Quonset Point, R. I. – April 3, 1947

January 23, 2021

Quonset Point Naval Air Station – April 3, 1947 

 

U. S. Navy F7F Tigercat

     On April 3, 1947, an F7F-1N Tigercat aircraft, (Bu. No. 60282), was in the process of taking off from the Quonset Point Naval Air Station for a training flight when the aircraft lost power as it was rolling down the runway.  The pilot attempted to abort the take off by reducing throttle and applying the brakes.  Due to the speed the aircraft was moving, the brakes burned out and the tires blew and the aircraft left the runway and nosed over.  The pilot was not injured. 

     Source: U. S. Navy accident report dated April 3, 1947

Filed Under: Rhode Island - Military Tagged With: , , ,

Quonset Point, R. I. – November 1, 1948

January 23, 2021

Quonset Point, Naval Air Station – November 1, 1948, and January 1, 1949

 

U. S. Navy F7F Tigercat

     On November 1, 1948, an F7F-2D Tigercat aircraft, (Bu. No. 80341), took off from the Quonset Point Naval Air Station bound for Otis Air Force Base on Cape Cod.   About five miles east of Quonset Point the latch to the front portion of the cockpit canopy let loose and the canopy slid back and broke away with such force that it caused damage to the rear portion of the canopy, as well as to one of the rear tail fins and the vertical stabilizer.  The pilot declared an emergency and landed safely back at Quonset.

     This same aircraft was later involved in another incident in which equipment malfunctioned.  On January 29, 1949, the aircraft took off from Quonset NAS for a cross-country training flight.  Shortly after takeoff the fuel tank hook assembly came unlocked and lodged in the port wing.  The pilot declared an emergency and returned to Quonset.  The aircraft landed tail-down causing damage to the tail section.     

     Sources:

     U. S. Navy accident report dated November 1, 1948.     

     U. S. Navy accident report dated January 29, 1949

Filed Under: Rhode Island - Military Tagged With: , , , , ,

Quonset Point, R. I. – June 14, 1951

December 16, 2020

Quonset Point Naval Air Station – June 14, 1951

     On June 14, 1951, the pilot of a Grumman AF Guardian aircraft, (Bu. No. 124791), was practicing carrier landings and take-offs at the Quonset Point Naval Air Station.  After making three successful landings and take-offs, the pilot landed for a fourth time.  After rolling fifty feet the landing gear suddenly collapsed and the aircraft skidded along the runway to a stop.  The cause was determined to be a leak in the hydraulic system.   The pilot was not injured, but the aircraft required a major overhaul. 

     Source: U. S. Navy accident report dated June 14, 1951 

Filed Under: Rhode Island - Military Tagged With: , , , , ,

Quonset Point, R. I. – March 27, 1952

December 16, 2020

Quonset Point, R. I. – March 27, 1952

 

Douglas Skyraider
U. S. Navy Photo

    On March 27, 1952, an AD-4 Skyraider aircraft, (Bu. No. 129005), made a “wheels -up” landing at the Quonset Point Naval Air Station causing substantial damage to the aircraft.   The pilot was not injured. 

     Source: U. S. Navy accident report dated March 27, 1952 

Filed Under: Rhode Island - Military Tagged With: , , , ,

Quonset Point, R. I. – September 7, 1951

December 10, 2020

Quonset Point Naval Air Station – September 7, 1951

 

F4U Corsair
US Navy Photo

     On September 7, 1951, an F4U-4 Corsair, (Bu. No. 81397), was returning to the Quonset Point Naval Air Station after a training flight.  A short time prior, a severe weather system had moved through the area which left puddles of water on the runway.  Upon landing, the aircraft ran into a puddle and ground-looped off the runway suffering damage.  The pilot was not injured. 

     Source: U. S. Navy accident report dated September 7, 1951.       

Filed Under: Rhode Island - Military Tagged With: , , , ,

Quonset Point, R. I. – September 13, 1951

December 10, 2020

Quonset Point Naval Air Station – September 13, 1951

 

F4U Corsair
US Navy Photo

     On September 13, 1951, an F4U-4 Corsair, (Bu. No. 81479), was taking off from runway 19 at the Quonset Point Naval Air Station.  Immediately after becoming airborne, but while still over the runway, the pilot retracted the landing gear, and as he did so the plane settled back to the runway and briefly scraped the ground before bouncing back up and remaining airborne.  The pilot managed to circle the field and make a successful emergency landing.  The aircraft suffered damage to the propeller, the engine, the auxiliary fuel tank, and the landing gear doors.  The pilot was not injured.      

     Source: U. S. Navy accident report dated September 13, 1951.

Filed Under: Rhode Island - Military Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Quonset Point, R. I. – September 20, 1951

December 10, 2020

Quonset Point Naval Air Station – September 20, 1951

 

F4U Corsair
US Navy Photo

     At 11:30 p.m. on the night of  September 20, 1951, a flight of four F4U Corsairs were returning to the Quonset Point Naval Air Station after a night navigational training flight, and were instructed to land on runway 19.  The first two aircraft landed without incident. The third plane to land was Bu. No. 96936, which made a normal landing and was continuing its rollout towards the taxi area when the pilot noticed another F4U rushing up on him from behind.  The other aircraft coming up from behind was the fourth plane in the flight, (Bu. No. 51416), the pilot of which had landed too fast and was in the process of overtaking the plane ahead of it. 

     The pilot of 96936 applied full throttle and attempted to get out of the way of 51416, but was unable to do so in time, and the rear plane collided with the one ahead of it causing substantial damage to both aircraft.  Fortunately neither pilot was reported to be injured.     

     Source: U. S. Navy accident report dated September 20, 1951

Filed Under: Rhode Island - Military Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Quonset Point, R. I. – September 25, 1951

December 10, 2020

Quonset Point Naval Air Station – September 25, 1951

 

F4U Corsair
US Navy Photo

     On September 25, 1951, the pilot of an F4U-4 Corsair, (Bu. No. 80992), was making practice touch-and-go-landings on runway 19 at the Quonset Point Naval Air Station.  After making five successful landings, he attempted a sixth, and upon touch-down the left-side landing gear collapsed.  The aircraft skidded 600 feet before coming to rest.  The pilot was not injured.  

     Source: U. S. Navy accident report dated September 25, 1951. 

Filed Under: Rhode Island - Military Tagged With: , , , , ,

Quonset Point, R. I. – April 3, 1949

November 18, 2020

Quonset Point Naval Air Station – April 3, 1949

 

P2V Neptune
U.S. Air Force Photo

     On April 3, 1949, a P2V-3 Neptune, (Bu. No. 122974), took off from the Quonset Point Naval Air Station on an “airways navigational flight” to Key West Florida.  Besides the regular crew complement, the aircraft was carrying 11 pilots and 7 enlisted men scheduled to report for duty at the naval air station in Key West.  About 30 minutes into the flight the left engine began to run rough and loose power so the pilot was forced to turn back to Quonset Point.  Due to the weight load in the aircraft and reduced engine power, the aircraft made a “hard landing” causing damage to the aircraft, however, nobody on board was injured.  

     Source: U. S. Navy accident report dated April 3, 1949

Filed Under: Rhode Island - Military Tagged With: , , , , ,

Quonset Point, R. I. – May 31, 1950

November 18, 2020

Quonset Point Naval Air Station – May 31, 1950

 

P2V Neptune
U.S. Air Force Photo

     On May 31, 1950, a P2V-4 Neptune, (Bu. No. 124216), crash landed on the runway while attempting to land at the Quonset Point Naval Air Station.  The cloud ceiling at the time was only between 75 to 100 feet with heavy ground fog conditions.  The aircraft suffered considerable damage but the six-man crew was not injured. 

     Source: U. S. Navy accident report dated May 31, 1950. 

Filed Under: Rhode Island - Military Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Quonset Point, R. I. – February 18, 1952

November 18, 2020

Quonset Point Naval Air Station – February 18, 1952

 

P2V Neptune
Quonset Air Museum

     On February 18, 1952, a P2V-4 Neptune, (Bu. No. 124261), was preparing to take off from the Quonset Point Naval Air Station for a flight to Newfoundland.  While taxiing into position the port wing tip struck the rear rudder of an AD-1 Skyraider, (Bu. No. 09235), that was also in the process of taxiing.  There were no injuries. 

     Source: U. S. Navy accident report dated February 18, 1952 

Filed Under: Rhode Island - Military Tagged With: , , , , ,

Quonset Point NAS – January 19, 1951

August 8, 2020

Quonset Point Naval Air Station – January 19, 1951

 

Douglas Skyraider
U. S. Navy Photo

     On January 19, 1951, an AD-4 Skyraider, (Bu. No. 123893), was completing a landing at the Quonset Point Naval Air Station when the aircraft nosed over.  The aircraft was damaged but the pilot was not hurt. 

     Source: U. S. Navy accident report dated January 1, 1951 

Filed Under: Rhode Island - Military Tagged With: , , , ,

Quonset Point NAS – February 5, 1951

August 8, 2020

Quonset Point Naval Air Station – February 5, 1951

 

Douglas Skyraider
U. S. Navy Photo

     On February 5, 1951, two AD-4 Skyraider aircraft, (Bu. No. 123902, and Bu. No. 123900), collided with each other while taxiing resulting in significant damage to both aircraft.  Neither pilot was injured.  The accident was blamed on inadequate snow plowing by ground personnel.  

     Source: U. S. Navy accident report dated February 5, 1951.

Filed Under: Rhode Island - Military Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Narragansett Bay – August 9, 1948

December 9, 2019

Narragansett Bay – August 9, 1948

 

TBM-3E Avenger
U. S. Navy Photo

      On August 9, 1948, a navy TBM-3E, (Bu. No. 63795), was engaged in making practice touch-and-go landings at the Quonset Point Naval Air Station, when the aircraft lost power and went down in Narragansett Bay.  The aircraft sank and was later determined to be damaged beyond repair.  The pilot escaped, and was rescued by a Quonset crash boat.  Nobody else was aboard the aircraft at the time of the accident.   

     The aircraft was assigned to VA-75.

     Source: U. S. Navy accident report dated August 9, 1948.  

Filed Under: Rhode Island - Military Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Quonset Point, R. I. – June 4, 1947

December 9, 2019

Quonset Point, Rhode Island – June 4, 1947 

 

TBM-3E Avenger
U. S. Navy Photo

     On June 4, 1947, a navy TBM-3E Avenger, (Bu. No. 53151), was making a series of touch-and-go landings at the Quonset Point Naval Air Station.  While making a normal landing, the landing gear collapsed, and the aircraft skidded 300 yards to a stop.  The pilot and radio operator were not injured, but the aircraft sustained significant damage. 

     Source: U. S. Navy accident report dated June 4, 1947.

Filed Under: Rhode Island - Military Tagged With: , , , , ,

Quonset Point, R. I. – February 6, 1951

July 27, 2019

Quonset Point, Rhode Island – February 6, 1951

 

F4U Corsair
US Navy Photo

     On February 6, 1951, a navy F4U-4 Corsair was landing at the Quonset Point Naval Air Station in strong cross-winds when one wing struck a snowbank causing the plane to ground loop.  There was damage to the aircraft but the pilot was not injured.

     Source:  U. S. Navy accident report dated February 6, 1951.   

Filed Under: Rhode Island - Military Tagged With: , , , ,

Quonset Point, R. I. – February 2, 1951

July 26, 2019

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  

Filed Under: Rhode Island - Military Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Quonset Point, R. I. – October 7, 1943

June 25, 2019

Quonset Point, Rhode Island – October 7, 1943 

 

U.S. Navy Wildcat Fighter
U.S. Navy Photo

     On the morning of October 7, 1943, a navy FM-1 Wildcat, (Bu. No. 15193), was in the process of landing at the Quonset Point Naval Air Station when a strong crosswind blew it off the runway as it was touching down.  The aircraft ground-looped at high speed and was heavily damaged.  The pilot was not injured.

     Source: U. S. Navy accident report #44-8979, dated October 7, 1943.

 

 

Filed Under: Rhode Island - Military Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Quonset Point, R. I. – August 31, 1944

June 25, 2019

Quonset Point, Rhode Island – August 31, 1944 

 

TBF-1 Avenger
U. S. Navy Photo

     On the afternoon of August 31, 1944, a navy TBF-1 Avenger, (Bu. No. 06077), was landing at the Quonset Point Naval Air Station when the aircraft ground-loped at high speed damaging the landing gear and buckling the fuselage.  There were no injuries.

     Source: U. S. Navy accident report dated August 31, 1944.

 

Filed Under: Rhode Island - Military Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Quonset Point, R. I. – February 17, 1944

June 16, 2019

Quonset Point, Rhode Island – February 17, 1944

 

TBF-1 Avenger
U. S. Navy Photo

     On the afternoon of February 17, 1944, a navy TBF-1C Avenger, (Bu. No. 48027), was landing at the Quonset Point Naval Air Station when the landing gear collapsed shortly after touchdown. The aircraft skidded for over 900 feet before coming to rest.  The aircraft suffered major damage but the three-man crew was not injured.

     The aircraft was assigned to Torpedo Squadron Four, (VT-4).

     Source:

     U. S. Navy accident report #44-11785, dated February 17, 1944.  

Filed Under: Rhode Island - Military Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Quonset Point, R. I. – March 13, 1942

June 14, 2019

Quonset Point, Rhode Island – March 13, 1942 

 

North American Texan Military Trainer
Author Photo

     On March 3, 1942, a navy SNJ-3 trainer aircraft, (BU. No. 6911), landed at the Quonset Point Naval Air Station after a night training flight.  Just after touchdown the pilot realized the brakes weren’t working, and the aircraft went off the end of the runway and nosed over.  The pilot was not injured.

     Source:

     U. S. Navy accident report dated March 13, 1942.    

 

Filed Under: Rhode Island - Military Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Quonset Point, R. I. – August 22, 1944

June 13, 2019

Quonset Point, Rhode Island – August 22, 1944

 

U.S. Navy F6F Hellcat
U.S. Navy photo

     On the night of August 22, 1944, a flight of navy F6F Hellcat fighters were taking part in a night-carrier-landing-practice exercise at the Quonset Point Naval Air Station, when one of the aircraft, (Bu. No. 70169), landed with its landing gear still in the “up” position.  The plane skidded to a stop and suffered significant damage, but the pilot was not injured.

     Source:

     U. S. Navy accident report dated August 22, 1944.      

Filed Under: Rhode Island - Military Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Quonset Point, R. I. – January 30, 1943

June 11, 2019

Quonset Point, R. I. – January 30, 1943

 

U.S. Navy Wildcat Fighter
U.S. Navy Photo

     On January 30, 1943, a navy F4F Wildcat, (Bu. No. 12147), was taking off for a training flight from the Quonset Point Naval Air Station.  Just as the aircraft reached an altitude of 700 feet the engine lost all power.  The aircraft was too low for the pilot to bail out, so he tried to glide  towards a wooded clearing.  At an altitude of 50 feet he was able to restart the engine, and as he did so the Wildcat clipped some tree tops causing damage to the plane.  The pilot was able to gain enough altitude to make it back to Quonset Point.  As he was landing, the aircraft hit a snowbank which caused it to swing upwards into an almost vertical position and then slam back down.  The aircraft was heavily damaged but the pilot was not injured.

     Source:

     U. S. Navy accident report dated January 30, 1943.

Filed Under: Rhode Island - Military Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Quonset Point, R. I. – March 1, 1944

March 26, 2019

Quonset Point, Rhode Island – March 1, 1944

     On March 1, 1944, Ensign Harold B. Kiess, (21), was struck and killed by the spinning propeller of an SNJ Texan trainer aircraft while walking along a taxiway at the Quonset Point Naval Air Station.  It was noted that there were other aircraft in the immediate vicinity with their engines running, as well as a strong wind blowing at the time of the accident.      

     Ensign Kiess had just turned 21 on February 24th.  He’s buried in Memorial Park Cemetery in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.  He was assigned to VB-14 at Quonset Point. 

     Sources:

     U. S. Navy accident report #44-12695, dated March 1, 1944.   

     www.findagrave.com, memorial #63257650.

Filed Under: Rhode Island - Military Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Quonset Point, R. I. – January 25, 1944

March 10, 2019

Quonset Point, R. I. – January 25, 1944

 

U.S. Navy SBD Dauntless
U.S. Navy Photo.

     At 4:10 p.m. on the afternoon of January 25, 1944, an SBD-5 Dauntless, (Bu. No. 28651), landed at the Quonset Point Naval Air Station and collided with another SBD-5, (Bu. No. 36454), that was stopped on the runway due to a flat tire.  At the time of the accident darkness was falling, and the control tower had failed to notify incoming aircraft of the hazard.

     The two-man crew of the incoming Dauntless were not injured.  The crew of the other Dauntless suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

     Both aircraft were substantially damaged, and both were assigned to VB-4.    

     Source:

     U. S. Navy accident report #44-11175, dated January 25, 1944.

Filed Under: Rhode Island - Military Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Quonset Point, R. I. – April 25, 1947

January 21, 2019

Quonset Point, Rhode Island – April 25, 1947 

 

F8F Bearcat
U. S. Navy Photo

     On April 25, 1947, an F8F-1 Bearcat, (Bu. No. 94797), was taking off from the Quonset Point Naval Air Station.  Just after becoming airborne and while still over the runway, the engine suddenly lost all power.   The pilot made an emergency water landing in Narragansett Bay just off the end of the runway.  The aircraft sank, but the pilot was able to escape and was rescued by a crash-rescue boat from Quonset.  

     The aircraft was assigned to VF-17 at Quonset Point.

     Source: U. S. Navy accident report dated April 25, 1947

Filed Under: Rhode Island - Military Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Quonset Point NAS – January 31, 1944

March 14, 2018

Quonset Point Naval Air Station – January 31, 1944

 

Douglas SBD-6 Dauntless
U.S. Navy Photo

     On January 31, 1944, Ensign A. G. King was piloting an SBD-5 Dauntless, (Bu. No. 29030), while practicing field carrier landings at Quonset Point.  As he was making a landing approach, he lowered the landing gear, but due to a mechanical failure with the aircraft, only one of the wheels came down.  The aircraft suffered heavy damage, but Ensign King was not hurt.

     Source; U.S. Navy Accident Report #44-11373 

 

Filed Under: Rhode Island - Military Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Quonset Point NAS – December 9, 1943

March 14, 2018

Quonset Point Naval Air Station – December 9, 1943

 

Douglas SBD-6 Dauntless
U.S. Navy Photo

     On the night of December 9, 1943, an SBD-5 Dauntless aircraft, ( Bu. No. 28767), struck an unoccupied truck that was left parked along the side of the runway during take off.  The aircraft was damaged beyond repair, but the pilot and the gunner were unhurt. 

     Source: U. S. Navy Accident Report #44-19181

Filed Under: Rhode Island - Military Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Quonset Point NAS – May 29, 1957

April 23, 2016

Quonset Point Naval Air Station – May 29, 1957

Quonset Point, Rhode Island

   

P2V Neptune U.S. Air Force Photo

P2V Neptune
U.S. Air Force Photo

      On May 29, 1957, a U.S Navy P2V-5F Neptune aircraft, (#124905), crashed in the water of Narragansett Bay about 500 feet north of runway 19.  All six crewmen aboard were rescued.  No further details. 

     The photos below show the aircraft being recovered from the water.

 

 

 

 

P2V-5F Neptune, Bu. No. 124905 U.S. Navy Photo

P2V-5F Neptune, Bu. No. 124905
U.S. Navy Photo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

P2V-5F Neptune Bu. No. 124905 U.S. Navy Photo

P2V-5F Neptune Bu. No. 124905
U.S. Navy Photo

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Source: U.S. Navy, Aircraft Crash Fire Report, Quonset Point NAS, Rhode Island, #7-57

Filed Under: Rhode Island - Military Tagged With: , , ,

Quonset Point Naval Air Station – May 24, 1966

August 7, 2015

Quonset Point Naval Air Station  – May 24, 1966

     On the night of May 24, 1966, Lieut. Cmdr. Bruce R. Richmond, 31, and Lieut. Stephen Losey, 37, were practicing landings and take offs at Quonset Point Naval Air Station when their twin-engine aircraft crashed in Narragansett Bay.  Both men were killed. The type of aircraft was not stated.

     Lieut. Cmdr. Richmond is buried in Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, California.  To see a photo of his grave see www.findagrave.com memorial #3427105.

     Lieut. Losey is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.  To see a photo of his grave go to www.findagrave.com memorial #49249517.   He was from New Jersey.

     Sources:

     New York Times, “Two Navy Fliers Die In Crash”, May 25, 1966

     www.findagrave.com

Filed Under: Rhode Island - Military Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Newport, R.I. – November 4, 1951

January 6, 2016

Newport, Rhode Island – November 4, 1951 

    

U.S. Navy Grumman F9F Panther U.S. Navy Photo - National Archives

U.S. Navy
Grumman F9F Panther
U.S. Navy Photo – National Archives

     On Sunday, November 4, 1951, a flight of several U.S. Navy, Grumman F9F-5 Panther jets took off from Quonset Point for a routine training mission.  While over the Newport metropolitan area, one of the aircraft (Bu. No. 125269) suddenly began trailing “yellowish smoke” and loosing altitude.   

     The pilot, Ensign Ralph Anthony Lennon, 23, of Flushing, New York, elected to stay with the aircraft to maneuver it away from a populated area and aimed the plane towards the water near Easton’s Beach. 

     Witnesses on the ground reported that after trailing smoke, the plane suddenly burst into flame and began to break apart.  The tail section came down on top of a home at 77 Cottage Street while the main body of the plane came down on property at 396 and 428 Gibbs Avenue.  Cottage Street intersects with Gibbs Avenue, and the three locations are close to each other, and close to Easton Pond behind Easton’s Beach.

     Ensign Lennon was killed in the crash.  Had he not stayed with his aircraft it would have crashed in downtown Newport where the streets were crowded with people and traffic.  As it was, pieces of his jet rained down over an area a 1/2 mile from the crash site, with one piece reportedly narrowly missed a baby sleeping in its carriage.

     There were no reports of anyone on the ground being injured, and the debris that landed on homes didn’t start any fires. 

     Thousands of onlookers descended on the area, sifting through debris, trampling the scene, and hampering fire and rescue efforts. 

     The cause of the accident wasn’t immediately apparent.        

     Ensign Lennon was born October 9, 1928.  He graduated from Cardinal Hayes High School in The Bronx, N.Y., and the University of Iowa, before joining the navy in 1946.  He was a veteran of the Korean War, and at the time of his death was attached to VF-71, then stationed at Quonset Point.  He’s buried in Long Island National Cemetery in Farmingdale, New York. 

     Sources:

     Newport Daily News, “Navy To Probe Crash Of Quonset Jet Plane In City” November 5, 1951, Page 1

     Newport Daily News, “Navy Jet Plane Crash Spectators Give harrowing Stories Of Incident”, November 5, 1951, page 1.

     Newport Daily News, “Navy Salvage Crew Clears Scene Of Jet Crash”, November 6, 1951, page 3.

     www.Findagrave.com – Ralph Anthony Lennon

     

    

Filed Under: Rhode Island - Military Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Narragansett Bay – February 25, 1945

June 10, 2015

Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island – February 25, 1945 

    

F6F Hellcat U.S. Navy Photo

F6F Hellcat
U.S. Navy Photo

     On February 25, 1945, Ensign Thomas William McSteen, 21, was killed when the F6F-5N Hellcat, (Bu. No. 70670) he was piloting crashed near Fox Island in the west passage of Narragansett Bay, between Jamestown and the mainland.  Ensign McSteen and three other Hellcat aircraft were taking part in a carrier landing training exercise at the time.  After examining the recovered aircraft, investigators concluded the accident occurred as a result of engine failure.  

     Ensign McSteen graduated Mt. Lebanon, Penn. High School in 1941, and enlisted in the navy in February of 1943. He received his Ensign’s commission and his pilot’s wings at Pensacola Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida, in July of 1944.

     Ensign McSteen was survived by his wife Margaret Elizabeth, who he married at Pensacola NAS on July 22, 1944.  He’s buried in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Pennsylvania.   To see a photograph of Ensign McSteen, click on the link below. 

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/128268666/thomas-william-mcsteen  

     Sources:

     Larry Webster, Aviation Historian & Archaeologist

     Pittsburgh Post – Gazzette, “Mt. Lebanon Girl Ensign’s Bride”, July 30, 1944 

     Historic Pitsburgh General Text Collection – Pittsburgh Library, “That We Might Have A Better World”, authored by the Mt. Lebanon School District, 1946. www.images.library.pitt.edu 

    U.S. Navy Accident Report dated February 25, 1945

Filed Under: Rhode Island - Military Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,
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