Narrative:
In 1959 Mr. Kendall and his family departed on an around-the-world tour in their Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina N5593V. On March 22, 1960, the Catalina landed in the water near the Ras Alsheikh Hamid, Saudia Arabia, opposite of Sharm-el-Sheikh.
In the afternoon of the following day they were attacked by Bedouins attached to the Saudi Arabian army who fired machine guns and automatic firearms from a headland nearby. The airplane sustained some 300 bullet holes.
The occupants were thought to have been Israeli commandos. They were eventually taken to Jeddah, interrogated and finally set free with the help of the American Ambassador. The Catalina was abandoned on the beach.
The Catalina previously featured in the SOS Pacific movie, released in 1959.
Damaged on the ground
» LIFE 30 May 1960
| Status: | |
| Date: | Wednesday 23 March 1960 |
| Type: |  Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina |
| Operator: | Thomas Kendall |
| Registration: | N5593V |
| MSN: | 1759 |
| First flight: | |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: |
| Total: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 9 |
| Aircraft damage: | Damaged beyond repair |
| Location: | Ras Alsheikh Hamid ( Saudi Arabia)
|
| Phase: | Standing (STD) |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | - |
| - |
In 1959 Mr. Kendall and his family departed on an around-the-world tour in their Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina N5593V. On March 22, 1960, the Catalina landed in the water near the Ras Alsheikh Hamid, Saudia Arabia, opposite of Sharm-el-Sheikh.
In the afternoon of the following day they were attacked by Bedouins attached to the Saudi Arabian army who fired machine guns and automatic firearms from a headland nearby. The airplane sustained some 300 bullet holes.
The occupants were thought to have been Israeli commandos. They were eventually taken to Jeddah, interrogated and finally set free with the help of the American Ambassador. The Catalina was abandoned on the beach.
The Catalina previously featured in the SOS Pacific movie, released in 1959.
Classification:
Destroyed on groundDamaged on the ground
Sources:
» Consolidated production list / G. Goodall» LIFE 30 May 1960
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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.
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