Date & Time:
Sep 28, 1948 at 1930 LT
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
A24-381
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Lord Howe Island - Lord Howe Island
MSN:
61163
Country:
Australia
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
7
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
Rathmines-based No 11 Squadron suffered the loss of a Catalina amphibian and seven crewmen in a night crash on Lord Howe Island on this day. The aircraft had completed the outward leg of a navigation exercise to the island and altered course for home when a serious fuel leak began filling the compartment with petrol vapor 20 minutes into the return leg. The captain decided to turn back to Lord Howe and attempt a landing on the island’s sheltered lagoon. After crossing the island west to east, the aircraft turned back before clipping the ridge line below Malabar Hill at about 1930LT. The Catalina careered down the slope before exploding in flames. Local residents who rushed to the scene extracted two seriously injured crew from the wreck. The death toll was the highest suffered by the RAAF in a peacetime accident up until that time.
Crew (11th Squadron):
F/Lt Malcolm D. Smith, †
F/Lt James McCoy, †
F/Lt William D. Keller, †
F/Lt Alex McKenzie, †
Sydney L. Piercey, pilot, †
W/O Sydney H. Bacon, †
W/O Donald E. Salis, †
F/LT Bert R. Bradley,
W/O John D. Lea.
Source:
http://airpower.airforce.gov.au/HistoryRecord/HistoryRecordDetail.aspx?rid=534
Crew (11th Squadron):
F/Lt Malcolm D. Smith, †
F/Lt James McCoy, †
F/Lt William D. Keller, †
F/Lt Alex McKenzie, †
Sydney L. Piercey, pilot, †
W/O Sydney H. Bacon, †
W/O Donald E. Salis, †
F/LT Bert R. Bradley,
W/O John D. Lea.
Source:
http://airpower.airforce.gov.au/HistoryRecord/HistoryRecordDetail.aspx?rid=534
