Atlantic Ocean – December 23, 1943
F6F Hellcat
U.S. Navy Photo
On December 23, 1943, Ensign Curtis L. Johnson was piloting an F6F-3 Hellcat aircraft, (#65933), off the coast of Westerly, Rhode Island, on a night training flight when his airplane developed engine trouble. After reporting his situation, he was ordered to return to shore, and was following another aircraft in that direction when he evidently crashed into the sea and was killed. The crash was not observed by the pilot of the other plane, but according to the navy accident report, a “civilian reported seeing a plane crash into (the) water but wreckage (was) never found.”
According to the navy accident report, Ensign Johnson was assigned to VF-51.
Source:
U.S. Navy Accident Report #44-10170
