[STARMAN 352ND]

I got this email this morning of these WWII Planes that had a mid air collision.
This is the info that came with it:
Royal Australian Air Force Beauforts (A9-27 and A9-268) and the accident happened during a flypast for the cameras at Jarvis Bay, 14 May 1943.
All eight crewmen in both aircraft died.

In memory of the crew....Amen.

CREW OF A9-27

Flt Lt David George Dey Age 27 ( 280627) - Pilot
F/O Rex Lindsay Solomon Age 21 (408149)
F/O Jack Norman Age 25 (407561)
Sgt Hugh Sydney George Richardson Age 23 (410093)


CREW OF A9-268

F/O Raymond Sydney Green Age 23 (408110) - Pilot
Sgt Albert John Bailey Age 22 (409976)
F/O Maurice Francis Hoban Age 30 (409118)
P/O Eric William Sweetnam Age 20 (408077)

[Shamrock]

That is one of the scariest clips I've ever seen. You can only imagine the terror going the crew members in the brief moments left to them. A huge number of Allied aircrew were lost in training and flying accidents including some very well known aces. Brave men indeed.

[jim]

It just shows how unforgiving even the slightest error can be in the air, a tragic loss of life.

[flyXwire]

Gosh, that is just soooo tragic! I'm at a loss for words.

[dilligafocau]

I live 80 klm north of Jervis Bay, very tragic indeed.
More info here http://www.ozatwar.com/nsw29.htm

[FormerViperDriver]

Well, to me it mostly shows that "hot-dogging" was just as dangerous then as it is now (e.g. the Fairchild B-52 crash in the other video). Yeah, pilots are going to want to show off their flying skills, but man, you'd better know what you are doing... "A man's got to know his limitations" is even truer for combat pilots.

Tragic nonetheless...

FVD

[ZS-VAN]

True enough FVD, but you'd think that they would have planned this maneuver and were closely watching their positions relative to one another while in formation prior to the split.

[FormerViperDriver]

Originally Posted by ZS-VAN

True enough FVD, but you'd think that they would have planned this maneuver and were closely watching their positions relative to one another while in formation prior to the split.

No, I don't think so. This looks to me like this was not planned, or else if it was, the right wingman just was a very bad pilot. I think he in fact was very surprised by lead's abrupt pull up, otherwise I can't explain what he was doing so close and above his lead. Makes no sense. But who knows, I wasn't in the briefing room before the flight...

FVD