Royal Australian Air Force - RAAF

On the leg from Townsville to Darwin, while cruising 30 km from Georgetown, the flight engineer informed the pilot about a fuel leak on the left engine. The captain decided to divert to Georgetown Airport for an emergency landing but on final, the seaplane was unstable, banking left and right. The pilot increased power on the right engine and attempted a go around when the aircraft banked right, stalled, overturned and crashed in flames in a field located about 5 km from the airport. Five crew members were killed instantly while two others were seriously injured. One of the survivors died from his injuries few hours later.
Crew:
F/Lt David Northey, pilot, †
John Gilbert Humprey Alexander, pilot, †
Leo Maurice Sattler, pilot, †
Alexander John Brown, navigator, †
Frank Slater, flight engineer,
Maurice Henry Wood, flight engineer, †
William Bedford, wireless operator. †

Shortly after takeoff from Amberley AFB, while climbing, the aircraft went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in a field located 8 miles south of Rosewood. All four crew members were killed. Apparently, the loss of control occurred when a parachute release box apparently jammed the control column.

While on a training sortie, the twin engine aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances into the Bass Strait, few km off Lakes Entrance. The wreckage was found two days later. All five crew members were killed.

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

During a training sortie in Laverton AFB, the crew encountered an unexpected situation and made an emergency landing in a field located one mile north of the airbase. Both occupants were rescued while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The aircraft departed Laverton at 1415LT for Amberley. Aeradio position reports were received normally through out the flight, until 1734LT, when clearance was obtained to descend from 8000 feet preparatory to the landing at Amberley. A short time later Amberley Flight Control cleared the aircraft for a straight-in approach RWY 05 at an angle of 45 degrees, turn right to align itself with the runway and commence to lose height on the approach - which appeared to be lower and faster that usual. The aircraft touched down in a tail high attitude, approximately 300 feet after crossing the threshold. After travelling a short distance, the aircraft then left the ground, rising to about five feet. From eyewitness reports, attempts were then made by the crew to force the aircraft onto the runway but this only resulted in three more bounces. When about 600 feet from the upwind end of the runway, engine power was applied to make a go around. It is estimated by ground observers that, by this stage, the airspeed of the Lincoln had decreased to approximately 80-85 knots. The Lincoln was then seen to climb slightly, level out at 100 feet, after which the nose of the aircraft rose sharply to place the aircraft in a climbing attitude of 40 degrees. After a further few seconds, the attitude changed abruptly to a climb of 80 degrees. With all engines roaring presumably under full power, the aircraft attained an altitude of approximately 500 feet AGL when, with no forward speed, the port wing slowly dropped and the aircraft steadily accelerated until the port main plane struck the ground in a vertical position. By this time the fuselage was parallel with the ground. The aircraft caught fire immediately and, although the fire tender arrived shortly after the crash, the fire could not be sufficiently controlled to extricate the crew or passengers. The crash site was 400 yards from the end of RWY 05 and displaced approximately 100 yards left of the runway.
Source: http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/

While completing a training flight in Darwin and flying along the coast, the right engine caught fire. The captain attempted to ditch the aircraft about 500 yards off the Mindil Beach. All five crew members were injured while the aircraft sank and was lost.
Crew:
F/Lt A. A. Lange,
W/O R. McGrath,
LAC B. R. Hanson,
LAC R. S. Bowley,
LAC J. J. Harvey.

Enroute, both left engines (number one and two) failed. The captain lost control of the aircraft that crashed into the Celebes Sea but was able to report his exact position. On scene, the crew of 'HMS Opposum' was able to evacuate eight wounded people while two others were killed.
Crew (23rd Squadron):
W/Cdr J. Handbury, pilot,
W/O F. Welsh, copilot,
F/Lt P. Mathews, navigator, †
W/O C. McKenzie, wireless operator,
W/O W. Nesbitt, radar operator,
W/O R. Smith, flight engineer,
F/Sgt D. Norton, flight engineer,
Cpl E. Pye, fitter.
Passengers:
Cpt J. McFadden,
Lt J. Potten. †

Crashed on approach to Tacloban Airport for unknown reason. There were no casualties.

On landing, the aircraft went out of control, veered off runway and came to rest. While all four crew members were unhurt, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Crew:
F/Lt Bagshaw,
F/Lt Thompson,
F/Lt Smith,
P/O Jacobsen.