PBY-5A found in Canada

[Nick Beale]

In the East St. Lawrence River according to the BBC (in a rare report of a non-Olympic item!).

[John Beaman]

Thanks Nick.

I must admit I was not aware that the US Army operated Catalinas! Must be an obscure OSS unit..............

Speaking of the Olympics, congrats to London, et al, for a spendid venue(s) in such historical places. I love Missy May and Kerry playing beach volleyball on the parade grounds! Must have set a few teeth on edge!

[Bill Walker]

The US Army designation was OA-10, and the aircraft were used for rescue wherever USAAF aircraft operated over open water - like the North Atlantic.

Does anyone know a serial number yet?

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by John Beaman

Speaking of the Olympics, congrats to London, et al, for a spendid venue(s) in such historical places.

Sorry but in my view it's an appalling waste of £9.5 – 12 billion (estimates vary) in a country whose economy has been shrinking for three quarters straight. The original bid was £2.5 billion yet we're told it's been done within budget. Still, it seems there's plenty of empty seats if you want to attend at short notice!

[John Beaman]

Bill, thanks for that info. Apparently over 200 were assigned to various USAAF units. I must admit to never knowing that!

Nick: I agree those billions could have better been spent somewhere else, but when they made their bid and were awarded in the early 2000s, who knew the world economy would tank in 2007?

[Col Bruggy]

Hello,

OA-10 43-3266 ex-PBY-5A BuNo 08084 (c/n.903).

Check Joe Baugher.

Col.

[Bill Walker]

Thanks Col.

[Larry deZeng]

Originally Posted by Nick Beale

Sorry but in my view it's an appalling waste of £9.5 – 12 billion (estimates vary) in a country whose economy has been shrinking for three quarters straight. The original bid was £2.5 billion yet we're told it's been done within budget. Still, it seems there's plenty of empty seats if you want to attend at short notice!

Those seats are empty because tens of thousands of Brits are pouring into Orlando IA and Orlando-Sanford IA aboard sched. and chartered Airbuses to go to Disney. As one chap said to me Friday night after deplaning from a Thomas Cook flight out of Gatwick, "Thank God! We escaped! We made it!" I gather many of them did not want to attend or be any where near the Olympics. Anyway, Disney is choked to capacity right now and the Brits are in the majority.

[FrankieS]

http://www.warbirdcrash.com/ says:

11-2-42. LAKE ERIE, ONTARIO, CANADA. At 1650, a Consolidated OA-10 (43-3266) attempting a take-off crashed into Lake Erie at Long Point, Mingan, Ontario, Canada, killing five crewmembers. Two crewmembers were injured and two crewmembers escaped injury. The airplane took off from Presque Isle, Maine, on a personnel transport mission to Long Point, Ontario, and return. Investigators stated, "Upon completion of the mission, the plane taxied out from the shore and after warming up the engines started on a normal take-off. During this first attempted take-off, the plane was seen to break clear but each time did not have sufficient speed to fly and settled back on the waves that were running from four to six feet. It is assumed from witnesses accounts that the first attempted take-off resulted in the nose wheel door being sprung as well as the glass that leads from this nose wheel well to the compartment. On the second attempt to take-off, the plane was unable to clear the water and it is believed from witnesses accounts that the entire nose wheel section and part of the hull were caved in by the impact with the waves. When this fact was noticed by the crew, the throttles were cut, which resulted in the plane sinking quite rapidly until the wing and tail remained out of the water."
Killed in the crash were:
Lt.Col. Harry J. Zimmerman, pilot;
Sgt. Charles O. Richardson, engineer;
Pvt. Erwin G. Austin, asst. engineer;
Pvt. Peter P. Couzine, asst. radio operator;
Capt. Carney Lee Dowlen, passenger.
Passengers Capt. J.B. Holmberg and radio operator Pvt. James E. Click received minor injuries.
Co-pilot SSgt. Bernard R. Peterson and gunner Cpl. Robert L. Ashley escaped injury.

[Bill Walker]

I think we discussed this before on this Forum, but for those who missed it:

There is a Long Point in Ontario and in Quebec, but Mingan is in Quebec, on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River, and that is the correct location for the crash.

Just to add to the confusion, there are at least 2 Long Points in Quebec, the other one being near James Bay (way up north). Canadians sometimes show a great lack of imagination in naming places.