ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 92650
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| Date: | Tuesday 9 November 1943 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Lockheed PV-1 Ventura |
| Owner/operator: | VB-131, US Navy |
| Registration: | 33412 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 6 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | mouth of the Saramacca River -
 Suriname
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Zandery Field, Surinam |
On 9 November 1943, VB-131 flew five anti-submarine sweeps and one training mission from its base of Zandery Field, Surinam. At 1815 hrs, one of the planes, the PV-1 Buno 33412 131-B-4 sent the following message to base radio: “Landing River”. No further word was heard, and a search commenced at once for the plane, but nothing was found until the field closed for the night.
The next day, permission was granted to the unit to cancel all operational flights in order that every available plane might be employed in the search for the missing aircraft. At 0645 hrs, a life raf, containing wo men, was sighed near the mouth of the Saramacca River, Surinam. A rescue operation commenced immediately, and at 0900 hrs, all hands were safely landed at Zandery Field in a JRF.
Crew (all rescued):
Lt(jg) John W Powers (pilot)
Ens Joseph H Greene
AMM1c Luther P McPherson
ARM2c Bernard J Weizman
AOM2c Donald B West
1st Lt Francis Waerstraat (chaplain, US Army passenger)
The crew reported that they were unable to land at Zandery Field on return from mission as the field was closed for three hours due to weather. The pilot, realizing he had little gas left, had a choice of bailing out or attempting a water landing. He chose the latter course and made such an excellent landing in eight feet of water a the mouth of the Saramacca River that no injuried were suffered by any of the crew.
Sadly another PV-1 of the unit crashed in the morning of the 10th during the search, killing all six crew.
Sources:
VB-131 War Diary, November 1943 (https://www.fold3.com/image/274216834)
https://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/USN/LLNov43.htm
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 18-Nov-2021 20:19 | Laurent Rizzotti | Updated [Date, Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Country, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
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