Accident description
Last updated: 19 June 2013
| Status: | |
| Date: | 14 JAN 1945 |
| Type: | Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina |
| Operator: | Royal Australian Air Force - RAAF |
| Registration: | A24-96 |
| C/n / msn: | 1896 |
| First flight: | |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: |
| Total: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: |
| Airplane damage: | Written off |
| Airplane fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | off Sumba Island (Indonesia) |
| Phase: | Landing (LDG) |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | ? |
| ? |
During a mission to Surabaya the Catalina experienced trouble with its port engine and immediately began to lose altitude. It was flying at 300 feet below heavy cloud off Sumba Island. The crew jettisoned the mines, but the plane continued to lose altitude. A forced landing was made on the open sea. The hull was damaged and began to leak. The crew was rescued by another Catalina. The crew then destroyed the disabled Catalina aircraft with machine-gun fire.
Sources:
» Australian Military Aircraft Serials and Aircraft History web site
Photos
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
