Jakarta – Cilacap – Broome – Darwin – Sydney

On February 28, 1942 at 12:00 AM, Jakarta – Cilacap – Broome – Darwin – Sydney experienced a crash involving Short S.23 Empire Flying Boat, operated by British Overseas Airways Corporation - BOAC, with the event recorded near Indian Ocean All World.

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

22 people were known to be on board, 22 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 4, crew fatalities: 4, passengers on board: 18, passenger fatalities: 18, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is terrorism act, hijacking, sabotage. The aircraft was performing a flight from Indonesia (Jakarta and Cilacap) to Sydney on behalf of Qantas Airways, carrying 18 'refugees', women and children, escaping the war. En route, while cruising some 400 km south of Cilacap, the seaplane christened 'Circe' was shot down by the pilot of a Japanese bomber that was performing a maritime patrol flight from Denpasar. Out of control, the Empire Flying Boat crashed into the sea and was lost. All 22 occupants were killed.

Aircraft reference details include registration G-AETZ, MSN S.842, year of manufacture 1937.