flight from Guayaquil to San José, the airplane failed to arrive at destination. SAR operations were suspended after few days as no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. It is possible that the aircraft crashed into the Pacific Ocean off the Costa Rican coast.