1959-04-09: Martin P5M-2 Marlin (135535) — United States Navy - USN — Jeju, South Korea

10 fatalitiesJeju, South KoreaFlight

A maritime patrol flight ended in tragedy when a seaplane collided with a mountain slope over Jeju Island, resulting in no survivors.

What happened

During a scheduled mission to conduct maritime surveillance across the China Sea, an unidentified seaplane encountered fatal terrain during its cruise phase. While navigating the airspace near Jeju Island, the aircraft struck the side of Mt Hallasan.

The impact with the mountain slope resulted in the total destruction of the airframe. There were no survivors among the personnel on board; the crash resulted in ten fatalities involving the entire crew.

Findings

  • The aircraft was operating in a cruise phase at the time of the accident.
  • The collision occurred specifically with the slope of Mt Hallasan during a patrol mission.

Probable cause

The aircraft struck the terrain of Mt Hallasan while performing maritime patrol operations.