Bad Day aboard the Coral Sea

[Shay]

May everyone keep safe in the New Year


Fatal Mishap, - June 17, 1953

Pilot Ltjg. Robert E. Berger, F2H-3 Banshee from VC-4 Det 6














Shay
____________
Semper Fortis

[tom d. friedman]

as i've stated on a number of threads a banshee is in a field 15 minutes south of me. bad condition, you could strain noodles w/all the bullet holes. also present are 2 f9f cougars, 2 beech 18's, t-33, a barn full of parts, a sikorsky s-13 etc, etc, owned by the western walt soplata.

[EDowning]

It's hard to tell, but is that a Skyraider that is pictured going over the front from the impact?

[Richard W.]

...He skillfully avoided a group of men and crashed into two planes parked at the bow of the carrier. ...

That doesn't seem correct. It looks as if he had no control over the aircraft from the time he hit the flightdeck.

Shame on the reporter for not mentioning those poor guys on the deck who were killed, too.

[Mark Nankivil]

I think it is a AF-2 Guardian, at least based on the side view and the landing gear....

Thank the Brits for the angled deck!

Enjoy the Day! Mark

[vernicator]

I think it is a AF-2 Guardian, at least based on the side view and the landing gear....

Thank the Brits for the angled deck!

Enjoy the Day! Mark

More likely a version of the Skyraider as the Guardian's wings folded backwards.

[Tim L]

Both look like they are AEW Skyraiders, the RADAR pod on the belly and the extra vertical stabilizers on the tail are barely visible in pic 3. In pic 5 a reflection from the AEW operators window is visible to the left of the fuselage star and bar.

Tim

[Canso42]

Shay, that's an impressive group of photos. Was if from movie footage or a fast acting photog?
Talk about some major pinch factor. I will definitely have those pix in mind the next time a crew the tug at at Airshow.

Doug Ratchford,
Canso42