Incident Overview
Date: Sunday 5 April 1942
Aircraft Type: Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina
Owner/operator: United States Navy
Registration Number: 2487
Location: S of Makapu’u, HI –
ÿ United States of America
Phase of Flight: Approach
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 9 / Occupants: 9
Component Affected: PBY-5A aircraftPBY-5A aircraft
Category: Accident
A PBY-5A BuNo 2487 crashed into the hillside near the Mapapu’u light in Hawaii due to a miscalculation of its position. The pilot, operating in darkness and squall, attempted to circle the light believing it was Barber’s Point Light, resulting in a crash.A PBY-5A BuNo 2487 crashed into the hillside near the Mapapu’u light in Hawaii due to a miscalculation of its position. The pilot, operating in darkness and squall, attempted to circle the light believing it was Barber’s Point Light, resulting in a crash.
Description
PBY-5A BuNo 2487 was returning from a routine patrol duty out of Kaneohe NAS, HI. The pilot descended down to the Southeast of Oahu, HI, in darkness and squally weather under instrument conditions, turned northwest and approached Makapu’u light in the belief that it was Barber’s Point Light. He then apparently attempted to circle what he erroneously thought was Barber’s Point Light at low altitude, and crashed into the hillside in normal flight about 200 yards south of Makapu’u light. At the time of the accident the pilot and crew were on their second flight for the day and had been in the air a total of 12.3 hours.
Primary Cause
Miscalculation of position and navigational error leading to a circled light.Miscalculation of position and navigational error leading to a circled light.Share on:
