Quonset Point, R. I. – February 2, 1951
F4U Corsair
US Navy Photo
On February 2, 1951, a navy F4U-4 Corsair, (Bu. No. 97163), took off from the Quonset Point Naval Air Station for a test flight after having received a major overhaul. Fifty-four minutes into the flight, while at 4,000 feet over Newport, R.I., the engine began to run erratically, and the pilot radioed that he had and emergency and requested clearance back to Quonset. The aircraft then began losing altitude. The pilot had hoped to make an emergency landing on Runway 34, but was forced down into the waters of Narragansett Bay 300 yards short of the runway. The pilot escaped without injury and was rescued a short time later. The aircraft was recovered, but was not put back into service.
Source: U. S. Navy accident report dated February 2, 1951
