Date:	Saturday 3 November 1945
Time:	07:40
Type:	Consolidated LB-30 Liberator
Owner/operator:	1504th BU USAAF
Registration:	AL640
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 18 / Occupants: 27
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	500 mi NE of Honolulu, Oahu, HI -   Pacific Ocean
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Hickham AAF Hawaii
Destination airport:	Fairfield-Suisun AAF California

Narrative:
Consolidated LB-30 Liberator (RAF Serial AL640). Built for the RAF against a British Purchasing Commission order (hence the RAF serial; aircraft on "lend lease" had USAAF Serials THEN RAF serials). Requisitioned before delivery to the RAF and converted to a Consolidated LB-30/C-87 Liberator Express, still retaining the original RAF serial as AL640 (see link #4), assigned to the 1504th AAF Base Unit, Fairfield-Suisun Army Air Base, crashed into the Pacific Ocean and sank 3 November 1945.

The aircraft was four hours out of Hawaii en route to Fairfield-Suisun Army Air Base, California, when it ran out of fuel and ditched at 07:40 hrs., 500 miles (800 km) North East of Honolulu at approximately 149'50" West/25'25"N. Eighteen of the persons on board were killed and eight survived on life rafts to be rescued by surface vessels. Seven ships, including aircraft carriers, were involved in the search.

One of the survivors, John R. Patrick, was convicted at a court martial of involuntary manslaughter for failing to "determine positively" whether the plane had been refuelled before takeoff.

1. https://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/AARmonthly/Nov1945O.htm
2. http://www.santafe.gov.ar/hemerotecadigital/diario/4953/
3. El Litoral 17 November 1945, p 1
4. https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/usa/aircrafts-2-3/b24/lb-30-al640/
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accidents_and_incidents_involving_the_Consolidated_B-24_Liberator
6. Associated Press, "Seven of 27 on Plane Downed in Pacific Dead - Eight Rescued and 12 Missing; Ships Continue Search", The San Bernardino Sun, San Bernardino, California, Sunday 4 November 1945, Volume 51, page 1.
7. Associated Press, "Army Convicts Flight Engineer - Survivor of Ocean Crash Sentenced", The San Bernardino Daily Sun, San Bernardino, California, Saturday 12 January 1946, Volume 52, page 1.
8. http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_bombers/b24_5.html

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
11-Jun-2016 18:36	TB	Updated [Aircraft type, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Source, Narrative]
13-Jun-2016 17:01	TB	Updated [Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
23-Oct-2019 20:09	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Total fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
23-Oct-2019 20:13	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Narrative]
23-Oct-2019 20:15	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Country]
13-Feb-2020 16:57	Iwosh	Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Operator]