Recall the Crashes of the Catalinas off the Fiji Islands in 1943?
There are two records of the crashes of the Consolidated PBY Catalina over the Pacific Ocean in 1943.
Both of these aircrafts were flown from Suva, their debris was found later along the beach at Laucala Bay.
The Consolidated PBY Catalina was a flying boat and amphibious aircraft that was produced from 1930-1940.
It was one of the most widely used seaplanes of World War II. Flying boats had the advantage of not requiring runways, in effect having the entire ocean available.
The University of the South Pacific Laucala campus land was previously occupied by the No.5 Squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
The Squadron was sent to Laucala Bay, Suva in September 1942.
They initially flew Singapore Flying Boats, and then later CatalinasConsolidated Catalina PBY-5 and PBY-5A.
The Squadron performed antisubmarine patrols and kept watch on the suspected enemy ship and aircraft movements during World War II.
June 4, 1943
The first ill-fated aircraft left Suva in the night on a military flight to Auckland.
The Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina (NZ4006) had 7 crew members and 8 passengers on board.
While cruising over the Pacific Ocean on a routine mission, the seaplane crashed under unknown circumstances.
Some debris was found a few days later on beaches near Laucala Bay but no trace of the 15 occupants.
September 23, 1943
The second seaplane, a Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina with the registration NZ4002 crashed into Laucala Bay at night during a night training exercise.
Shortly after takeoff from Laucala Bay in Suva, the seaplane after reaching a height of 200 feet plunged into the bay a few hundred yards offshore.
All four occupants on the seaplane were killed.
Probable Cause: The elevator trim tabs were wrongly set by the crew, causing the aircraft to crash.