Date & Time:
Sep 23, 1943 at 2050 LT
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
NZ4002
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Suva - Suva
MSN:
1334
Country:
Fiji Islands
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
4
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
Shortly after take off from the Laucala Bay, off Suva, while on a night training sortie, the seaplane reached the height of 200 feet and then plunged into the bay, few hundred yards off shore. All four occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The elevator trim tabs were wrongly set by the crew, causing the aircraft to crash.
