1945 — May 5, USAAF C-54 takeoff climb crash into bluff, Manus Island, New Guinea –all 21
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard for: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/ Last edit 12-8-2023.
–21 Aviation Safety Network. USAAF C-54 crash into bluff, Manus Island (Papua New Guinea).
–21 Baugher, Joseph F. 1944 USAAF Serial Numbers (44-001 to 44-30910) 8-24-2023 rev.
–21 Gero, David. Military Aviation Disasters: Significant Losses Since 1908. 1999, p. 30.
Narrative Information
Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1945, p. 79:
“Date: Saturday 5 May 1945
“Time: 22:26
“Type: Douglas C-54E-1-DO (DC-4)
“Operator: United States Army Air Force – USAAF
“Registration: 44-9043
“MSN: 27269
“First flight: 1945
“Crew: Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6
“Passengers: Fatalities: 15 / Occupants: 15
“Total: Fatalities: 21 / Occupants: 21
….
“Location: Manus Island (Papua New Guinea)
“Phase: En route (ENR)
“Nature: Military
“Departure airport: Lorengau Airfield, Papua New Guinea
“Destination airport: Biak-Sorido Airfield, Indonesia
“Narrative: The Skymaster departed Sorido Airstrip. After takeoff the pilot did not
turn away to clear rising terrain. The aircraft flew into a bluff at an
elevation of about 500 feet (150 m). It was deemed possible that the flaps
were retracted too soon after takeoff.
(Blanchard note: The destination airport is noted as Biak-Sorido, yet the narrative has the departure airport as Sorido Airstrip.]
Baugher, Joseph F. 1944 USAAF Serial Numbers (44-001 to 44-30910) 8-24-2023 revision:
“….Douglas C-54E-1-DO Dkymaster….9043 (MSN 27269) struck high ground after takeoff Manus Island, New Guinea May 5, 1945. All 21 onboard killed. MACR 15693.”
Gero. Military Aviation Disasters: Significant Losses Since 1908. 1999, p. 30.
“Date: 5 May 1945 (22:26 [10:26 pm])
“Location: Territory of New Guinea
“Operator: US Army Air Forces
“Aircraft type: Douglas C-54-E (44-9043)
“The four-engine transport crashed and burst into flames on Manus, one of the Admiralty Islands[1] in the Bismarck Archipelago region, killing all 21 American servicemen aboard (15 passengers and a crew of six). Having taken off shortly before from the Sorido airstrip, on an intra-island flight, the C-54 slammed into a bluff at an approximate elevation of 500ft (150m). The accident occurred on a dark, moonless night, but the local weather conditions were otherwise good, with a ceiling of around 2,000 ft (600m) and unrestricted visibility under the clouds. A slight breeze was blowing our of the north-west.
“Due to the complete destruction of the aircraft, it was not possible to determine the cause of the crash. However, its direction at the moment of impact indicated that the pilot did not made a turn away from the rising terrain as soon as he reached the minimum safe altitude for such a maneuver.
“Subsequently, the flight operations officer for the airfield issued a directive that aircraft departing on the same north-westerly heading as had 44-9043, initiate a left turn upon reaching a sufficient height and not more than 45 seconds after take-off. The investigative report also emphasized the importance of attaining a minimum altitude of 1,000ft (300m) before flap retraction in night operations of the C-54, which in this case was apparently not done.”
Sources
Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1945, p. 79. USAAF Douglas C-54E crash into bluff, Manus Island (Papua New Guinea), 5 May 1945.” Accessed 12-8-2023 at: https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19450505-0
Baugher, Joseph F. 1944 USAAF Serial Numbers (44-001 to 44-30910) 8-24-2023 revision. Accessed 12-8-2023 at: https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1944_1.html
Gero, David. Military Aviation Disasters: Significant Losses Since 1908. UK and Newbury Park, CA: Patrick Stephens Limited, an imprint of Hayes Publishing, 1999.
Wikipedia. “Admiralty Islands campaign.” 11-26-2023 edit. Accessed 12-8-2023 at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Admiralty_Islands_campaign
[1] The Admiralty Islands were liberated from Japan by the US on May 18, 1945 in the New Guinea campaign.