What happened
The incident occurred during an anti-submarine patrol training exercise at Pensacola NAS. The aircraft involved was a PBY-5 with registration 04447, operated by VP-34. During the flight, which took place in rainy storm conditions, the pilot attempted to execute a power stall water landing. As the aircraft made contact with the water surface, it struck swells that caused it to bounce.
On the third bounce, the nose of the aircraft buried into the water, causing the plane to nose over. This impact resulted in the cockpit section separating from the rest of the fuselage and sinking. The copilot was trapped in the submerged cockpit and did not survive the accident. The pilot and the other seven crew members were injured but survived the crash.
Findings
The primary contributing factor was the decision to attempt a power stall water landing during adverse weather conditions with significant wave action. The interaction between the aircraft's low speed, the storm swells, and the subsequent nose-over sequence led to the structural failure of the cockpit section.