What happened
On July 16, a seaplane departed from Honiara-Henderson Field at 1900 local time to conduct a twelve-hour anti-submarine patrol. During the night phase of the mission, while cruising along Vella LaVella Island, the aircraft's left engine ignited. In response to the emergency, the pilot reduced altitude and executed a ditching maneuver in shallow water just offshore.
All 13 occupants evacuated the aircraft and reached the shore safely. The seaplane subsequently sank after being abandoned by the crew. The flight was operated by VP-54.
Findings
The official investigation identified that the left engine caught fire while the aircraft was in flight, which necessitated the emergency ditching.