Narrative:
Flew from Darwin and arrived to pick the survivors from A72-81 & A72-77 that was shot down in the Savu Sea off Timor. After the Catalina landed to pick up survivors it was strafed by fighter planes and caught fire. The crew as well as the Liberator survivors were force to abandon the aircraft.
Damaged on the ground
| Status: | |
| Date: | Friday 6 April 1945 |
| Type: |  Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina |
| Operator: | Royal Australian Air Force - RAAF |
| Registration: | A24-54 |
| MSN: | 1256 |
| First flight: | |
| Crew: | Fatalities: / Occupants: |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: / Occupants: |
| Total: | Fatalities: / Occupants: |
| Aircraft damage: | Damaged beyond repair |
| Location: | off Timor [Savu Sea] ( Pacific Ocean)
|
| Phase: | Standing (STD) |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Darwin Airport, NT (DRW/YPDN), Australia |
| ? |
Flew from Darwin and arrived to pick the survivors from A72-81 & A72-77 that was shot down in the Savu Sea off Timor. After the Catalina landed to pick up survivors it was strafed by fighter planes and caught fire. The crew as well as the Liberator survivors were force to abandon the aircraft.
Classification:
Destroyed on groundDamaged on the ground
Sources:
» Australian Military Aircraft Serials and Aircraft History web sitePhotos
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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