What happened
On a scheduled flight traveling from Honolulu toward Los Angeles, a DC-4 departed at 22:47 PST. During the transit, the pilot transmitted a distress message at 05:54 PST, indicating that a significant fire had developed in the number two engine. The crew further noted that an emergency ditching of the aircraft might be required due to the severity of the blaze. Following this final communication, all contact with the flight was lost.
Search and rescue operations were launched immediately; however, after five days of intensive searching, the mission was called off as no wreckage or survivors were located. The aircraft was operating on a round-trip service between Los Angeles and the Philippines.
Findings
Investigations into the period leading up to the disappearance revealed that the flight had experienced minor maintenance delays, totaling approximately 15 to 17 minutes, during its recent operations. A specific mechanical issue was identified involving a persistent oil leak within the propeller governor assembly of the number two engine. An unidentified fire in the second engine is believed to have led to the loss of the aircraft.