Crash of a Douglas R4D-5 on Guadalcanal Island: 15 killed

Date & Time: Jun 12, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
17180
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
MSN:
12778
YOM:
1944
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
12
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
15
Circumstances:
While cruising over the Guadalcanal Island, the aircraft hit a mountain slope and crashed. All 15 occupants were killed.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-65-DL on Daugo Island

Date & Time: Jun 10, 1944
Operator:
Registration:
42-100628
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Lae - Alotau
MSN:
19091
YOM:
1943
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
18
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The Dakota left Lae-Nadzab Airport on a medevac flight to Milne Bay carrying 18 patients and 3 Medical Attendants. Whilst over Dobodura, the crew received radio reports that Milne Bay Airfield was not in service, probably due to poor weather conditions. The crew wanted to divert to Port Moresby. En route, the left engine failed. It then appeared that both Jacksons and Wards fields could not be reached due to low ceiling and rain. The airplane then diverted to the emergency airfield on Fisherman's Island. A belly landing was carried out along the strip. There was no fire and all aboard survived.
Source:
http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19440610-1
Probable cause:
Technical investigation revealed that the left engine had just been replaced and this was the first-flight since the work was done. For the lack of a single cotter-pin and some safety wire in the throttle-linkage, this aircraft ended up crash-landing.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-45-DL near Alotau: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 7, 1944
Operator:
Registration:
A65-15
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Alotau - Port Moresby
MSN:
9997
YOM:
1943
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
Eleven minutes after its take off from Alotau, in the Milne Bay Province, the aircraft hit a mountain and was destroyed. All four occupants were killed. The aircraft was also wearing the civil registration VH-CTO.
Crew (33th Squadron):
F/Lt R. Head,
Sgt D. H. Palmer,
F/O W. J. Wilson,
LAC W. J. O'Brien.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I in Cape Pallarenda

Date & Time: May 31, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
A4-45
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Shortly after take off, while climbing, the left engine failed, forcing the crew to attempt an emergency landing. The aircraft crash landed in a wooded area located in Cape Pallarenda, few km north of Townsville Airport. While all three occupants were injured, the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I near Newrybar: 4 killed

Date & Time: May 22, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
A4-20
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
En route, the crew encountered an unexpected situation and the captain decided to divert to the RAAF Evans Head. For unknown reason, the twin engine aircraft went out of control and crashed near Newrybar, north of Ballina. The wreckage and all four dead bodies were found on June 15.
Crew (1st ANS):
Lt Allan Shackell, pilot,
F/O Trevor Woodgate, navigator,
W/O Edmund Ahern,
Sgt Gordon Hill, trainee navigator.

Crash of a Douglas R4D-5 off the Solomon Islands: 23 killed

Date & Time: May 18, 1944
Operator:
Registration:
39073
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Torikina - Honiara
MSN:
10093
YOM:
1943
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
20
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
23
Circumstances:
The aircraft left Torikina Airfield on Bougainville Island at 1008LT bound for Honiara on Guadalcanal Island. The last radio contact was just after take off completed in marginal weather conditions (light rain and visibility limited to one mile). The aircraft never arrived in Honiara and all SAR operations did not find any trace of the aircraft nor the 23 crew members.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina in Luganville: 3 killed

Date & Time: May 12, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
48280
Survivors:
Yes
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
Overshot on landing, hit an obstacle and crashed. Three crewmen were killed while all six other occupants were injured.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-65-CO Liberator in Kaiapit: 10 killed

Date & Time: May 7, 1944
Operator:
Registration:
42-40525
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Lae - Lae
MSN:
1602
Location:
Region:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a bombing mission over Sarmi and departed Lae-Nadzab Airport late following unknown technical problems. After take off, the crew tried to join the formation without success. The bomber christened 'Toughy' crashed in unknown circumstances at an altitude of 2,000 feet in an isolated area located near Kaiapit, some 8 km northwest of Lae Airport. SAR operations were suspended after few days as no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. Eventually, the wreckage was found in 1973.
Crew:
1st Lt John E. Terpning, pilot,
2nd Lt William R. Parkinson, copilot,
2nd Lt Kermit H. Kinne, bombardier,
2nd Lt George S. Silverman, navigator,
T/Sgt Sidney H. Branch, engineer,
S/Sgt James M. McKain, radio,
S/Sgt Earl R. Pearson, gunner,
S/Sgt Raymond "Ray" E. Thompson, engineer,
Sgt Richard F. Dixon, radio,
Sgt Michael E. Drucker, gunner.

Crash of a Lockheed 18-40-11 LodeStar in Brisbane

Date & Time: Apr 22, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
VH-CAF
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
2121
YOM:
1942
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed on landing at Brisbane-Archerfield Airport. No casualties. This was the third landing accident with this aircraft at Archerfield in three months. The previous time, on February 23, the aircraft made a belly landing as well.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I in Yanakie: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 17, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
AW667
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a tests flight on this twin engine aircraft that encountered technical problems previously. En route, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in unknown circumstances in Yanakie, south of Victoria. All three crew members were killed.
Crew (67th Squadron):
F/Sgt David Guise Shanks, pilot,
LAC John Joseph Griffin
AC1 Ronald Oswald Rathke.