Looking for Missing PBY in Adak, Alaska.... - Aircraft of World War II

lesofprimus · 03-21-2006, 10:16 PM

One of my best friends found out his Uncle went missing in a PBY up and around Adak, Alaska, during the War... Info is kinda limited, and I have already exhausted all my leads....

Heres what I got....

His name is Drummond, an Officer in the US Navy... Not sure if he was a pilot.... PBY went missing Adak, never found... Not sure of the year or season... Possible (probability 40%) Winter 1944.... Supposedly there were 2 PBY's that went missing.... Not sure if same incident/year/squadron.....

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.... Im hoping RLeonard has something on this...

FLYBOYJ · 03-21-2006, 10:21 PM

You know what squadron he was in? VP Navy might help...

http://www.vpnavy.com/

lesofprimus · 03-21-2006, 10:40 PM

Looked there, dont know his squadron number either...

evangilder · 03-21-2006, 11:32 PM

Do you know for sure he was Navy? The Army and the Coast Guard also flew PBYs. Here is one that closely matches what you are looking at:

Date of incident: 27 November 1943
Crash related deaths:
ENS Charles E. Johnson

Air Station the aircraft and/or crew were assigned to:
Commanding Officer of Unit 64, LORAN Monitoring Station, Adak, Alaska

Aircraft type and tail number:
Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina 08118 (U.S. Navy)

Location of the incident: Dutch Harbor, Alaska

Description of the incident: Ensign Johnson was on Flight Orders while engaged in running baselines for the then Top Secret LORAN navigation system. The PBY-5A being used for those tests was attempting to land at Dutch Harbor during poor weather conditions when the fatal crash occurred. After readying the aircraft for a water landing, the pilot proceeded to make a normal approach, but was unaware of the height of the ground swells on the bay. Immediately after contacting the water, the aircraft nosed into a ground swell and broke apart at the pilot's compartment. The wing broke off and the plane filled with water and sank. Two others died in the crash

lesofprimus · 03-22-2006, 01:21 AM

Im pretty sure he was Navy... Ill have to check my facts with him and try to get alittle more specific... From what I can gather, his info is sketchy... His Uncles last name and duty station are all I know for fact...

evangilder · 03-22-2006, 10:09 AM

What caught my eye with that one is that it was a Coast Guard guy listed with 2 other un-named guys, but the plane was registered to the US Navy. That's all I can find so far.

NAVY IDC · 01-07-2009, 12:35 AM

I was just looking at a website called pacificwrecks.com and there was a guy that was talking about discovering the nose piece of a Catalina at about the 1300-1500 ft level on the back side of MT. Moffett, the island's most prominent mountain. He wrote that all that he could find was the nose piece and that he figured that the plane had crashed high up on the mountain and the nose had rolled down to it's present position. I encourage you to look up the guy from that site and research what he'd found.

lesofprimus · 01-07-2009, 07:26 AM

Thanks.

03-21-2006, 10:16 PM	#1
lesofprimus Minister of Whoopass Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Long Island Native in Mississippi Posts: 17,506	Looking for Missing PBY in Adak, Alaska.... One of my best friends found out his Uncle went missing in a PBY up and around Adak, Alaska, during the War... Info is kinda limited, and I have already exhausted all my leads.... Heres what I got.... His name is Drummond, an Officer in the US Navy... Not sure if he was a pilot.... PBY went missing Adak, never found... Not sure of the year or season... Possible (probability 40%) Winter 1944.... Supposedly there were 2 PBY's that went missing.... Not sure if same incident/year/squadron..... Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.... Im hoping RLeonard has something on this... __________________ My IL2 Video Tribute to My Grandfather: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtzN5RuNNJk

03-21-2006, 10:21 PM	#2
FLYBOYJ IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 16,051	You know what squadron he was in? VP Navy might help... http://www.vpnavy.com/ __________________ "IF ITS RED OR DUSTY, DON'T TOUCH IT"

03-21-2006, 10:40 PM	#3
lesofprimus Minister of Whoopass Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Long Island Native in Mississippi Posts: 17,506	Looked there, dont know his squadron number either... __________________ My IL2 Video Tribute to My Grandfather: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtzN5RuNNJk

03-21-2006, 11:32 PM	#4
evangilder "Shooter" Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moorpark, CA Posts: 14,809	Do you know for sure he was Navy? The Army and the Coast Guard also flew PBYs. Here is one that closely matches what you are looking at: Date of incident: 27 November 1943 Crash related deaths: ENS Charles E. Johnson Air Station the aircraft and/or crew were assigned to: Commanding Officer of Unit 64, LORAN Monitoring Station, Adak, Alaska Aircraft type and tail number: Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina 08118 (U.S. Navy) Location of the incident: Dutch Harbor, Alaska Description of the incident: Ensign Johnson was on Flight Orders while engaged in running baselines for the then Top Secret LORAN navigation system. The PBY-5A being used for those tests was attempting to land at Dutch Harbor during poor weather conditions when the fatal crash occurred. After readying the aircraft for a water landing, the pilot proceeded to make a normal approach, but was unaware of the height of the ground swells on the bay. Immediately after contacting the water, the aircraft nosed into a ground swell and broke apart at the pilot's compartment. The wing broke off and the plane filled with water and sank. Two others died in the crash __________________ http://www.vg-photo.com For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return. Leonardo Da Vinci

03-22-2006, 01:21 AM	#5
lesofprimus Minister of Whoopass Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Long Island Native in Mississippi Posts: 17,506	Im pretty sure he was Navy... Ill have to check my facts with him and try to get alittle more specific... From what I can gather, his info is sketchy... His Uncles last name and duty station are all I know for fact... __________________ My IL2 Video Tribute to My Grandfather: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtzN5RuNNJk

03-22-2006, 10:09 AM	#6
evangilder "Shooter" Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moorpark, CA Posts: 14,809	What caught my eye with that one is that it was a Coast Guard guy listed with 2 other un-named guys, but the plane was registered to the US Navy. That's all I can find so far. __________________ http://www.vg-photo.com For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return. Leonardo Da Vinci

01-07-2009, 12:35 AM	#7
NAVY IDC Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 1	ADAK PBY I was just looking at a website called pacificwrecks.com and there was a guy that was talking about discovering the nose piece of a Catalina at about the 1300-1500 ft level on the back side of MT. Moffett, the island's most prominent mountain. He wrote that all that he could find was the nose piece and that he figured that the plane had crashed high up on the mountain and the nose had rolled down to it's present position. I encourage you to look up the guy from that site and research what he'd found.

01-07-2009, 07:26 AM	#8
lesofprimus Minister of Whoopass Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Long Island Native in Mississippi Posts: 17,506	Thanks. __________________ My IL2 Video Tribute to My Grandfather: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtzN5RuNNJk

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