Cape Cod Bay – September, 11, 1944
F6F Hellcat
U.S. Navy Photo
On September 11, 1944, Ensign Henry Karl Klein was piloting a F6F-3 Hellcat, (Bu. No. 41497), over Cape Cod Bay while participating in a dive bombing training exercise. He was seen to begin his dive run from 7,000 feet. His section leader would later report that he saw pieces of Klein’s aircraft break away during the dive. A fisherman who’d been watching the exercise from a distance later told investigators that he saw a wing break off the aircraft just before it hit the water. Ensign Klein’s aircraft plunged into the water and he did not survive.
The cause of the accident was determined to be structural failure of the aircraft for reasons unknown.
Ensign Klein had been assigned to VF-48.
Source:
U. S. Navy Accident Report, dated September 11, 1944
