Long Island Sound – June 29, 1944
U.S. Navy F6F Hellcat
U.S. Navy photo
On the night of June 29, 1944, a flight of sixteen navy Hellcat aircraft were on a night formation training flight passing over Long Island Sound at an altitude of 500 feet. One of the aircraft, (Bu. No. 41482), piloted by Ensign L. N. Jones, suddenly lost power and fell away from the formation and hit the water. The aircraft struck the water on a level keel and bounced upwards for a moment, and then struck the water a second time which caused the fuel tank to explode. The blast flipped the plane over at which time it hit the water again and sank. Ensign Jones was able to extricate himself while the plane was under water, and bobbed to the surface shortly after it disappeared. Although injured, he was kept afloat by his life vest, and was rescued six hours later by a submarine.
The aircraft was not recovered.
Ensign Jones was assigned to Fighter Squadron 46, (VF-46)
Source: U. S. Navy Accident Report – dated June 29, 1944.
