All Papua New Guinea | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

Crash of a Douglas A-20G-30-DO Havoc off PNG: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 16, 1944

Type of aircraft:

Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston

Operator:

Registration:

43-9488

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Lae - Lae

Location:

Papua New Guinea

All Papua New Guinea

Country:

Papua New Guinea

Region:

Crew on board:

3

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

0

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

2

Circumstances:

Ditched into the sea off PNG. A crew member was rescued while both other occupants were killed.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-170-CO Liberator in PNG: 10 killed

Date & Time: Apr 16, 1944

Type of aircraft:

Consolidated B-24 Liberator

Operator:

Registration:

42-72946

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Lae - Lae

MSN:

2516

Location:

Papua New Guinea

All Papua New Guinea

Country:

Papua New Guinea

Region:

Crew on board:

10

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

0

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

10

Circumstances:

The aircraft disappeared in PNG without trace. All ten occupants were considered as deceased. The wreckage was eventually spotted in 2002.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24J-80-CO Liberator PNG: 11 killed

Date & Time: Apr 16, 1944

Type of aircraft:

Consolidated B-24 Liberator

Operator:

Registration:

42-100225

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Lae - Lae

MSN:

3374

Location:

Papua New Guinea

All Papua New Guinea

Country:

Papua New Guinea

Region:

Crew on board:

11

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

0

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

11

Circumstances:

The aircraft disappeared in PNG without trace. All eleven occupants were considered as deceased. The wreckage was eventually spotted in 2002.

Crash of a Douglas A-20G-25-DO Havoc in PNG: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 16, 1944

Type of aircraft:

Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston

Operator:

Registration:

43-9098

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Lae - Lae

Location:

Papua New Guinea

All Papua New Guinea

Country:

Papua New Guinea

Region:

Crew on board:

3

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

0

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

3

Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances somewhere in PNG. No trace of the aircraft nor the crew was ever found.

Crash of a Martin B-26 Marauder in PNG: 2 killed

Date & Time: Aug 9, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Martin B-26 Marauder

Operator:

Registration:

40-1521

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Townsville – Port Moresby

MSN:

1521

YOM:

1940

Location:

Papua New Guinea

All Papua New Guinea

Country:

Papua New Guinea

Region:

Crew on board:

8

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

0

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

2

Circumstances:

The crew left Townsville on a flight to Port Moresby (7 Mile Aerodrome). About thirty minutes prior to the ETA, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and the visibility was low. The captain was able to gain height and continued above the cloud layer. Unfortunately, the aircraft christened 'Yankee Clipper' overflew Port Moresby and continued to the north. Due to fuel shortage, all eight occupants decided to abandon the aircraft and bailed out. While the aircraft crashed and was lost, six crew members were recovered (some of them eight days later) while two others were killed.
Crew (22nd BG):
Lt Duncan A. Seffern, pilot,
2nd Lt James A. Michael, copilot, †
Sgt Paul L. Ramsey, bombardier,
2nd Lt Carroll W. Casteel, navigator, †
Tom Riley, air gunner,
Sgt Kenneth R. Gundling, radio operator,
Sgt George T. Rickman, flight engineer,
Vern Haugland.

Probable cause:

Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Martin B-26 Marauder in Papua New Guinea

Date & Time: Apr 8, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Martin B-26 Marauder

Operator:

Registration:

40-1417

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

1417

YOM:

1940

Location:

Papua New Guinea

All Papua New Guinea

Country:

Papua New Guinea

Region:

Crew on board:

8

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

0

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

0

Circumstances:

On a flight to Port Moresby, both engines failed. The crew attempted to make an emergency landing. While the aircraft was damaged beyond repair, all eight occupants were uninjured.

Probable cause:

Double engine failure due to fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson II off Papua New Guinea: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 26, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed L-414 Hudson

Operator:

Registration:

A16-87

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

MSN:

414-1941

YOM:

1940

Location:

Papua New Guinea

All Papua New Guinea

Country:

Papua New Guinea

Region:

Crew on board:

4

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

0

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

4

Circumstances:

The twin engine airplane was shot down by a Japanese fighter and crashed into the sea off PNG. The exact place of occurrence remains unknown. All four crew members were killed.
Crew (8th Squadron):
F/O Kenneth Vernon Hewett +3.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a Japanese fighter.

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