Otis Air Force Base – June 27, 1947
On June 27, 1947, a flight of F8F Bearcats left the Quonset Naval Air Station bound for Otis Air Force base in Falmouth, Massachusetts, to conduct practice carrier landings and takeoffs The aircraft were assigned to VF-8A at Quonset.
Once at Otis the aircraft commenced the takeoff and landing exercise. As one aircraft, (Bu. No. 95227), was making its approach for its sixth landing, in came in too close behind the aircraft ahead of it. After landing, the pilot applied the brakes to avoid a rear-end collision with the plane ahead, but at that moment the left brake failed which caused the aircraft to swerve off the runway and onto a grassy area. On the grassy area was a parked truck, which the pilot would have struck had he not intentionally ground-looped the aircraft. After missing the truck, the aircraft went into a small ravine and nosed over onto its back. The aircraft was substantially damaged, but the pilot was not seriously hurt.
Source:
U. S. Navy accident report dated June 27, 1947