NZ4634

On December 20, 1944 at 12:00 AM, NZ4634 experienced a crash involving Lockheed PV-1 Ventura, operated by Royal New Zealand Air Force - RNZAF, with the event recorded near Bougainville Island Autonomous Region of Bougainville.

The flight was categorized as supply and the reported phase was flight at a mountains crash site.

5 people were known to be on board, 4 fatalities were recorded, 1 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 80.0%.

Crew on board: 5, crew fatalities: 4, passengers on board: 0, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The crew was involved in a supply mission. After some of the load was dropped, while flying in a valley, the pilot increased power on both engines to leave the valley but the aircraft hit the ridge of a mountain and crashed. Four crew members were killed while the fifth occupant was seriously injured. Crew (1st Squadron): F/Sgt N. Gardiner, F/Lt Dennis Hobbs, † F/Lt Robert Scarlett, † W/O Stanley Nuttall, † F/Sgt Fred Murphy. †

Aircraft reference details include registration NZ4634, MSN 6396.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately -6.1441°, 155.2059°.