Alotau – Dobodura

On September 11, 1945 at 10:15 AM, Alotau – Dobodura experienced a crash involving Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3), operated by Royal Australian Air Force - RAAF, with the event recorded near Alotau Milne Bay.

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

19 people were known to be on board, 19 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 3, crew fatalities: 3, passengers on board: 16, passenger fatalities: 16, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is weather. One minute after takeoff from Alotau Airport, while climbing, the captain informed ground he was encountering bad weather conditions and elected to return. Shortly later, the aircraft went out of control and apparently crashed into the sea off Alotau. Some debris were found a day later but no trace of the 19 occupants. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were unfavorable with turbulence and rain due to the presence of a tropical storm. Crew (33rd Squadron): F/Lt Eric Clarence Beer, pilot, F/Lt John Francis Mulcahy, F/Sgt Francis Xavier Sullivan. Passengers: Sgt Keith Hugh Devenish, AC1 Albert John Haslam, Cpl Neil Stuart Mackay, LAC William Douglas Goldie Stevens, Cpl Michael Francis Moran, Sgt Wesley Greg Doran, F/O William Patrick Reedman, F/Sgt James Neville Davis, F/Sgt Kevin Francis Rutherford, F/Lt William John Gordon, Cpl Eastall Lochlan Eastall, LAC Albert Grant Walton, LAC Percy Badon Healy, Cook Gordon Liddell, Lt Noel Thomas Williams, Spr Keith Smith.

Aircraft reference details include registration A65-56, MSN 13920/25365, year of manufacture 1944.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately -10.3061°, 150.4464°.