Background
On a Sunday night, a seaplane and its crew responded to a request for assistance from a fishing vessel that was reportedly taking on water 20 miles off the coast. The same aircraft and crew had just returned from another search mission lasting over six hours.
The Accident
While attempting to deliver a dewatering pump to the sinking vessel, the seaplane struck the water, resulting in the loss of the entire crew. No trace of the aircraft or the six crew members was ever found.
Crew
The crew consisted of:
- Lt Clifford E. Hanna
- Lt Jg Charles F. Shaw
- AD1 Ralph H. Studstill
- AT1 Eckley M. Powlus Jr.
- AT2 James B. Thompson
- AE3 Arthur L. Wilson Jr.
Investigation
The official investigation found that, under the circumstances, the most plausible explanation for the crash was that the pilot inadvertently flew the aircraft into the water. However, insufficient evidence was available to support a conclusion as to the factors causing the accident. Consequently, the mishap was placed in the undetermined cause category.