I will soon be writing to see if I can get copies of the accident reports on the crashes and incidents that are listed below. If I can get at least the BuNos I will then be able to move the entries from here to the file that I have of "All the Savages and their fates". Perhaps a reader can provide me with one or more of the BuNos or with other accidents that I need to add to the list.
Followup: I did apply to the US Navy on 11 August 2003 for information on the ten accidents that I had listed at that time. I received replies to each of my ten requests on 30 September 2003. In five of the the cases the Naval Historical Center was able to identify the incident and give me a BuNo and other details. Contrary to my original plan, I will at least temporarily leave the entries here, modifying them slightly. I shall also add information to the entry for the individual plane in my file allsavages.html.
Date: 27 October 1950
Squadron: VC-5
Crew: The Plane Commander was †LCDR Dave Purdon, the B/N was LTJG Ed Decker, and
the Third Crewman was †Chief Edward R. Barrett
Known details: The aircraft crashed into the sea on its takeoff run from USS
Franklin D. Roosevelt. Dave and the crewman, Chief Edward R. Barrett,
were lost, but B/N LTJG Ed Decker escaped from the wreckage with minor
injuries and was rescued by the plane guard helicopter. Analysis of
witness statements and movie and still photos failed to positively identify
the cause of the accident, but the most likely cause was determined to have
been an inadvertent engagement of the flight control gust lock. The plane
was an AJ-1
BuNo: UNKNOWN 124163
Notes: The information re BuNo was received 30 September 2003. The accident report contains a little more detail than I already had, and states that the accident occurred off Guantanamo Bay.
Date: November 1951 29 November 1951
Squadron: VC-6
Crew: The Plane Commander was LCDR John Francis Refo.
The other members of the crew are unknown.
Known details: The aircraft crashed into the sea as it
was catapulted from USS
Franklin D. Roosevelt. The USS FDR was in the Med with the 6th Fleet
and VC-6 was on deployment to Port Lyautey. The biography of LCDR
Refo at
http://www.usna.com/history/classof1940/R.htm#4 says, "In November, 1951, Johnny was injured in a four-second
flight in an AJ from one of ROOSEVELT'S catapults into the Med and
spent Christmas recuperating in London."
BuNo: UNKNOWN 124173
More: On 25 June 2004 while at the Sanford Museum
I found an article in
the Hook from two consecutive issues of the magazine Fall
1989 and Winter 1989. In this article it says that Refo's plane was BuNo 124173.
It also says that the bombardier/Navigator was ENS Richard W. Mabee.
On 25 June 2004 at the Savage Sons Reunion in Sanford, Roy L. Williams confirmed
that ENS Mabee was the BN and added that the third crewman was ATC Scotty Layman.
Others in the group disgreed with the rating, saying that Layman was an ALC.
Date: 14/15 July 1952
Squadron: VC-8
Crew: Pilot was Whit Wright, the CO of VC-8, the third crewman was †Jim Henson
Known details: Kenneth S. Reightler, Sr. wrote in an email dated 18 August 2003: "Whit Wright CO VC-8 acc 1952 loss of 3rd crewman Jim Henson" Kenneth S. Reightler, Sr. had previously written on 14 August 2003: "CO Whit Wright took one over the side 1-2 AM off the Midway 14/15 July
1952. I was there. We lost 3rd crewman Jim Henson."
BuNo: UNKNOWN
Date: probably summer 1952
Squadron: VC-5
Crew: Included Johnny Walker and a fellow
named Chadwick. One of the two, it is not clear which, was plane captain.
Known details: At the Savage Sons Reunion
in June 2004, several people, I think including John D. Frederick, told me about
a plane that was lost during a hurricane evacuation to Olathe, Kansas from
Jacksonville. The plane had a dual engine overspeed. After they parachuted, Johnny
Walker landed in a tree and his calls for help were completely ignored by witnesses
on the ground who were in a hurry to get to the scene of the crash. Apparently the
pilot's chute did not open when he pulled the rip cord, but he managed to reach back
and somehow pull it out by hand, injuring his arm in the process.
BuNo: UNKNOWN
Date: 1952
Squadron: UNKNOWN
Crew: Pilot was
unknown, †unidentified CPO in B/N seat
Known details: Kenneth S. Reightler, Sr.
has written in an email dated 14 August 2003: "I was bumming parts from my
old command, Service Test, when an AJ from
Electronic Test or Armament Test at Pax when an AJ supposedly on it's way
back to Columbus, OH it was on a nearby runway and I had a clear view. On
roll out and lift off, the bird suddenly nosed up and climbed a few hundred
feet and then rounded out and started down where it could not recover and
flattened into the runway. It app had a tanker pkg full and the fuel leaked
out and caught fire. Despite regs a nr of us ran across the field and tried
to get the pilot and a CPO in B/N Seat out. The foam blanket put the fire
out and then some idiot broke the blanket and we scattered. The fire burned
all day and into the evening. Every drop of foam on the base and in Leonard
Town was used up. I only vaguely remember getting the pilot out from the
side window. The Aj was smashed flat but upright so the pilots window was
about 6-7 feet up."
BuNo: UNKNOWN
Date: 6 September 1952
Squadron: VC-7
Crew: The plane commander was †CDR McConnell, skipper of the squadron, the bombardier/navigator was †LT Sprague, the third crewman was †AT1 Mathews.
Known details: The loss occurred while VC-7 was on deployment to Port Lyautey, French Morocco, 11 April to 15 October 1952. The aircraft was an AJ-1 and bore side # 1.
BuNo: UNKNOWN 122598
More: "September sixth [1952] was a day of tragedy for VC-7.
CO McConnell, LT Curtiss Sprague and AL1 William Matthews were declared missing when their AJ crashed near La Spezia, Italy." [Hook, vol. 17, #3, Fall 1989, ISSN 0736-9220]
Date: 4 February 1953
Squadron: UNKNOWN NATC, Patuxent River, Maryland
Crew: Pilot
was †LT McFaddin Hoise, third Crewman was †AD2 James H. Vaughn
Known details: "Vaughn Road at Patuxent
is named in honor of Navy AD2 James H. Vaughn who lost his life in an aircraft
accident during take-off in an AJ (Savage) on 4 February 1953" [Chuck
Huber on 9 August 2002] Hoise Road in Patuxent is named in honor of Navy Lt. McFaddin Hoise who lost his life in an aircraft accident during take-off in an AJ (Savage) on 4 February 1953. [members.cts.com/sd/b/bwickes/ LOW_FLIGHT_OVER_SOUTHERN_MARYLAND.doc]
BuNo: UNKNOWN 122594
Credits: Thanks to Chuck Huber for alerting me to this one. Visit his web site at:
http://community-2.webtv.net/charles379/USNComposite/
Notes: The BuNo and the fact that the plane was assigned to NATC was information obtained 30 Septermber 2003.
Date: 1953 (After 28 July and before 15 August) 11 August 1953
Squadron: UNKNOWN VC-5
Crew: UNKNOWN, but apparently Pilot and B/N were rescued and †the third crewman was lost
Known details: On 28 July 1953 USS Bennington took aboard 410 midshipmen from the US Naval Academy for a fifteen day cruise. The dates and other details can be found at http://www.uss-bennington.org/stories.html While the midshipmen were aboard an AJ-1 crashed on landing. It seems the plane hit the round down. An engine went onto the flight deck with the propellor cutting through. Some debris, including a wing went below the flight deck. The major portion of the plane dropped into the sea. The helo picked up the pilot and b/n but didn't have room for the third crewman. By the time the helo got back he had gone down with the wreckage. Several accounts from members of the Class of 1955 of USNA appear at http://www.usna.com/classes/1955/Bennington.htm
BuNo: UNKNOWN 122600
More: At the "Savage Sons" Reunion in Sanford in June 2004
John D. Frederick told me that the pilot was LT Minton and the third crewman was Nathaniel Samuel Adolps.
Date: summer or fall 1953
Squadron: VC-5
Crew: UNKNOWN
BuNo: UNKNOWN, but it was an AJ-2
More: At the "Savage Sons" Reunion in Sanford in June 2004
Jerry Kelley and others told me of a wheels up landing by the skipper, Irving G. Peters.
Actually there were others who referred to the "wheels up" and attributed it to the XO at
the time, who would have been Leopold Weidlein. I, however, think it more likely it was the skipper
due to the role that the skipper's third crewman Paul A. Stokes plays in the narrative.
The aircraft was the very first AJ-2 that had come to the squadron. It had been long-awaited.
The pilot was doing "touch and goes" with it. During this activity, Paul Stokes was
lowering and raising the gear. When the practice was finished and it came time for
the final landing, Stokes expected to return to the normal procedure of having the
pilot lower the gear. The pilot, accustomed to Paul's having been doing it, neglected
to do so. It was a bad communication failure, and they came in on the belly. Temporary
repairs were made locally in Sanford, and the plane was being ferried to Jacksonville
for more serious work when it became completely uncontollable in flight and had to be
ditched off Jacksonville.
Date: 1954(?)
Squadron: VC-8(?)
Crew: Pilot was
†LT Hall, third
crewman was †"Tiger Willie" Wilson
Known details: Kenneth S. Reightler, Sr. wrote
in an email dated 14 August 2003: "In 1954 ? on Carquals ? LT Hall broke
a hook and went over the side, Pilot and 3rd Crewmn may have been
in B/N seat but was lost "Tiger Willie"Wilson l"
BuNo: UNKNOWN
Date: 6 August 1954
Squadron: VC-6
Crew: Plane Commander was LTJG K. H. McVay, others were UNKNOWN
Known details: This AJ-2, nicknamed "Cho Cho," experienced hook failure
while landing aboard USS Yorktown (CVA-10). Ginter shows pictures on
page 84 of the aircraft going over the side and apparently in the ocean.
Ginter does not say what happened to the crew.
BuNo: UNKNOWN 134057
Date: 8 November 1954
Squadron: VC-5
Crew: Plane Commander was †LT.
Leon Rex "Bill" Grover, Jr., B/N was †LTJG
Garth Garreau, Third
Crewman was †AT2 B[illie]. D."Bulldog" Patterson. My initial clue as to the identity of Patterson came on August 8, 2003 from Larry St. Onge (VC-5) via Jack Demeny (USMC) via Chuck Huber. (This is a story in itself.) Further substantiation of Patterson's identity comes from the Coral Sea
web-site at
http://www.usscoralsea.net/pages/mishaps.html. The Coral Sea mishap site gives a detailed account of the crash
and says that the body of only Patterson was recovered. The pinpointing of
the crash to November 8 (rather
than late October or early November as I previously had) comes from a genealogical site at http://www.orrellfamily.com/database/dbo/gp225.htm#head3
that gives November 8 as Grover's date of death.
Known details: Aircraft (AJ-2) was being
catapulted off the USS Coral Sea when it crashed into the sea. All crew were
lost. Also see the Coral Sea mishap web-site at
http://www.usscoralsea.net/pages/mishaps.html.
BuNo: UNKNOWN 134040
Date: 1955 (After 15 February and before 20 July)
Squadron: VC-8
Crew: Pilot was LT Donald Bowman, third crewman was Earl Bishop
Known details: Chuck Huber shows on his web site
http://community-2.webtv.net/charles379/USNComposite/page2.html
a picture of this plane in the catwalk. The picture can be seen at
http://community-2.webtv.net/cerebralhush/USNavyHeavyAttack/page9.html or
here.
Huber's web site says that the incident was aboard the USS Randolph. The aircraft
is an AJ-1. Kenneth S. Reightler, Sr. has said in an email of 18 August 2003, "I was standing
in front of this AJ Side # 7 of VC-8 on the USS Randolph.
Bowman had his head down in the cockpit despite the plane's being backed
down (or drifting back ?) under the Yellow Shirts direction. "Brakes" was
given (Bowman said "no," but I know better}. The port wheels went over the
scupper and dropped into the single mount 5" ?area resting on the port
nacelle rear portion and on the edge of the bomb-bay. The crew came out
quickly but very gingerly, not knowing the balance of the bird. Repair 8
jumped on the problem and many chain tie-downs were put on the nose wheel
area and lines where they could."
Chuck Huber has told me that he had
once seen VC-8's CO's memories of the incident. The Randolph's CO wanted
to push the AJ over the side immediately, but the VC-8 skipper talked him
into saving it. Chuck points out that this is the same crew that was
killed in the "Glass Factory" crash on 20 July 1955 and thinks that
it may very well be the same aircraft.
BuNo: 124854?????
Date: Late 1955 or early 1956 (no later than 1 March)
Squadron: VAH-7
Crew: Plane Commander was probably Jim Guy, other crew were UNKNOWN
Known details: At midday an AJ (not known whether AJ-1 or AJ-2) was preparing to land at Sanford. Main landing gear came down but would not lock. The pilot was flying eastbound over the field and past the tower, kicking rudder trying to get the gear in locked position, when the vertical tailfin folded. The plane rolled over on its back, and then became upright again. The B/N and third crewman bailed out. Again the plane rolled on its back and then back upright. This time the pilot jumped out. By now the plane was well east of the field over some celery fields, where it nosed in in a big cloud of smoke. The helo quickly found the third crewman and the plane commander but could not find the B/N. It seems that he had landed in the backyard of the plane commander, and after the plane commander's wife and the B/N had gathered up his chute she had driven him back to base. He was at the main gate while the helo was frantically searching for him. None of the crew was injured.
[Here is an indication of how bad an eyewitness I am. In a telephone conversation with Kirby P. Sutton, who had in my time been a yeaoman in VC-9 but at the time of this accident was in HATWING I and working for the accident board, I learned that the pilot was in fact CDR Guy. However, although the two crew bailed out as I described, he did not. He rode the plane down attempting to land on some railroad tracks to the northeast of the field. He ran into and damaged a couple of houses. There were civilian injuries, but no fatalities. BTW, the plane must have been an AJ-2, because I believe that VC-7/VAH-7 never flew AJ-1s — after they switched to AJ-2s, that is.]
BuNo: UNKNOWN, but possibly it was 134038, which is listed as "DBR" in February 1956
Date: Early 1956
Squadron: VAH-9
Crew: The Plane Commander was LCDR Bob Heid,
the B/N was LTJG Paul Grunder, and the Third Crewman was
Clark (Bud) Warren
Known details: This AJ-1 had a spectacular
crash at LeVar airport at Nice, but the crew all got out with only minor cuts and
bruises. The plane was a strike.
BuNo: UNKNOWN
Date: 3 July 1956
Squadron: VAH-9
Crew: Plane Commander was †LCDR A.
"Stub" Herron, B/N was †LTJG Leon
Foley, Third Crewman was
†AT2 Johnnie Whisnant
(Another correspondent thinks that the third crewman was Seaman. ???)
Known details: Aircraft (AJ-1) crashed in Lake
George(?). (I now think the crash was near Eustis, Florida, perhaps even into Lake
Eustis.) They went straight in from
over 20,000 feet. One conjecture was an
overspeeding prop that tore into the cockpit area but nothing for sure.
All crew were lost.
BuNo: UNKNOWN 130407
I have the accident report. The third crewman was Whisnant.
Date: August 1956
Squadron: VAH-7
Crew: The Pilot was LT Hall, the B/N was Jerry O'Hara, and the Third Crewman was known as "Ski."
Known details: "...an AJ attempting to return
for landing after losing an engine, I believe, crashed a few blocks northwest of the
field [NAS Sanford]. The †††crew
died along with †††three members of one family whose
home was destroyed
in the crash." [Regie Ashley]
"...My name is Ed Metzger, and I was stationed with VAH-7 to which
this aircraft was assigned when it went down. I was assigned crash
site security while the investigation went on. I can not remember
who the crewmen were....Ed Metzger, AFCM, USN, Retired" [Ed Metzger, 30 August 2003]
Ed's message specified that the a/c was an AJ-2, which is what VAH-7 was flying
at the time. [Kenneth Wooster]
"The pilot's name was LT Hall, the B/N was Jerry O'Hara, and the crewman was
known as "Ski" to me, but I can't remember his correct name. The plane
was making an emergency landing because of a bad engine with a full tanker
package, and the investigation showed the good engine was
half-in, half-out of feather. Apparently the wrong engine had been feathered
by one of them." [Bill Sowell, 1 September 2003]
On 25 February Regie Ashley of Ochlockonee Bay, FL reported to me that an Ed Wagner, Jr. had informed him that the third crewman's last name was Swigonski. Ed Wagner said, "I'm a native of Sanford and my father was with VJ-62 and later with 'Heavy 7'. The crash you referenced happened while we were stationed in Pensacola but we returned to Sanford shortly thereafter. The third crewman's last name was Swigonski. I graduated from Seminole High with his daughter."
BuNo: UNKNOWN, but possibly it was 130419, which is listed as "DBR" in August 1956
Credits: Regie
Ashley of Ochlockonee Bay, Florida
Ed Metzger
Bill Sowell
Ed Wagner, Jr.
Date: June 1957
Squadron: UNKNOWN
Crew: UNKNOWN
Known details:
"In the spring of 1957, Windlass operated for three weeks at
Chincoteague, Va., in a Jupiter missile nose cone recovery. That
summer, the ship recovered most of the wreckage from two AJ Savage
bombers that had collided late in June off Oceanview Va."
[http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/auxil/arsd4.htm]
(The Windlass was ARS(D)-4, originally LSM-522.) [Chuck Huber]
BuNo: UNKNOWN, but exactly two Savages appear on the list as being lost
that month. Both were AJ-2Ps and both are listed as "DBR." They are 128043 and 128049. Squadron assignments unknown.
Credits:Thanks to Chuck Huber
for alerting me to this one. Visit his web site at:
http://community-2.webtv.net/charles379/USNComposite/
Date: June or July 1957 Most likely July 1957
Squadron: VAH-11
Crew: UNKNOWN
Known details: In a message to Don
Pierce, a former third crewman from VAH-11 named Keith _____ said, "While
in Dallas (Love Field) training for the in-flight refueling [for Project Bullet]
we lost an A/C. The tank to plane shut-off valve was stuck in the open position
and pumped JP into the A/C fuel system. The engines lost power and the cylinder
head temp. went to max. The crew all bailed out safely." VAH-11 appears to
have been flying AJ-1s at the time.
BuNo: UNKNOWN, but this appears to be 122591
that is listed as "DBR" in July 1957. The only two other Savages lost in the two
month June-July period were AJ-2Ps.
More: On 30 April 2004 I received an email from
Mr. Thomas O. Zahay of Gilbert AZ,
tzahay@cox.net in which he said:
Dear Sir, Found your history on the VAH squadrons very interesting. I was a PR3 in VAH-11 from November 1955 to April 1958.
Here is a little more info on the plane that was lost in 1957 out of Love Field, Texas. I packed the parachutes that were used by the crew that day to bail from that aircraft. I have the caterpillar club certificates from Switlik parachute company, and they carry the names of the men on that crew. I believe that the Pilot was LCDR Brown. I also think that he was later killed in a crash at sea approaching the ship for landing. If you would like the names of the crew I will dig out my memorabilia and send them on to you.
Date: 1957 or early 1958
Squadron: VAH-7
Crew: Plane Commander was LCDR R. W.
Mann. B/N was probably AJ1 Valinski and Third Crewman was probably
AM1 Sandifer (or Sandefir or Sandefur).
Known details: CDR R. W. Mann,
USN Retired, tells on page 103 of Ginter how
he had caught the number 5 wire, had run up the deck, and had dropped his
left landing gear in the catwalk. Apparently there were no casualties.
The text does not make is clear as to which ship, but it may have been USS Essex.
Bill Sowell says that LCDR Mann was on
USS Randolph in Detachment 36. [Bill Sowell]
BuNo: UNKNOWN
Date: 9 December 1958 at 1215 hours
Squadron: VAH-15
Crew: Pilot
was †LCDR George Wilson USNR, bombardier/navigator was †ENS Fred Melton Clancy, III USNR.
There were ††two others aboard, a third crewman and a CPO who was a flight time passenger.
Additional casualties: ††Two children in house on ground killed and their mother injured.
Known details: Kenneth S. Reightler, Sr. wrote
in an email dated 14 August 2003: "In Dec 1958 an AJ with load of JP went down
on Granby St, Norfolk VA, 6 were lost, 4 on plane and two children in house.
I saw the whole thing except for actual crash as it was behind trees, but I
saw it go 90 degrees when they stalled. I heard the recip's breaking up as
they went over. Pilot George Wilson, Maint Off VAH-15 was well-experienced.
He was in VC-8 1952 on as Electronic Officer. He was a great guy. In my humble
opinion the inexperienced striker 3rd crewmn did not cap off the valve
that feeds to the recips from the tank." VAH-15 flew AJ-2s.
Additional details: In a telephone conversation
on 19 December 2003, Frederick W. Burton, 2nd, a representative of the Inflight
Refueling Co., told me that the third crewman was a protege of his whose name
was Pat Toomey. The fourth man was named Delaney, was also a third crewman,
and was being checked out on the refueling gear by Toomey.
BuNo: UNKNOWN — From a UPI photo of the crash offered on ebay on 4 April 2005 I have learned that this was BuNo 130416. I have bid on the photo. Time will tell if I win it. I won the auction and now have the photo.
