Warbird Information Exchange

Nothing screams "you need an angled deck" that that set of the banshee jumping the barricade and then going into the forward parking. . . .

Tom P,

I've done quite a few shipboard landings (day and night) in a helo. Can't imagine what it's like doing a night landing in a fixed wing. Gotta have a lot of ice water in those veins.

Amazing and terrifying set of photos there Mark.

In the set captioned "F7U-3 Cutlass of VA-124 crashed on the flight deck, aft-port side, of USS Hancock (CVA-19) 1955" what was that guy doing on the deck and why did he sprint across to the other side? Was he perhaps the cause of the problem?

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That was most likely the LSO and he ran because to him it may have appeared that the F7U was going to hit the LSO platform. I watched the same thing and my depth perception told me the Cutlass was coming in right down the middle of the 'runway' and it looked like the LSO was going to get taken out by the right wingtip of the jet, but the latter shots of course showed the jet was way off to the left.

Chappie

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Brrring. Dispersal? TWO SECTIONS SCRAMBLE!!

Unfortunately there was a loss of life in that series of photos. Against my better judgement I'll leave them posted unless either I personally receive a complaint or the management does.

Wiki has the whole story and the video of the accident as well. I'll leave that to those who may have an interest to visit themselves. The video clearly shows the F7U too far to the left on approach heading directly for the LSO platform as Chappie states. Terribly tragic.

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Holy cow, I just checked the video on YouTube (jet coming right at the camera) and it clearly shows the aircraft wiping out the LSO platform.

Chappie

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Brrring. Dispersal? TWO SECTIONS SCRAMBLE!!

Interesting photos. I was surprised by the lack of flight control deflection in some of them considering their situations - especially a couple of the Helldiver ones were there appears to be little if any aileron or rudder deflection to try to counter the rolls. Maybe I'm just blind?

The Landing Signal Officer (LSO), did indeed run across the deck when he saw the Cutlass coming right for him, and actually survived. He was not the cause. Others were not so fortunate. Carriers have a net that the LSO's and support crew can dive into in such a case, but likely would not have helped in this case.

It's fascinating film, to be sure. But I always wonder what the family members of someone who died in a high-profile crash like that must think to see it pop up every now and then. For example, 1LT Barty R. Brooks's 1956 crash of a F-100, sliding along a runway trying to get power, rolling over and going west in a very bad way. Most of us have seen the film, it's been used in several movies, (I caught it in "The Hunters" recently) and I've always wondered what his family thought every time it came up.
I was involved two helicopter incidents in the Army. The second one was very bad, and I'm thankful that there's no video out there, I wouldn't want there to be any, especially the aftermath.That camera must have been in a fixed position as it never moves as the Cutlass comes directly for it. That guy between the jet and the camera probably needed new underwear afterward (not that anyone could blame him, if so).

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Does the US Navy still have spectacular deck accidents like this with their Hornets and other modern aeroplanes getting destroyed through pilot error that the public never hears about? Or has better training and better technology meant that these types of accidents have been reduced to a minimum, or even eliminated?

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I think there are fewer accidents in general, owing to better training and better airplanes (and fewer of them overall), but they still happen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1c0lfwxRpj0

The carrier deck is a dangerous place.

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Another interesting sequence. Source: NMNA archives

An SNJ-SC Texan crashes during carrier qualifications aboard the USS Monterey (CVL-26). The destroyer USS Forrest Royal (DD-872) is in the background. c 1953

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“Knowing what’s right, doesn’t mean much unless you do what’s right.”

It's actually a bit surprising that there weren't more accidents with the early jets due to their poor engines...
Anybody recall the crash footage used in the movie Hunt for red october? I read somewhere that one happened during testing with the F9F.....

Wow! Pinch factor high. Just a note... quite a few of these were taken in wartime, which in my opinion would also raise the risk and stress factor. Just an opinion. I wish there were more pix of the Corsair that stopped in several widely separated pieces on the USS Prince William. I'm also impressed by these from a photographer's viewpoint. Seems like I've seen one or two of the set (maybe same crash different photog) of the Banshee bouncing the barrier.
There are mistakes shown here, and fatalities but also heroes in action getting pilots out or foaming a flamer.

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"I love the smell of 100LL in the morning."

Oh yeah. What happened to the Crusader on the Shangri-La? Looks like it fell off the catapult. Looked like fatalies in that one.

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"I love the smell of 100LL in the morning."