N544B
Flight / Schedule
N544B
Aircraft
Lockheed PV-1 VenturaRegistration
N544B
MSN
5267
Year of Manufacture
1943
Operator
Triple D Transport CompanyDate
April 27, 1979 at 01:16 AM
Type
CRASHFlight Type
Private
Flight Phase
Flight
Crash Site
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Crash Location
Guantánamo Bay NAS Guantánamo
Region
Central America • Cuba
Coordinates
19.9082°, -75.2057°
Crash Cause
Technical failure
Narrative Report
On April 27, 1979 at 01:16 AM, N544B experienced a crash involving Lockheed PV-1 Ventura, operated by Triple D Transport Company, with the event recorded near Guantánamo Bay NAS Guantánamo.
The flight was categorized as private and the reported phase was flight at a lake, sea, ocean, river crash site.
2 people were known to be on board, 2 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.
Crew on board: 2, crew fatalities: 2, passengers on board: 0, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.
The listed crash cause is technical failure. The twin engine airplane departed Fort Lauderdale in the evening on a flight to the Dominican Republic. En route, while cruising by night, the crew informed ATC about the failure of all instruments. He apparently attempted to ditch the aircraft when it crashed into the sea about 20 nautical miles off Guantanamo Bay. Few debris were found floating on water and both occupants were killed.
Aircraft reference details include registration N544B, MSN 5267, year of manufacture 1943.
Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 19.9082°, -75.2057°.
Fatalities
Total
2
Crew
2
Passengers
0
Other
0
Crash Summary
The twin engine airplane departed Fort Lauderdale in the evening on a flight to the Dominican Republic. En route, while cruising by night, the crew informed ATC about the failure of all instruments. He apparently attempted to ditch the aircraft when it crashed into the sea about 20 nautical miles off Guantanamo Bay. Few debris were found floating on water and both occupants were killed.
Cause: Technical failure
Occupants & Outcome
Crew On Board
2
Passengers On Board
0
Estimated Survivors
0
Fatality Rate
100.0%
Known people on board: 2
Operational Details
Operator
Triple D Transport CompanyFlight Type
Private
Flight Phase
Flight
Crash Site
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Region / Country
Central America • Cuba
Aircraft Details
Similar Plane Crashes
Aeromarine Airways
Aeromarine 75
En route from Key West to Havana, the crew encountered engine problems and elected to make an emergency landing in the sea, some 32 km north of Havana. Waves were about 10 to 15 feet high and the aircraft named 'Columbus' was filled by water. Four passengers were drowned while all five other occupants were rescued by the crew of the ferry ship HM Flagler. Crew: C. W. Miller, pilot, H. Thompson, mechanic. Passengers: Edwin F. Atkins, Edwin F. Atkins Jr. David Atkins, Grace MacDonald.
Pan American World Airways - PAA
Fokker F10
Shortly after takeoff from a muddy field, while climbing, the aircraft hit a telephone line and crashed in a field. A passenger and a crew member were killed while three other occupants were injured. The aircraft named 'Christopher Columbus' was destroyed.
Cubana de Aviación
Ford 4
On approach to Santiago de Cuba, the pilots encountered poor weather conditions and low visibility. In rain falls, the three engine aircraft impacted the slope of a mountain located near Palma Soriano, north of Santiago. Both pilots and two passengers were killed. First accident involving Cubana, the national carrier of Cuba, since its creation in 1929. Crew: Torres Navarro, pilot, Emeterio Vorilla, copilot.
Royal Air Force - RAF
Lockheed PV-1 Ventura
The aircraft was ferried overseas when it crashed in a pond located near Benton, about 15 km southeast of Gander Airport. All seven crew members were rescued while the aircraft was destroyed. Source & photo : http://www.planecrashgirl.ca/2016/05/04/ventruaaj471/
Royal Air Force - RAF
Lockheed PV-1 Ventura
En route to Yarmouth with a load of hydraulic oil, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with light rain, visibility up to 5 miles and clouds down to 500 feet. In unknown circumstances, the twin engine aircraft crashed in a wooded area located 6 km northeast of Caledonia. The aircraft was destroyed and all three crew members were killed. Crew (34th OTU): P/O Harold Otto Male, pilot, AC1 Thomas Frederick Sargeant, flight engineer, P/O Stanley Evans Sutherland, wireless operator and air gunner. Source: http://wartimeheritage.com/storyarchive2/crash20nov42.htm
Royal Air Force - RAF
Lockheed PV-1 Ventura
The crew left RAF Feltwell to bomb a Philips factory located in Eindhoven. On target, the twin engine aircraft was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into a block of houses, killing all four crew members. Crew (464th Squadron): F/O Maurice G. Moor, pilot, F/O Nathan Cohen, navigator, P/O Sidney A. Venneear, wireless operator, Sgt Mervyn Lionel Vivian Hass, air gunner.