1942 – Aug 25, USN PBY-5 Catalina missing, Kodiak, Aleutians heading east AK –all 14
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 7-8-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
–12 AP. “Navy Plane with 14 Men Missing.” The Cedar Rapids Gazette. 8-26-1942, p. 2.
–12 Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1942. “USN 4469.”
–12 TracesofWar.com. “Crash Site PBY-5 Catalina 04469.”
Narrative Information
Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1942. “USN 4469.”
“Date: Tuesday 25 August 1942
“Type: Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina
“Owner/operator: United States Navy (USN)
“Registration: 4469
“MSN: 471
“Fatalities: Fatalities: 14 / Occupants: 14
….
“Location: within Alaska – USA
“Phase: En route.…
“Departure airport: Cold Bay, AK [Aleutians southwest]
“Destination airport: Kodiak, AK [Aleutians northeast]
“Narrative: Aircraft went missing between Kodiak and Whitehorse on a mail flight.”
TracesofWar.com. “Crash Site PBY-5 Catalina 04469.”
“The PBY-5 Catalina 04469 crashed during a flight from Cold Bay [Aleutians southwest] to Kodiak [Aleutians northeast] on 25 August 1944. The U.S. Navy failed to locate the wreckage and the 12 persons on board. The plane disappeared between Cold Bay and Sand Point.”
Newspaper
Aug 26, AP: “Washington (AP) – The navy announced Tuesday that a large navy plane with 14 officers and enlisted men aboard was missing on a flight from Alaska to Seattle. Next of kin of the 14 have been notified. The plane disappeared between Kodiak [Aleutians] and Whitehorse [Canadian Yukon], Alaska. Three planes started on the trip and were forced by the weather to fly by instrument soon after taking off. Navy aircraft have been searching for the plane and other agencies have been asked to cooperate.
“The navy listed the following as missing:
Comdr. Joyce A. Ralph, 42, Baltimore.
Lieut. Comdr. Jerome H. Sparbo, 48, Hopkins, Minn.
Lieut. Comdr. Paul H. Tobelman, 38, Los Angeles.
Capt. Arthur Barrows, (marine), 27, Columbus, Ohio.
Lieut. Joseph A. Crook, 26, Jackson, Tenn.
Lieut. Thomas E. Johnson, fr., 34, chaplain, of McKenney, Ba.
Lieut. (J.G.) Thomas G. Cherikos, 24, St. Louis.
Lieut. (J.G.) Charles E. Deterding, jr., 25, Lowellville, Ohio.
Lieut. (J.G. Noble, fr., 25, Lockport, N.Y.
Ensign Charles L. Mixon, 24, Pineville, La.
Charles E. Barber, 32, aviation chief radioman, formerly of Alexandria, Va…
- A. Scott, 41, aviation chief radioman, San Diego, Calif.
- O. Walton, 25, aviation machinist’s mate, second class, Alameda, Calif.”
(AP. “Navy Plane with 14 Men Missing.” The Cedar Rapids Gazette. 8-26-1942, p. 2.)
Sources
Associated Press. “Navy Plane with 14 Men Missing.” The Cedar Rapids Gazette. 8-26-1942, p. 2. Accessed 7-9-2024 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/cedar-rapids-gazette-aug-26-1942-p-4/
Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1942. “USN 4469.” Accessed 7-9-2024 at: https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/268017
TracesofWar.com. “Crash Site PBY-5 Catalina 04469.” Accessed 7-9-2024 at: https://www.tracesofwar.com/sights/97408/Crash-Site-PBY-5-Catalina-04469.htm