Date & Time:
Sep 9, 1944 at 1200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed PV-1 Ventura
Operator:
Registration:
NZ4614
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Honiara - Honiara
MSN:
6270
YOM:
1944
Country:
Solomon Islands
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
5
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
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.
Crew:
F/Lt Roye Stevens,
F/O John Carson,
W/O Geoffrey Innes,
P/O Stanley Dawson,
F/O John McGuire.
