Ground accident of a Douglas C-47A-25-DK in Port Moresby

Date & Time: Apr 12, 1945
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
A65-53
Flight Phase:
Taxiing
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
13441
YOM:
1944
Location:
Port Moresby
National Capital District
Country:
Papua New Guinea
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
12
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The C-47 developed brake trouble, collided with RAAF Consolidated B-24M-10-CO Liberator A72-182 and ran into a ditch. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-90-DL into the Coral Sea: 24 killed

Date & Time: Mar 27, 1945
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
43-16011
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Cooktown – Finschafen
MSN:
20477
YOM:
1944
Location:
Coral Sea
All World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
20
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
24
Circumstances:
Crashed enroute into the Coral Sea, while on a flight from Cooktown to Finschafen, Morobe Province. SAR operations were conducted but no trace of the aircraft was ever found.
Crew:
Cpt Eldred E. Kellogg,
Cpt James E. Dickey,
S/Sgt William P. Caruthers,
S/Sgt Morris Cohen.
Passengers:
Cpt Robert F. Mekker,
1st Lt Richard F. Stanley,
S/Sgt William I. Shaw,
2nd Lt Harvey J. McHenry,
1st Lt Victor Paschild,
2nd Lt Gregor N. Bronson,
S/Sgt Luigi F. Bettina,
S/Sgt Fred O. Miller,
Sgt Frank A. Lovalle,
Sgt James F. Tyres,
Sgt Glenn E. Sinclair,
Sgt Albert L. Descochers,
Sgt Harry C. Gould,
Sgt Michael Mikula,
Sgt Emerson A. Tanner,
Sgt Selby L. Yates,
2nd Lt Robert A. Daube,
2nd Lt Thomas D. Galey,
2nd Lt Kenneth W. Sober,
2nd Lt Robert G. Powell.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3 Dakota IV into the Coral Sea

Date & Time: Mar 19, 1945
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
KN343
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Madang – Port Moresby – Townsville
MSN:
32659/15911
YOM:
1945
Location:
Coral Sea
All World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
24
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The aircraft was on its way from Madang to Townsville with an intermediate stop in Port Moresby-Jackson Airport. While cruising over the Coral Sea, a dual engine failure forced the crew to ditch the aircraft some 200 km south of Port Moresby. All 28 occupants took refuge into dinghies and were later rescued. The aircraft sank and was lost.
Crew (243rd Squadron):
P/O Frank Leslie Carnell, pilot,
W/O Nutt,
F/Sgt Wrench,
F/Sgt Moffatt.
Source: http://www.ozatwar.com/ozcrashes/qld20.htm
Probable cause:
Dual engine failure.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-45-DL near Alotau: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 7, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
A65-15
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Alotau - Port Moresby
MSN:
9997
YOM:
1943
Location:
Alotau
Milne Bay
Country:
Papua New Guinea
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
Eleven minutes after its take off from Alotau, in the Milne Bay Province, the aircraft hit a mountain and was destroyed. All four occupants were killed. The aircraft was also wearing the civil registration VH-CTO.
Crew (33th Squadron):
F/Lt R. Head,
Sgt D. H. Palmer,
F/O W. J. Wilson,
LAC W. J. O'Brien.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-20-DL on Mt Victoria: 6 killed

Date & Time: Dec 23, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
42-23500
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Dobodura – Port Moresby
MSN:
9362
YOM:
1943
Location:
Mt Victoria
Central
Country:
Papua New Guinea
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The aircraft left Dobodura-North Borio Airfield at 1451LT but failed to arrive in Port Moresby-Wards Airport. SAR operations were conducted and the wreckage was spotted on January 12, 1944, on the slope of Mt Victoria located in the Owen Stanley Range. Unfortunately, it was impossible for a rescue team to reach the site due to the difficult terrain.
Crew:
S/Sgt Benton D. Campbell,
1st Lt Gale J. Chase,
S/Sgt Joseph C. Draper,
1st Lt Frank C. Gecan,
Cpl Joseph J. Ransdell,
Cpl Everett F. Rogers.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-30-DL near Port Moresby

Date & Time: Dec 1, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
42-23659
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Townsville – Port Moresby
MSN:
9521
YOM:
1943
Location:
Port Moresby
National Capital District
Country:
Papua New Guinea
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While approaching Port Moresby-Jackson Airfield at a height of 4,000 feet, both engines failed. The captain attemted an emergency landing in a prairie located 20 miles west of aerodrome, near the Vanapa River. While the aircraft was damaged beyond repair, all four crew members were unhurt.
Probable cause:
Double engine failure.

Crash of a Lockheed 18-56 LodeStar near Port Moresby: 15 killed

Date & Time: Nov 26, 1943 at 0415 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed 18 LodeStar
Operator:
Registration:
VH-CAB
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Port Moresby - Townsville
MSN:
2103
YOM:
1941
Location:
Port Moresby
National Capital District
Country:
Papua New Guinea
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
11
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
15
Circumstances:
The aircraft left Port Moresby-Wards Airport in early morning and completed the initial climb in poor visibility. After few minutes, it hit the slope of a mountain located 13 km west of the airport and was destroyed by impact forces. All 15 occupants were killed. Qantas, the Australian National career, was performing this flight on behalf of the Royal Australian Air Force and all passengers were US and RAAF soldiers and officers. By date, this crash is considered as the worst accident for Qantas since its foundation.
Crew:
S/L William Geoffrey Campbell, pilot,
P/O John Randolph Fleming Henderson, copilot,
F/Sgt Neil Grosvenor Evan, radio operator,
P/O Keith George Shankland Little, purser.
Passengers:
Robert E. Lewis,
Harry H. Poague,
Lt Col C. V. Ferry,
Lt Col Edward John Marston,
Maj J. F. McCarthy,
Lt Col John Benedict Bolger,
2nd Lt John E. Brown,
S/Sgt Vincent W. Novak,
Cpt John W. Baish,
Col Frank O. Dewey,
F/Sgt Leslie Harold Jenke.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-110-CO Liberator near Engati: 11 killed

Date & Time: Nov 20, 1943 at 2145 LT
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
Operator:
Registration:
42-40886
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Port Moresby - Port Moresby
MSN:
1963
Location:
Engati
Morobe
Country:
Papua New Guinea
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
11
Circumstances:
The aircraft left Port Moresby-7 Mile Airfield at the end of the day on a reconnaissance flight over the Bismarck Sea. A last radio communication was set at 2145LT and as the aircraft failed to return, SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended after few days as no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. The wreckage and bones were found by locals on Mt Eiyawaiy, near the village of Engati, in 1982.
Crew (43rd BG):
1st Lt Richard Heuss, pilot,
2nd Lt Robert Miller, copilot,
2nd Lt Robert R. Streckenbach, navigator,
2nd Lt Edward French, bombardier,
T/Sgt Charles Bode, flight engineer,
S/Sgt Ivan O. Kirkpatrick, assistant to flight engineer,
S/Sgt Roy Suribian, radio operator,
S/Sgt William K. Musgrave, assistant to radio operator,
S/Sgt James T. Moran, air gunner,
S/Sgt James B. Moore, air gunner,
S/Sgt Lucian I. Oliver Jr., air gunner.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina off Port Moresby: 6 killed

Date & Time: Oct 16, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
2447
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Location:
Port Moresby
National Capital District
Country:
Papua New Guinea
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off Port Moresby, killing all six crew members.

Crash of a Boeing B-17-E Flying Fortress in Port Moresby

Date & Time: Aug 28, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Operator:
Registration:
41-2481
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
2292
YOM:
1941
Location:
Port Moresby
National Capital District
Country:
Papua New Guinea
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Shortly after take off from Port Moresby-7 Mile Airfield, the aircraft suffered a structural failure and crashed in a field. All crew members from the 63rd BS were uninjured while the aircraft christened 'Old Topper' was damaged beyond repair and used for spares.
Source & photo:
http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-17/41-2481.html
Probable cause:
Structural failure.
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