World

Crashed in unknown circumstances into the Pacific Ocean, off the Baja California coast. No trace of the aircraft nor the eight crew members was found. Local medias stated that the aircraft was carrying a load of seven thousand pounds of live lobsters, which would suggest that the aircraft could also have been operated by a civil airline, not the Mexican Air Force.
Source: ASN

The crew was performing a flight from Riverside, California, to the UK. En route over the Atlantic Ocean, the crew encountered engine problems and the captain decided to ditch the aircraft 385 miles northeast of Bermuda. Following the accident, 18 crewmen took refuge in dinghies while two others were drowned. About two days later, the crew of a USAF B-17 spotted the survivors who were eventually rescued and evacuated by the crew of the Canadian destroyer christened 'Haida' 72 hours after the accident. The aircraft was lost.

The aircraft left Belfast-Aldergrove Airport at 0850LT on a meteorological mission over the Atlantic Ocean. The crew maintained radio contact with the ground until 1143LT when it disappeared from radar screens. SAR operations were conducted on a large area west of the Outer Hebrides Islands but were eventually suspended as no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. On board were three passengers and four crew members from the 202nd Squadron.

En route, an engine failed, forcing the crew to ditch the aircraft about 500 km southeast of Saint John's. The airplane crashed near a US Coast Guard ship. All four crew members were rescued while the aircraft sank and was lost.

En route from Kwajalein to the Johnston atoll, the crew encountered an unexpected situation and the captain decided to make an emergency landing into the ocean about 608 miles southwest of the Johnston atoll. The crew was rescued nine hours later and the Catalina was destroyed by gunfire and sank.

The aircraft was performing a flight from Dakar to UK. While approaching the Canary Islands, it crashed in unknown circumstances some 35 miles south of the Spanish archipelago. No trace of the aircraft nor the 15 crew members was found.

The four engine aircraft christened 'Star Ariel' left Hamilton, Bermuda, at 0841LT bound for Kingston, Jamaica. About one hour into the flight, the crew informed ATC about his departure time and gave his ETA in Kingston at 1410LT. At this time, the aircraft was flying at an assigned altitude of 18,000 feet in good weather conditions. Another message was exchanged few minutes later. As the aircraft failed to arrive in Kingston, SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended a week later as no trace of the aircraft nor the 20 occupants was found. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were good with no clouds above 10,000 feet, icing conditions at 14,000 feet and a 36 knots wind from the north with no turbulence.

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.

While cruising over the Pacific Ocean on a flight from Kadena to Spokane, the crew encountered technical problems and informed ATC he would attempt an emergency landing. The pilot ditched the aircraft about 1,206 miles southwest of Hawaii. SAR operations were conducted and rescuers arrived on site about forty hours later. Thirty-three people were evacuated while four others were killed.

On the leg from Maiquetía to Las Piedras, while on a cargo flight to Maracaibo, the aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances into the Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. No trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found.