Incident Overview
Date: Saturday 17 July 1943
Aircraft Type: Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina
Owner/operator: United States Navy
Registration Number: 08051
Location: 1,6 km NW off Vella Lavella –
ÿ Solomon Islands
Phase of Flight: Landing
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 13
Component Affected: Port enginePort engine
Category: Accident
A US Navy Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina aircraft lost engine power and sank during a search and patrol in the Shortland-Vella Lavela area. The aircraft experienced a port engine fire and subsequent damage, leading to the loss of the engine and navigation compartment.A US Navy Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina aircraft lost engine power and sank during a search and patrol in the Shortland-Vella Lavela area. The aircraft experienced a port engine fire and subsequent damage, leading to the loss of the engine and navigation compartment.
Description
A US Navy Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina took off from Henderson Field at 19:00 on July 16 for a 12 hour anti shipping search and patrol in the Shortland-Vella Lavella area. At 01:00 on July 17 the port engine caught fire and the plane was forced to land in the water about one mile from the NW off Vella Lavella Island. On the second bounce during landing the port engine broke loose from the wing and tore through the side of the navigation compartment. The crew evacuated and one crew member fired tracer shots from a machine gun into the bottom of the burning plane. The Catalina sank.
Primary Cause
Port engine firePort engine fireShare on:
