Quonset Point, Rhode Island – February 18, 1946
F8F Bearcat
U. S. Navy Photo
On February 18, 1946, an F8F-1 Bearcat, (Bu. No. 94830), was taking off from the Quonset Point Naval Air Station for a training flight. Just as the aircraft left the ground the pilot retracted the landing gear. Just as he did so, the engine lost all power and the aircraft settled back onto the runway with its wheels up. It skidded for 400 feet before stopping 60 feet from the shore of Narragansett Bay. The aircraft suffered considerable damage, but the pilot was not hurt.
The aircraft was assigned to VBF-18 at Quonset Point.
Source:
U. S. Navy accident report dated February 18, 1946
