Date & Time:
Mar 8, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
A24-22
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
285
YOM:
1942
Country:
Papua New Guinea
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
9
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a maritime patrol flight when he sent a brief mayday message and informed ground that a fire broke off in the cabin. Shortly later, the seaplane crashed into the Solomon Sea, some 50 km south of Gasmata. No trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found.
Crew (11th Squadron):
W/C Francis Blomfield Chapman, pilot,
Sgt Ronald Noblett Stephens, copilot,
F/O John Trevor David Todd, navigator,
Sgt John Edward Dewhurst, flight engineer,
LAC Robert George Docking, flight engineer,
F/O Stanley Alfred Deacon, radio operator,
F/O Malcolm Bradshaw, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Sgt Lloyd George Stanley, wireless operator and air gunner,
LAC Colin Neville Anderson, armourer.
Crew (11th Squadron):
W/C Francis Blomfield Chapman, pilot,
Sgt Ronald Noblett Stephens, copilot,
F/O John Trevor David Todd, navigator,
Sgt John Edward Dewhurst, flight engineer,
LAC Robert George Docking, flight engineer,
F/O Stanley Alfred Deacon, radio operator,
F/O Malcolm Bradshaw, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Sgt Lloyd George Stanley, wireless operator and air gunner,
LAC Colin Neville Anderson, armourer.
Probable cause:
In flight fire.
