Otis Field, Massachusetts – November 19, 1945
TBM-3E Avenger
U. S. Navy Photo
On November 19, 1945, a TBM-3E Avenger, (Bu. No. 69004), with a lone pilot aboard, was was taking part in a training exercise making practice carrier landings and take-offs at Otis Field in Falmouth, Massachusetts. While orbiting in a “traffic circle”, the pilot noted fluctuations in the fuel flow to the engine so he switched tanks. The engine ran smoothly for a few seconds and then suddenly quit, forcing the pilot to make an emergency wheels-up landing. The aircraft came down hard, crushing the bomb-bay doors and causing other serious damage to the plane. There was no fire upon impact, and the pilot was not injured.
The aircraft was assigned to VT-43
Source: U. S. Navy accident report, dated November 19, 1945
