Atlantic Ocean – September 15, 1948

Atlantic Ocean – September 15, 1948

     On September 15, 1948, a navy FG-1D Corsair, (Bu. No. 66072), from the Squantum Naval Air Station in Massachusetts, was on a gunnery practice flight over the ocean about twelve miles east of Cape Cod. During the exercise the aircraft engine began running rough and the pilot,  Commander Willard T. Grove, was cleared to return to Squantum.  While at 7,000 feet the engine suddenly stopped and the pilot put the plane into a glide as he tried to restart the engine, but he was unsuccessful.  The pilot made an emergency landing in the water about four-and-a-half miles east of Cape Cod, and suffered serious injuries upon impact because the safety-harness lock failed.  He was rescued, but the aircraft was lost at sea.        The pilot was rescued while floating in a yellow life raft by Coastguardsmen using a DUCK vehicle under the command of Boatswain Mate 1c Arthur Silva and seaman 1c Joseph Sheahan.  Then a Coast Guard rescue plane arrived and the pilot was transferred to the aircraft and flown to Squantum NAS.  

     Sources:

     U. S. Navy accident report dated September 15, 1948. 

     The Provincetown Advocate, “Coast Guard Saves Pilot After Crash”, September 16, 1948

     The Provincetown Advocate, “Crash Pilot Identified”, September 23, 1948

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