The Sausalito PBY-5A

# 48416
May 4, 1945
Submitted by: Terence Geary
Printed with permission
Web page Copyright 2006
by: Don R. Jordan

PBY
Photo courtesy of the U.S. Air Force Museum

This aircraft departed from NAS Alameda, on the east side of San Francisco Bay, at 12:41p.m. on May 4, 1945. It carried  an operational load which  included 1050 gallons of gasoline and 4 Mk-54 Depth Charges. At the controls was Lt. Robert Moment, with  Lt. Cmdr. Norman W. White in the copilot’s seat.  Lt. Moment did not file an Instrument Flight Plan, because he thought he could remain clear of the clouds that blanketed the area to the north west. He received a CFR (Contact Flight Rules) flight plan from Oakland Air Traffic Control and was enroute to the Pacific coast, which was only eleven miles to the west.

 His mission was to patrol the coastline north of San Francisco. After reaching a point five miles northwest of the field, and in the general vicinity of Alcatraz Island, the aircraft encountered lowering ceiling.    The lower ceiling  made it impossible for the aircraft to remain on its course, and still stay clear of the clouds.   Instead of turning back, Lt. Moment decided to circle below the overcast while calling  Alameda Tower for instructions.  Once he established contact with Alameda, he requested an instrument clearance to  climb up through the clouds.  After receiving the clearance, the aircraft started an enroute climb and resumed the intended heading for the coast. 

Approximately five minutes after turning to  the new heading, the aircraft collided with terrain at a point eight‑hundred‑fifty feet above sea level, and about three and one‑half miles northwest of Alcatraz Island.  The estimated course at the time of impact was one‑hundred‑seventy degrees. The nine crew members killed in the crash were:

 Lt.(jg) Robert Moment, USNR,
 Lt. Cmdr. Norman Woodrow White, USN,
 Lt.(jg) John Leonard Hart, A‑1 USNR
 Ens. Carlton C. Truii Jr., A‑V(N) USNR
 Rm1c.Frank P. Zappacosta, USNR
 Rm2c.William T. Ford, USNR
 Rm3c.Johnnie S. Owens, USNR
 Amm1c.Frank H. Spofford, USNR
 Amf3c.Lee F. Ibeili.  USN

    Amm1c.Harold R. Dole, USNR, and  Aom3c.Henri C. Tondreault, USNR survived the accident.  Both were seriously injured, but would eventually recover from their injuries. Both men stated that the aircraft encountered severe turbulence and down drafts after the climb into the overcast was begun. While listening on the interphone, they heard the last conversation between the pilots. The copilot was heard to say:  "We better take a heading of 210" and a short time later, "Watch your airspeed".

    After the latter statement they  felt the  plane nose over sharply and almost immediately crashed. It was later determined, that after Alcatraz  island, the aircraft was in solid overcast and neither of the two survivors saw the ground again  until an instant before the  crash. It is doubtful  the pilots had visual contact with the ground before impact.  It was determined that the left wing tip struck the side of a hill, causing this wing to be torn off,  catapulting the plane down the hill to the left where it crashed. Fortunately, the depth charges were all thrown clear and did not detonate.
Return to Main page.