Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina near Sona Lake

Date & Time: Oct 1, 1957
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
CF-HFL
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Sona Lake - Goose Bay
MSN:
520
YOM:
1942
Location:
Sona Lake
Newfoundland & Labrador
Country:
Canada
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The ‘flying boat’ started her return trip after delivering fuel on Oct. 1, 1957 to an isolated communications site at Sona Lake. Her three-man crew had been watching dusk overtake the vast Labrador wilderness when, suddenly, about 80 kilometers from her destination, both engines began losing power. The port engine rapidly gave out. Distress calls were sent. The pilots desperately tried to nurse his other still serviceable – but fading – engine long enough to reach a large lake he had seen below. The power plant failed, however, and a landing in the trees became inevitable. The big amphibian mushed through treetops, bounced off a marsh, then struggled briefly back into the air until her starboard wing struck a small copse of pines. The aircraft slewed around in a violent about-face the left the shaken but unhurt crew sighting along the path from which they’d come. The crew was reached the following day by a rescue float plane and soon the investigation team arrived to assess the Canso. Her leading edge was chopped by the trees, her hull was wrinkled and her props were bent. The last ground loop had bent her port wing tip and cracked her spar. The aircraft was written off. Her cockpit was stripped and she was left to the wilderness. For almost three decades she lay in the bush – her paint work fading and her huge fabric surfaces slowly deteriorating.
Source & photo:
https://atlanticcanadaaviationmuseum.wordpress.com/2009/12/20/the-story-of-our-pby-5a-canso/

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina in Asunción: 2 killed

Date & Time: Aug 21, 1957
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
ZP-CBB
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Demonstration
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Asunción - Asunción
MSN:
1608
Location:
Asunción
Distrito Capital
Country:
Paraguay
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
Crashed into the Río Paraguay in Asunción while making a demonstration flight. Two crewmen were killed while three others were rescued.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina in the Kikori River

Date & Time: Jun 16, 1957
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
World Wide Air Services
Registration:
VH-WWB
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Positioning
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
1830
YOM:
1944
Location:
Kikori
Gulf
Country:
Papua New Guinea
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Struck a submerged obstacle while landing on Kikori River. The aircraft quickly sank and was lost. Both crew members were rescued.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina off Chamela: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 4, 1957
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
MP-54
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Location:
Chamela
Jalisco
Country:
Mexico
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances into the ocean off Chamela. A crew member was killed while seven others were rescued. The aircraft was lost.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina near Natagaima: 12 killed

Date & Time: Mar 13, 1957
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
FAC-620
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Bogotá – Tres Esquinas
Location:
Natagaima
Tolima
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
12
Circumstances:
Struck a mountain near Natagaima, Tolima, while on a flight from Bogotá to Tres Esquinas. As the airplane failed to arrive at destination, SAR operations were conducted. The wreckage was found eleven days later, on March 24. All 12 occupants were killed.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina near Cáqueza: 14 killed

Date & Time: Dec 8, 1956 at 0705 LT
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
HK-133
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Bogotá – Medellín - Quibdó
MSN:
21998
YOM:
1943
Location:
Cáqueza
Cundinamarca
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
11
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
14
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Santa Cecilia Airport, Bogotá at 0647LT bound for Medellín and Quibdó, carrying a crew of 5 and 11 passengers. Take-off was made at a time when the airport was closed due to poor visibility. While flying on instruments a few moments after take-off, the starboard engine failed. The aircraft continued its flight over the Sabana de Bogotá for approximately 23 minutes, following which, while flying on a magnetic heading of approximately 280 degrees, it crashed violently (at approximately 0705LT) against the Quetame Hill located near Cáqueza, about 30 km southeast of Bogotá, at an elevation of 9,170 feet. The flight engineer and one passenger were injured while 14 other occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The probable cause of the accident was a complete failure of the starboard engine due to the breakdown of the lubricating system. The following factors were considered as contributing:
- Recklessness of the pilot in taking off from a closed airport while aware of the poor weather conditions prevailing throughout the Sabana, a circumstance which prevented returning to the airport of departure when complete breakdown of the starboard engine occurred,
- The 1,506 kg overload of the aircraft above the maximum gross operating weight for Bogotá according to the performance curves of the aircraft,
- The adverse weather conditions prevailing from the moment of take-off until the moment of the accident,
- An error of judgment on the part of the Operations and Maintenance Sections of the Company in failing to provide for a test flight of the aircraft after the turbine section had been changed and in finding aircraft HK-133 airworthy for the purpose of a scheduled flight with passengers under such conditions,
- The lack of competent air traffic and weather authorities at Santa Cecilia airport in a position to check civil aviation regulations and to prohibit take off from a closed airport,
- Faulty internal organization within AIDA which should have defined exactly the duties of the Maintenance Superintendent, of the Maintenance Chief and of the Dispatcher,
- The failure of the Company to have available a spare engine which would have avoided carrying out such delicate repair work in a hasty manner.
Final Report:

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina in Marabá: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jul 12, 1956
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
TICAL
Registration:
PT-ASN
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Belém – Marabá
MSN:
1792
YOM:
1944
Location:
Marabá
Pará
Country:
Brazil
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
On approach to Marabá, both engines failed. The crew elected to make an emergency landing when the seaplane crashed into the Río Tocantins. A crewman was killed while four other occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Double engine failure.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina in Parintins: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 18, 1956
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
PP-PDB
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Belém – Parintins
MSN:
22021
YOM:
1943
Location:
Parintins
Amazonas
Country:
Brazil
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
While landing on the Amazone River off Parintins, the seaplane hit a submerged object, came to a halt and partially sank. Nine occupants were rescued while three others were killed, among them the pilot Luís Anet and the radio operator.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina off Kyleake: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 22, 1955
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
CF-EPX
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Delivery
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Montreal – Godthab – Keflavik – Prestwick – Karachi
Location:
Kyleakin
Ross and Cromarty
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a flight from Montreal to Karachi, the aircraft being delivered to the Pakistan government. While approaching the Scottish coast, both engines failed. The captain attempted to ditch the aircraft off Kyleake. On touchdown, the seaplane lost its floats, drifted away and eventually sank. Five crew members were rescued while the navigator was killed.
Probable cause:
Double engine failure caused by a fuel exhaustion due to strong headwinds.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina off La Pedrera: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jan 31, 1955
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
HK-1000E
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Bogotá – Villavicencio – Mitú – La Pedrera
Location:
La Pedrera
Amazonas
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The aircraft was completing a cargo flight from Bogotá to La Pedrera with intermediate stop at Apiay AFB in Villavicencio and Mitú, carrying four passagers, four crew members, mail and various goods. While trying to land on the Río Caqueta near La Pedrera, the seaplane crashed into the river. All four passengers and a crew member were killed while three other occupants were killed.
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