Crash of a Lockheed PV-1 Ventura off the Solomon Islands: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 9, 1944 at 1200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
NZ4614
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Honiara - Honiara
MSN:
6270
YOM:
1944
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a bombing mission over Rabaul with two other similar aircraft and left Honiara at 0525LT. While approaching the target, NZ4614 disappeared and apparently crashed into the Solomon Sea. The crew of both other aircraft started a SAR mission to find the wreckage but without success. All operations were eventually suspended on September 17 as no trace of the aircraft was found. As the Japanese forces evacuated the region in February 1944, it was concluded the crash was not caused by enemy action.
Crew:
F/Lt Roye Stevens,
F/O John Carson,
W/O Geoffrey Innes,
P/O Stanley Dawson,
F/O John McGuire.

Crash of a Douglas R4D-5 off the Solomon Islands: 23 killed

Date & Time: May 18, 1944
Operator:
Registration:
39073
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Torikina - Honiara
MSN:
10093
YOM:
1943
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
20
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
23
Circumstances:
The aircraft left Torikina Airfield on Bougainville Island at 1008LT bound for Honiara on Guadalcanal Island. The last radio contact was just after take off completed in marginal weather conditions (light rain and visibility limited to one mile). The aircraft never arrived in Honiara and all SAR operations did not find any trace of the aircraft nor the 23 crew members.