1938 — Feb 2, two US Navy PBY-2 Bombers collide mid-air 70M off San Clemente, CA– 11

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 11-9-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–11  Baugher. US Navy and US Marine Corps BuNos Second Series (0001 to 5029). 9-26-2011

–11  Gero. Military Aviation Disasters: Significant Losses Since 1908.  1999, 17.

–11  US Dept. Navy. “Casualties: US Navy…Marine Corps Personnel Killed and Injured…”

Narrative Information

Baugher: “0462 (VP-13) and 0463 (VP-11) collided in midair Feb 2, 1938 off San Clemente, CA.  11 of 14 onboard killed.”  (Baugher. US Navy and US Marine Corps BuNos Second Series (0001 to 5029). 9-26-2011.)

Gero:  “Date: 2 February 1938 (c.20:40)

“Location:  Off Southern California, US

“First aircraft – Operator: US Navy. Type: Consolidated PBY-2 (0462)

“Second aircraft – Operator: US Navy…Consolidated PBY-2 (0463)

“In the first ‘heavier-than-air’ disaster in the history of American military aviation to claim more than 10 lives, the two twin-engine amphibious patrol bombers collided in mid-air and plummeted into the Pacific Ocean south of San Clement Island, 70 miles…west of San Diego.  The accident claimed the lives of 11 servicemen, while three others who managed to parachute from one PBY before it crashed, were rescued with injuries.  The aircraft involved in the collision were part of a formation flying in darkness that had entered an area of intense rain, with the visibility reportedly reduced to zero.”  (Gero 1999, p. 17.)

U.S. Navy: “Two PBY-2 seaplanes collided and crashed off southern California, killing 3 officers and 8 enlisted men. 2 Feb. 1938.” (USN. “Casualties: US Navy…Marine Corps…Killed… Injured…”)

Sources

Baugher, Joseph F. US Navy and US Marine Corps BuNos Second Series (0001 to 5029). Sep 26, 2011 revision. Accessed at:  http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_serials/secondseries1.html

Gero, David. Military Aviation Disasters: Significant Losses Since 1908. UK and Newbury Park, CA: Patrick Stephens Limited, an imprint of Hayes Publishing, 1999. 

United States Department of the Navy, Naval Historical Center. See “Casualties: US Navy and Marine Corps Personnel Killed and Injured in Selected Accidents and Other Incidents Not Directly the Result of Enemy Action.” Washington, DC: Washington Navy Yard. Accessed at:  http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/NHC/accidents.htm