1944 – Sep 29, USN PBM-3D patrol crash, SE of Palau Island, West Central Pacific  —     10

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 3-21-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

—  10  Hoffman, Richard Alden.  The Fighting Flying Boat.  2004, p. 208.

—  10  VPNavy.org.  U.S. Navy Patrol Squadrons.  “VP-16 Mishap.”  10-12-2003 update.

Narrative Information

Hoffman: “29 September 1944.  BuNo [Bureau Number] 48165: PBM-3D, VP-16.  BuNo 48165 was on a patrol southeast of Palau Island when the engines failed.  The aircraft crashed at sea.”  (Lists the names and positions of ten fatalities.)  (Hoffman, Richard Alden.  The Fighting Flying Boat.  2004, p. 208.)

 

VPNavy.org: “29 SEP 44 A/C: PBM-3D… Location: SOUTHEAST OF PALAU ISL…BUNO: 48165. Deaths: 10/KILLED Cause: CRASHED.

 

Aircraft: PBM-3D BUNO: 48165

Squadron VP-16

Date: 29 Sep 44 (0530)

Location: West Central Pacific Ocean

Type: Anti-submarine patrol


“While on routine night anti-submarine patrol on the night of Sep 28-29, PBM-3, BuNo. 48165, crashed at sea south-east of Palau Islands. The plane had been airborne for approximately 13 hours, 3min, when the accident occurred. The pilot made his routine hourly “on station” report, at 0500-I, 29 Sep, and it is there believed that the crash occurred between 0500 and 0545-I.

“The plane was patrolling at 1000-ft altitude when one of the engines sputtered out, and immediately afterward so soon that the lone survivor does not even know which engine quit first, the second also failed. According to the survivor’s testimony, the aircraft crashed during darkness. Sunrise was at 0557-I. The survivor reports a sensation of rapid descent, the plane struck the water. At this pint the survivor lost consciousness, and it is not known what happened. He regained consciousness to find himself in the water, without his life jacket and his shoes, both of which had been securely on him prior to the planes impact. He heard explosions, which are presumed to be the planes depth charges. The only part of the plane visible above the water by this time was a wing tip and a wing tip float. Albanese saw a partially opened life raft floating nearby and swam to it. Before he reached the raft he had seen Frost, E.E., AMM1c., also swimming in the water. Frost told Albanese that he had lost a leg. When Albanese looked for him after getting into the life raft, Frost had disappeared.


“Just what did cause both engines to fail almost simultaneously, or what happened during the attempted landing is not, and probably never will be known.”   


Crew:

Pilot LT Daniel U. Thomas, A-V(N) USNR /Killed

ENS [Ensign] Wilburn R. Caudle, USNR /Killed

ENS Lourge L. Costello, USNR /Killed

AMM1 [Aviation Machinist’s Mate 1st Class] Evan E. Frost, USNR /Killed

AMM3 Willis W. Harris, USN /Killed

ARM3 [Aviation Radioman 3rd Class] Joseph S. Albanese, USN /Serious (shock)

ARM3 Edward B. Reavis, USNR /Killed

AOM2 [Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class] William P. Muicahy[1], USNR /Killed

AMM3 Robert J. Gonzales, USN /Killed

AMM3 Harold G. Green, USNR /Killed

S1 [Seaman 1st Class][2] Morris O. Hamilton, USNR /Killed.”

 

(VPNavy.org.  U.S. Navy Patrol Squadrons.  “VP-16 Mishap.”  10-12-2003 update.)

 

Sources

 

 

Hoffman, Richard Alden.  The Fighting Flying Boat: A History of the Martin PBM Mariner.  Annapolis, MD:  Naval Institute Press,  2004. Partially digitized by Google at:  http://books.google.com/books?id=nCGF2rnDif8C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

VPNavy.org. U.S. Navy Patrol Squadrons. “VP-16 Mishap.”  10-12-2003 update.  Accessed 11-21-2011 at:  http://www.vpnavy.org/vp16_mishap.html

 

[1] Hoffman has the last name as Mulcahy.

[2] The full titles are from Hoffman.