Calshot - Karachi

On February 13, 1946 at 04:48 AM, Calshot - Karachi experienced a crash involving Short S.25 Sunderland, operated by Royal Air Force - RAF, with the event recorded near Lee-on-the-Solent Hampshire.

The flight was categorized as military and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a lake, sea, ocean, river crash site.

10 people were known to be on board, 10 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 10, crew fatalities: 10, passengers on board: 0, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. In the early hours of February 13th, 1946, VB885, an almost new Sunderland took off from RAF Calshot on a ferry flight to Karachi. Immediately after takeoff, an engine failed and the pilot decided to return to Calshot. The first attempt at landing was aborted and the aircraft went round for another approach. However, in the dark and with apparently poor visibility, the pilot apparently misjudged his rate of descent and at 0448LT, after a flight lasting 22 minutes, the aircraft crashed into the sea 100 yards off Lee-on-The-Solent. All ten crew were killed. Crew (302nd FTU): P/O K. Dollin, pilot, F/O R. B. Couchman, copilot, F/Sgt Hamish Ian Sandison, F/Sgt R. M. Anderson, Sgt H. Barker, Sgt G. Granger, Sgt M. O'Donoghue, Sgt H. O'Keefe, F/Sgt L. E. Snook, F/Sgt R. C. Stevens. Source: http://www.hampshireairfields.co.uk/airfields/vb885.html

Aircraft reference details include registration VB885.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 50.8029°, -1.2013°.