Date & Time:
Aug 27, 1944 at 1200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Registration:
33961
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Country:
Brazil
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
0
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a training exercise over the Atlantic Ocean. En route, the weather conditions deteriorated and the crew decided to return to his base. Shortly later, the captain realized the fuel reserves were insufficient and decided to ditch the aircraft some 260 km off the Fernando de Noronha Island. All five crew members were able to leave the cabin and to refuge in a dinghy while the aircraft sank rapidly and was lost. The crew was later recovered and evacuated.
Probable cause:
Emergency landing caused by a fuel exhaustion in poor weather conditions.