Narragansett Bay – April 24, 1943
On April 24, 1942, a U. S. Navy SNJ-4 Texan trainer aircraft, (Bu. No. 27278), was returning to the Quonset Point Naval Air Station after a one hour training flight with a pilot and instructor aboard. While five miles from the air base, and at an altitude of 1,000 feet, the fuel tank ran dry. The pilot switched tanks, but the engine failed to re-start. The pilot made an emergency landing in Narragansett Bay and the plane sank almost immediately. The pilot and instructor were able to escape and were rescued. The aircraft was recovered and required a major overhaul.
Source: U. S. Navy accident report #43-6638, dated April 24, 1943.