No fatalities

Seaplane crash near George Town Airfield (VP-JAW)

George Town, Cayman IslandsTakeoff (climb)

On January 2, 1952, a Consolidated PBY Catalina (registration VP-JAW) operated by Caribbean International Airways was involved in an aviation accident near George Town, Cayman Islands during takeoff. No fatalities were reported. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 2 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-06-12Data APIEditorial standards

A seaplane crashed into the ocean shortly after departing from George Town Airfield during its initial climb.

What happened

During the early stages of flight, a seaplane experienced a loss of control while ascending from George Town Airfield. The aircraft departed from the runway and entered a period of uncontrolled flight before impacting the surface of the sea. The crash occurred at a distance of only a few dozen yards from the shoreline.

Following the impact, all individuals on board were successfully recovered from the wreckage. While there were no fatalities or injuries reported among the occupants, the aircraft sustained significant damage. Due to being partially submerged following the accident, the airframe was determined to be beyond repair.

Findings

No specific technical reasons for the loss of control were provided in the initial report regarding the sequence of events leading to the impact.