Los Angeles - Hilo - Papeete

On January 15, 1994 at 12:00 AM, Los Angeles - Hilo - Papeete experienced a crash involving Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina, operated by The Catalina Company, with the event recorded near Pacific Ocean All World.

The flight was categorized as private and the reported phase was flight at a lake, sea, ocean, river crash site.

8 people were known to be on board, 0 fatalities were recorded, 8 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: 7, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is technical failure. The aircraft was transferred from Los Angeles to New Zealand via Hilo and Papeete, Tahiti. En route, while cruising at the altitude of 1,500 metres, the crew encountered technical problems with the left engine and decided to divert to Christmas Island. The left engine eventually failed and as the crew as unable to maintain a safe altitude because the aircraft was heavy (load of fuel to cross the Pacific), he decided to ditch the aircraft about 150 km north of Christmas Island. The aircraft sank four hours later and was lost. All eight occupants were rescued by the crew of a merchant ship eight hours later.

Aircraft reference details include registration N5404J, MSN 22022, year of manufacture 1943.