Gulf of Mexico

This crew was dropping parachute flares to illuminate a search area when one of the flares accidentally ignited in the aircraft. Intense smoke incapacitated the pilots and crew and the aircraft became uncontrolled and crashed into the sea. All six crew members were killed.
LCDR Francis W. Miller,
LTJG Jerald M. Mack,
AD1 Harold D. Brown Jr.,
AM2 Benjamin R. Gaskins Jr.,
AT2 John F. Harrison,
AT2 John P. Pledger.

Crashed in unknown circumstances into the Gulf of Mexico somewhere during December 1969 (exact date unknown). Crew fate remains unknown.

On a Sunday night search and rescue case the aircraft and crew responded to a request for assistance from a fishing vessel reportedly taking on water 20 miles off the coast. The same plane and crew had just returned from another search of over six hours. The entire crew perished when their seaplane struck the water while attempting to deliver a dewatering pump to a sinking vessel. No trace of the aircraft nor the six crew members was found.
Crew:
Lt Clifford E. Hanna,
Lt Jg Charles F. Shaw,
AD1 Ralph H. Studstill,
AT1 Eckley M. Powlus Jr.,
AT2 James B. Thompson,
AE3 Arthur L. Wilson Jr.

At 2203, 1 December 27, 1948, NC16002 departed from Isla Grande Airport, San Juan, Puerto Rico, for Miami, Florida. According to the company passenger manifest filed with the Customs Department al San Juan, there were 29 passengers aboard. The crew consisted of Captain Robert E. Linquist, Copilot E. E. Hill, and Stewardess Mary Burke. Captain Linquist had filed an instrument flight plan with the CAA Air Route Traffic Control Center and the Puerto Rican Transportation Authority; however, this flight plan was cancelled after a delay due t0 battery difficulties on the airplane. Subsequently the pilot was authorized a VFR takeoff with the understanding that the flight was to remain in the vicinity of San Juan, and attempt to establish radio contact with the tower. Once contact was established, an IFR flight plan would be filed enabling the aircraft to proceed to Miami. If this was impossible, the aircraft was to return to San Juan. Eleven minutes after takeoff the flight called the airport control tower. The control tower did not receive the call but it was intercepted by CM Communications at San Juan, to which the flight reported that it was proceeding to Miami, Florida, according to an IFR plan. CAA Communications at San Juan was unable to contact the flight again, although numerous attempts were made. At 2323, the Overseas Foreign Air Route Traffic Control Center at Miami, Florida, received a radio communication from NC16002 stating it was flying at 8.500 feet in accordance with instrument flight rules and that it estimated its time of arrival over South Caicos at 0033, and Miami at 0405, December 28, 1948. The New Orleans Overseas Foreign Air Route Traffic Control Center intercepted a position report from NC16002 at 0413, which stated it was 50 miles south of Miami. This was the last known contact with the aircraft. Unsuccessful attempts were made to contact the flight by CAA Communications from San Juan, Miami, and New Orleans. The Civil Aeronautics Board at Miami, Florida, was notified by CAA Communications on December 28, 1948, at 0830, that NC16002 was considerably overdue on a flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Miami. Florida. When it was definitely determined that the aircraft was missing, the United States Coast Guard was alerted and an extensive search was immediately started. Among those participating in the search were the U. S. Coast Guard, the U. S. Navy, the Fifth Rescue Squadron of the U. S. Air Forces and numerous civil aircraft. Also actively engaged in the search were agencies of the Government of Nassau, the Dominican Republic and the Cuban Government. The search covered an area from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Cape San Blas in Florida, the peninsula of Florida and the southern coastal area of the United States to Cape Romain, which is located approximately 45 miles north of Charleston, South Carolina. The Gulf of Mexico adjacent to the coast of Florida, the island of Cuba, the north coast of Hispaniola and the Bahama Islands were also searched. 2 Over 1,300 plane hours were flown during the six days of search, from December 28, 1948, to January 3, 1940 in conjunction with the air search, a detachment from the Fifth Rescue Squadron, U. S. Air Forces, conducted a through investigation and ground search of portions of the north coast of Cuba. The terrain was both mountainous and jungle, making the search difficult.

The crew left Lake Charles AFB on a routine training exercise over the Gulf of Mexico. En route, the twin engine aircraft crashed in the sea for unknown reason. No trace of the aircraft nor the crew was ever found.

The crew lost his orientation while performing a maritime patrol mission over the Gulf of Mexico. Captain decided to ditch the aircraft some 160 km west of Tampa, Florida. While all five occupants were rescued, the seaplane sunk and was lost.

During a maritime patrol mission, while circling around a merchant ship, the seaplane went out of control and crashed into the Gulf of Mexico, killing all eight crew members.

Lost without trace in the Gulf of Mexico with 9 crewmen on board.

The aircraft left an airbase located in the south of the US for a combined exercise with five other similar aircraft over the Gulf of Mexico. In flight, the top of the rudder of 41-24621 hit the right wing of 42-6031. Out of control, both aircraft dove into the sea and crashed some 50 miles off Galveston, Texas. All 22 occupants in both aircraft were killed.
Crew:
2nd Lt Oscar A. Bennett,
Sgt William B. Culp Jr.,
Sgt Charles L. Findley,
2nd Lt Oscar L. Koegel Jr.,
Sgt Reinhold Kubarth,
Cpt Henry A. Lewis,
Sgt William P. Pine,
2nd Lt Alva W. Redding Jr.,
Sgt Richard E. Royer,
Sgt B. J. Smith,
Sgt William W. Volkner.

The aircraft left an airbase located in the south of the US for a combined exercise with five other similar aircraft over the Gulf of Mexico. In flight, the top of the rudder of 41-24621 hit the right wing of 42-6031. Out of control, both aircraft dove into the sea and crashed some 50 miles off Galveston, Texas. All 22 occupants in both aircraft were killed.
Crew:
Sgt John F. Arrillaga,
Sgt Joe T. Barron,
2nd Lt Paul Bradnan,
Sgt Howard J. Code,
S/Sgt John E. Linam,
Sgt John T. Loften,
2nd Lt George J. Long,
2nd Lt James J. Palack,
1st Lt Robert H. Smith,
Sgt Jack L. Stewart,
2nd Lt Stevenson A. Williams.