Date:	Wednesday 26 January 1944
Time:	20:31
Type:	Martin PBM-3S Mariner
Owner/operator:	US Navy
Registration:	48134
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 11 / Occupants: 13
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	NAS Key West, Florida -   United States of America
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	NAS Key West, Florida
Destination airport:	NAS Key West, Florida

Narrative:
On 26 January 1944 the PBM-3S BuNo 48134 of VP-213 took off at 1851 hrs from NAS Key West, Florida on a routine night convoy coverage flight. Shortly after take-off the instrument panel fluorescent lights failed. The pilot turned back and at 2010 hrs NAS Key West received the following encoded confidential dispatch from the plane: "I am returning to base, Time of arrival 2030 Q, Light circuits bad."

The tower air controller ordered the crash boat readied for an emergency landing and all lights in the area turned on. At 2025 hrs the aircraft contacted the air control tower and received the wind velocity and direction was cleared to land on an easterly course of 90°. The pilot, Lt.(jg) Herod, "rogered" for the information and soon thereafter the plane circled the area to get into proper position for landing. The pilot was beamed in by radio, but during the final landing approach became completely lost and hit at 2031 hrs an ammunition magazine mound on Fleming Key, which is located in the northwest area of the Naval Air Station Key West. The Mariner crashed and burned immediately. Ten of the 13 crew were killed in the crash and another died of his injuries early the next morning.

Crew:
Lt(jg.) Buren Charles Herod (pilot) WIFA (lacerations head and legs)
CAP Donald Ray Meyer (co-pilot) WIFA, DOW in the morning of the 27th
Ens George Henry Pigion KIFA
Ens William Edward Hudson KIFA
ARM2c Marvin Jesse Norris (radioman) WIFA
AMM2c William John Achenbach, Jr. KIFA
ARM3c Marvin Christopherson KIFA
S2c Delbert S. Harris KIFA
AOM3c Edwin Douglas Isbell KIFA
S2c Albert Martines Moran Jr. KIFA
S2c Joseph Milton Pilachonski KIFA
AMM2c Walter Frank Pgoroszewski KIFA
AMM3c James Phillip Smith KIFA

The official USN Accident Report conclusions were the following:
"The pilot thought he was overshooting the area, and was in the act of reaching for the throttles to apply full climbing power to go around again for another approach when the plane hit. From this statement it is believed evident that the pilot was completely disorientated. It is therefore believed that the accident was avoidable and that the principal cause thereof was faulty pilot judgment augmented by minor contributory causes, i.e. the failure of the instrument panel and the flux-Gate compass. Specifically it is believed that the pilot erred in not circling or dragging the area in order to orientate himself definitely and correctly. In this connection the pilot might also have reasonably and conceivably remained aloft circling the area in order to consume fuel and lighten his gross weight before landing.

VP-213 War Diary, January 1944 (available online at https://www.fold3.com/image/274229273)
USN Accident report (available online at [LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.vpnavy.com/misc_2012/vp213mishap_01_30dec2012.jpg)]
"The fighting flying boat: a history of the Martin PBM Mariner", by Richard Alden Hoffman. ISBN 1-59114-375-6
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Air_Station_Key_West
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleming_Key

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
14-Nov-2010 11:55	ASN archive	Added
26-Jan-2016 19:21	Laurent Rizzotti	Updated [Time, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Country, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]