Nausori - Whenuapai

On August 20, 1944 at 12:00 PM, Nausori - Whenuapai experienced a crash involving Lockheed L-414 Hudson, operated by Royal New Zealand Air Force - RNZAF, with the event recorded near Pacific Ocean All World.

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

7 people were known to be on board, 7 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 7, crew fatalities: 7, passengers on board: 0, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The twin engine aircraft left Nausori Airport at 0600LT with five other similar aircraft bound for Whenuapai, in New Zealand. En route, the weather conditions worsened and while in a thick cloud layer, the aircraft went out of control and crashed into the sea. SAR operations were conducted for almost a week but no trace of the aircraft nor the seven crew members was ever found. Crew (4th Squadron): F/O Norman Beard, W/O Arthur Dunstan, Sgt Thomas Carey, Sgt Robert Gillespie, P/O Ivan Johnson, F/Sgt Thomas Ward, F/O John Waugh.

Aircraft reference details include registration NZ2066.