No fatalities

1953-12-31: Consolidated PBY Catalina (64089) — United States Navy - USN — Pacific Ocean, World

Pacific Ocean, WorldFlight

On December 31, 1953, a Consolidated PBY Catalina (registration 64089) operated by United States Navy - USN was involved in an aviation accident near Pacific Ocean, World in flight. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft ran out of fuel during its patrol flight. 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 1781252583Data APIEditorial standards

A maritime patrol aircraft was forced to ditch in the Pacific Ocean near Midway Island during a 1953 mission after running out of fuel.

What happened

In an incident occurring sometime in 1953, a maritime patrol aircraft was conducting operations over the Pacific Ocean when it experienced a critical loss of fuel. While flying approximately 160 km from Midway Island, the crew was compelled to perform an emergency ditching of the aircraft.

Following the impact with the water, the aircraft sank and was subsequently lost. However, all occupants on board were successfully recovered by personnel from a US Navy vessel operating in the area. No fatalities or injuries were reported among the crew members during the rescue operation.

Findings

Investigations into the loss of the aircraft concluded that the primary reason for the emergency was fuel exhaustion.

Probable cause

The aircraft ran out of fuel during its patrol flight.