Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson IIIA off Luganville: 7 killed

Date & Time: Oct 16, 1942 at 0325 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
NZ2055
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Luganville - Luganville
MSN:
414-6614
YOM:
1942
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
Shortly after take off from Luganville-Norsup Airport, the twin engine aircraft entered a steep rate of climb, stalled and crashed into the sea. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew (3rd Squadron):
F/O William Lauchlan,
Sgt Stephen Bishop,
F/O Lister Mulholland,
Sgt Maxwell Walker,
Sgt John Cornish,
LAC James Ferguson,
AC1 Noel Fowler.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson IIIA in Laverton AFB

Date & Time: Oct 14, 1942 at 1533 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
A16-224
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Laverton - Laverton
MSN:
414-6471
YOM:
1942
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Shortly after take off from Laverton AFB, in initial climb, the left engine failed. The aircraft stalled and crashed in flames. All five crew members were injured, two of them seriously. The aircraft was destroyed.
Crew:
P/O H. C. McDonald,
Sgt B. R. Coulter,
Sgt J. H. Brocks,
Sgt R. G. Curtis.
Passenger:
S/Sgt D. M. Cowan.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson I off Flinders Island: 4 killed

Date & Time: Oct 11, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
A16-18
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Bairnsdale – Whitemark
MSN:
414-1869
YOM:
1940
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
While on a flight from Bairnsdale to Whitemark (Flinders Island), the twin engine aircraft crashed into the sea in unknown circumstances. SAR mission was conducted but evetually suspended after few days as no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. 18 RAAF aircraft took part of the SAR operation.
Crew (1st OTU):
P/O Edward R. Deacon,
Sgt Albert F. Manning,
Sgt Cecil H. Andrews,
Sgt William Anderson.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson IIIA near Kupang: 5 killed

Date & Time: Oct 1, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
A16-243
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Darwin – Kupang
MSN:
414-6496
YOM:
1942
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
Disappeared in unknown circumstances in the region of Kupang, Indonesia, while performing a survey flight from Darwin to Kupang. SAR teams did not find any trace of the aircraft nor the crew.
Crew (13th Squadron):
P/O J. E. Alcock,
F/O G. V. Boynton,
F/O P. C. Gunson,
Sgt F. P. Kemp,
Sgt W. S. Powell.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson III off Nelson: 6 killed

Date & Time: Sep 29, 1942 at 1530 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
NZ2029
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Nelson - Nelson
MSN:
414-3852
YOM:
1941
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a training flight off Nelson. In flight, the captain decided to reduce his altitude and made a very low pass over the Tasman Bay. Propeller blades hit the water surface and the pilot increased engine power to gain altitude. At a height of 200 feet, the aircraft went out of control, the pilot was able to send a brief mayday message and ditched the aircraft. Ten minutes later, the pilot of a RNZAF's Harvard spotted the Hudson floating with all crew alive, seating on both wings. Unfortunately, more than two hours were needed for the crew of a RNZAF ship to rich the site. Only one crew was found alive as all six other occupants died from hypothermia because the water temperature was too low.
Crew (2nd Squadron):
F/O Dean Horrocks, †
Sgt Vincent Hill, †
Sgt Jack Bryson, †
Sgt Victor Chapple, †
Sgt Gordon Stevens, †
AC1 John Davis, †
W/O J. Colway.
Probable cause:
Poor judgement on part of the pilot during a low pass over the sea, causing the propeller blades to hit the water surface.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson on Mt Slieau Freoaghane: 4 killed

Date & Time: Sep 21, 1942 at 2215 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
AM608
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
MSN:
414-2690
YOM:
1941
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a night training mission when the twin engine aircraft struck the slope of Mt Slieau Freoaghane located in the center of the Isle of Man. The aircraft was destroyed and all four occupants were killed.
Crew (1st OTU):
Sgt R. E. Wells, pilot,
Sgt Sidney Alfred Gardner, observer,
Sgt Clarence William Kelner, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Sgt Joseph Theodore Gilbert, wireless operator and air gunner.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson IIIA off Saumlaki: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 15, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
A16-172
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
414-6425
YOM:
1941
Flight number:
BAT423
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew was attacking an enemy vessel off Saumlaki when the twin engine aircraft was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the Arafura Sea off Saumlakki. All five occupants were killed.
Crew (2nd Squadron):
F/O Kenneth L. McDonnell,
P/O Kevin J. Ahern,
F/O Victor Treloar,
Sgt Gilbert S. Dobbs,
Sgt Gerald W. Smith.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson I near Penrith: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 6, 1942 at 0030 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N7325
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Silloth - Silloth
MSN:
414-1721
YOM:
1940
Location:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew left RAF Silloth in the evening of September 5 on a night training exercise. After completing a flight over Northern Ireland, the crew was returning to his base in the middle of the night. On the return leg, the crew encountered low visibility due to clouds. The twin engine aircraft went off track to the east by 40 miles when it hit the slope of Mt Cross Fell, east of Penrith. All five crew members were killed.
Crew (1st OTU):
P/O Paul Arthur Bourke, pilot,
Sgt John Bumpstead, navigator,
Sgt Robert Band, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Leslie Thomas Griffin, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Richard William Hewitt, wireless operator and air gunner.
Source & photos:
http://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/pages/pennines/penninesn7325.htm
Probable cause:
Because of the lack of contact it was assumed by the investigating officer that the aircraft's radio equipment had failed, leaving the crew with only dead reckoning as a means of navigating.

Crash of a Lockheed PBO-1 Hudson into the Gulf of Maine: 4 killed

Date & Time: Aug 30, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
03859
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Quonset Point - Quonset Point
MSN:
414-6005
YOM:
1941
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a maritime patrol flight over the Gulf of Maine to localize German U-Boats cruising off the US coast. The crew plan was to make five radio checks during the mission. The first four were received on schedule, but not the final one. The aircraft crashed into the ocean in unknown circumstances and no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was ever found.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson in Ravenglass: 2 killed

Date & Time: Aug 27, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N7226
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Millom - Millom
MSN:
414-1622
YOM:
1940
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a night exercise from the RAF Millom. En route, an undefined technical failure occurred and the pilot lost control of the aircraft that crashed near Ravenglass. Both occupants were killed.
Crew (1st OTU):
F/O Gerald J. T. Snoxell, pilot,
Sgt Gregor S. McGregor, navigator.