A Tragic Ending for a PBY

[SolRayz 392]

Tragic, nearly as bad as the B29 Kee Bird destruction:

 

I have never seen one of these fly, i know that the Confederate Airforce has a flying one, and i have seen the static display at IWM Duxford, but it would have been nice to have another flying B29

Man thats terrible... :(

[mgh 89]

The same day that the PBY landed and started taking on water, two retired Navy Seals volunteered to 'plug the holes'. They dove under water and reinstalled the missing drain plugs,

 

Why were there holes in the first place? The aircraft seems not  to have been airworthy (sea worthy?)

[n4gix 4,949]

Why were there holes in the first place? The aircraft seems not  to have been airworthy (sea worthy?)

The plugs that should have been firmly secured apparently fell out during the last flight of the day. After landing, she began taking on water. The two volunteers used spare plugs that were on board the aircraft, then the water was mostly pumped out.

 

Like nearly all water craft, there is a slight amount of seepage into the bilge tanks. The plugs are there to allow the bilge tanks to be drained whenever the a/c is on the ground.

[mgh 89]

That doesn't explain why he plugs that should have been firmly secured apparently fell out in  flight.

[n4gix 4,949]

One could guess that they weren't firmly secured and that vibration caused them to fall out, but that's all one can do. No one will ever "know" in the sense of certainty.

 

The main point being made however is that these weren't "holes" that were the result of shoddy anti-corrosion maintenance, but rather that they are designed drain holes.

[mabe54 17]

I used all my last swearings and name callings when I saw many years ago the destruction of that B29 shown above in this post.

 

Both are very sad events for us people that love and value aircrafts of any kind.

 

Why???

 

I am guessing it was not meant to be.

 

Cheers,

[mgh 89]

The well designed drain holes allowed the aircraft to sink because the plugs weren't firmly secured. Who was responsible for that?

[n4gix 4,949]

Mssr. Fate was responsible. Either that or space hamsters.

[mgh 89]

Mssr. Fate was responsible. Either that or space hamsters.

 

I don't think that a formal accident report would accept them. Far more likely to be the maintenance, ground or flight crew (or all) not checking the plugs properly.

 

another thought, did the insurance cover the cost of repair or replacement?

[KevinAu 441]

The blame clearly rests with Nicolas Cage, for making yet another over acted movie.

[tttocs 301]

I guess I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have been when I first saw this reported.  The loss of the PBY was a tragedy, but not nearly as big a one as the events this aircraft was being used to help depict - the sinking and subsequent massive loss of life of the crew of the USS Indianapolis.  Oddly enough, the PBY being portrayed was ultimately scuttled after it landing in open ocean to help rescue as many of the crew as it could.  While Mr. Cage wouldn't have been my first choice to play (then) Captain McVay, I'm still excited that this movie is actually in production as there have been many abortive attempts at a major motion picture of the events surrounding the sinking and all that followed, and this one looks like it may actually succeed.

 

Why am I so excited?  It's a sad but fascinating tale of heroism and bureaucratic mismanagement, but it's also one which holds a very personal connection for me. 

 

Of the 1,196 crewman on the ship at the time it was torpedoed it is estimated that about 900 made it into the water.  By the time the men were finally discovered and pulled from the water (entirely by accident, and despite rather than due to, actions on the part of the US Navy), only 316 were still alive.  One of those 316 rescued 70 years ago was a young seaman from rural Nebraska - my father.

 

Scott