No fatalities

1952-10-28: Consolidated PBY Catalina (P-213) — Royal Netherlands Navy - Marineluchtvaartdienst (MLD) — Biak, Indonesia

Biak, IndonesiaFlight

On October 28, 1952, a Consolidated PBY Catalina (registration P-213) operated by Royal Netherlands Navy - Marineluchtvaartdienst (MLD) was involved in an aviation accident near Biak, Indonesia in flight. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The loss of power in the left engine necessitated an emergency water landing. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 1781254081Data APIEditorial standards

A seaplane was forced to perform an emergency water landing after experiencing a loss of power in its left engine, resulting in the aircraft sinking.

What happened

During the flight, the aircraft experienced a mechanical malfunction involving the left engine, which ceased functioning properly. Due to this loss of power, the crew was forced to execute an emergency ditching procedure to bring the plane down on the water.

Upon contacting the surface, the seaplane struck an underwater reef. The impact caused the vessel to take on water and sink at a high rate of speed. Despite the rapid submersion of the aircraft, all members of the crew managed to exit the plane and evacuate the scene without sustaining any injuries. While there were zero fatalities, the aircraft was completely destroyed during the incident.

Findings

Investigations into the accident determined that the primary factor leading to the emergency landing was the failure of the left engine while the aircraft was in flight.

Probable cause

The loss of power in the left engine necessitated an emergency water landing.