Woleai Atoll - Yap Island

En route from Woleai Atoll to Yap Island, the pilot encountered marginal weather conditions and became lost. In adverse winds aloft (winds gusting up to 30 knots), both engines failed due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot attempted an emergency landing about 80 km east of Yap Island. All seven occupants were quickly rescued while the aircraft sank and was lost.

Flight / Schedule

Woleai Atoll - Yap Island

Aircraft

Beechcraft D18

Registration

N1824D

MSN

A-0812

Year of Manufacture

1952

Date

July 18, 1980 at 05:30 PM

Type

CRASH

Flight Type

Executive/Corporate/Business

Flight Phase

Flight

Crash Site

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Crash Location

Colonia Yap Island

Region

Oceania • Federated States of Micronesia

Crash Cause

Technical failure

Narrative Report

On July 18, 1980 at 05:30 PM, Woleai Atoll - Yap Island experienced a crash involving Beechcraft D18, operated by Pacific Missionary Aviation, with the event recorded near Colonia Yap Island.

The flight was categorized as executive/corporate/business and the reported phase was flight at a lake, sea, ocean, river crash site.

7 people were known to be on board, 0 fatalities were recorded, 7 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 0.0%.

Crew on board: 1, crew fatalities: 0, passengers on board: 6, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is technical failure. En route from Woleai Atoll to Yap Island, the pilot encountered marginal weather conditions and became lost. In adverse winds aloft (winds gusting up to 30 knots), both engines failed due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot attempted an emergency landing about 80 km east of Yap Island. All seven occupants were quickly rescued while the aircraft sank and was lost.

Aircraft reference details include registration N1824D, MSN A-0812, year of manufacture 1952.

Fatalities

Total

0

Crew

0

Passengers

0

Other

0

Crash Summary

En route from Woleai Atoll to Yap Island, the pilot encountered marginal weather conditions and became lost. In adverse winds aloft (winds gusting up to 30 knots), both engines failed due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot attempted an emergency landing about 80 km east of Yap Island. All seven occupants were quickly rescued while the aircraft sank and was lost.

Cause: Technical failure

Occupants & Outcome

Crew On Board

1

Passengers On Board

6

Estimated Survivors

7

Fatality Rate

0.0%

Known people on board: 7

Operational Details

Schedule / Flight

Woleai Atoll - Yap Island

Flight Type

Executive/Corporate/Business

Flight Phase

Flight

Crash Site

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Region / Country

Oceania • Federated States of Micronesia

Aircraft Details

Aircraft

Beechcraft D18

Registration

N1824D

MSN

A-0812

Year of Manufacture

1952

Similar Plane Crashes

January 16, 1947 at 12:00 AM2 Fatalities

Rijksluchtvaartschool - RLS

Beechcraft D18

The crew was performing a training flight from Leeuwarden with a program at Twenthe AFB consisting of touch and goes. While approaching with one engine voluntarily inoperative, the instructor requested the crew to make a go around when the aircraft stalled, crashed in a field and came to rest upside down in flames. Two crew were killed while the third occupant was seriously injured.

March 24, 1947 at 12:00 AM2 Fatalities

Misrair

Beechcraft D18

While approaching Santa Maria Airport, the twin engine aircraft hit the slope of a mountain and crashed. Both occupants were killed. The crew was performing a delivery flight from Wichita to Cairo with intermediate stops in Montreal, Gander and Santa Maria.

November 13, 1947 at 12:00 AM

Rijksluchtvaartschool - RLS

Beechcraft D18

While performing a training flight in the area of Soesterberg AFB, the aircraft suffered a double engine failure. The crew attempted to make an emergency landing when the aircraft crashed in a field and was destroyed. All three crew members were slightly injured.

September 28, 1948 at 12:00 AM

Brazilian Air Force - Força Aérea Brasileira

Beechcraft D18

Crashed in unknown circumstances in Torres while performing a flight for the Correio Aéreo Nacional. The aircraft was destroyed and both crew members were seriously injured. Crew: Cpt Lira, Cpt Lamarão.

November 12, 1948 at 12:00 AM

United States Air Force - USAF

Boeing B-29 Superfortress

While conducting a reconnaissance mission for a missing B-29 & its crew from the 23rd Reconnaissance Squadron since November 7, 1948, the aircraft suffered multiple failures of its navigation & radio systems and eventually run out of fuel. The captain ditched the aircraft in shallow water off Fais Island, about 250 km northeast of Yap Island. The aircraft sank and was lost while all ten crew members were later rescued by the crew of a Navy Catalina.

March 31, 1949 at 10:30 AM5 Fatalities

Dow Chemical Company

Beechcraft D18

The twin engine aircraft departed Midland Airport, Michigan, at 0910LT bound for Boston, carrying four passengers and two pilots. A little more than an hour into the flight, after passing over London, Ontario, the crew encountered difficulties and contacted London Airport and declared an emergency situation. The crew decided to divert to London Airport and reduced his altitude. While flying in poor weather conditions, the airplane passed just over a house (12 feet high) then crashed in flames in an open field. A passenger was able to evacuate the cabin and was slightly injured while five other occupants were killed. The aircraft was destroyed. The main passenger, Willard Dow, President of the Dow Chemical Company, was enroute to Boston to take part to a conference given by Winston Churchill. It appears that the regular crew refused to perform the flight due to extreme poor weather conditions (stormy weather approaching from the east). Thus, Mr. Dow asked a second crew to complete the flight. Crew: A. J. Bowie, pilot, † Fred Clements, copilot. † Passengers: Willard Dow, † Martha Dow, † Calvin Campbell, Mrs. Campbell. †