Atlantic Ocean – July 11, 1965

Atlantic Ocean – July 11, 1965

Approx. 100 miles northeast of Nantucket, Massachusetts

EC-121 Super Constellation U.S. Air Force Photo

EC-121 Super Constellation
U.S. Air Force Photo

     On the night of July 11, 1965, an Air Force EC-121H Super Constellation radar aircraft with a crew of 19 aboard, was flying over the Atlantic when a fire in one engine forced the pilot to ditch in the water. 

     The last radio transmission received from the pilot was , “Altitude 200 feet, I am ditching.”   

     The Constellation broke up when it hit the water. 

     The aircraft carrier U.S.S. Wasp and several other ships were in the area on naval exercises, and immediately launched a search and rescue operation.  Of the 19 men aboard, only three were rescued.  Nine bodies were recovered.  The other seven were listed as “missing, presumed dead”.

     Those rescued were :

     1st Lt. Bruce E. Witcher, navigator, of Redding, CA.

     Airman 1c John N. Puopolo, of Roslindale, Mass.

     Airman 2c David A. Surles, of Raleigh, N.C.

     The dead and missing were identified as:

     Capt. Murray J. Brody, pilot, of New York City. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/47581457/murray-joseph-brody

     2nd Lt. Fred Ambrosio, pilot, of Otis AFB.

     1st Lt. Thomas Fiedler, pilot, of Davenport, Iowa. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/180145092/thomas-john-fiedler

     2nd Lt. Ira J. Husik, navigator, of Philadelphia. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/24081498/ira-jay-husik

     Capt. Edward N. Anaka of Akron, N.Y. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/215621805/edward-nicolas-anaka

     Capt. Michael R. Barbolla, of the Bronx, N.Y. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/24014841/michael-richard-barbolla

     T. Sgt. Gilbert T. Armstrong, flight engineer, of Newport, VT. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/23940483/gilbert-l-armstrong

     T. Sgt. Eugene J. Schreivogel, of Springfield, Colorado. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/23936020/eugene-j-schreivogel

     S. Sgt. Raymond M. Washam, of Wilmington, Del. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/95227906/raymond-michael-washam

     S. Sgt. Francis J. Griffin, of Toronto, Canada.

     S. Sgt. John L. Howard, of Sanford, PA.

     Airman 1c George R. West, of Wyoming, Mich. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/104573894/george-raymond-west

     Airman 1c Charles K. Sawyer, of Anderson, S.C. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/116457890/charles-keith-sawyer

     Airman 2c William E. Howe Jr., of North Augusta, S.C. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/17478270/william-ernest-howe

     Airman 2c Charles H. Williams, of Worcester, Mass. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/256181142/charles-h-williams

     Airman 3c Charles J. Podjaski, of Evergreen Park, Ill. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/256181165/charles-j-podjaski

     The aircraft was assigned to Otis Air Force Base in Falmouth, Massachusetts.

     There is much more information available relating to this accident.  To find out more, go to http://www.heinzalbers.org/aircrash.htm  to read numerous articles from the Cape Cod Standard Times about this incident.    

Sources:

New York Times, “9 Airmen Perish In Plane Ditching”, July 13, 1965

New York Times, “Crash Survivors Describe Ordeal”, July 14, 1965

Chicago Tribune, “Buddies Tell How Airmen Died In Crash”, July 14, 1965, Pg. 2

New York Times, “Coast Guard Halts Search For Airmen In Plane Crash”, July 18, 1965

 

Atlantic Ocean – June 29, 1948

Atlantic Ocean – June 29, 1948

Near “No Man’s Land” Island, Martha’s Vineyard

    

U.S. Navy F6F Hellcat U.S. Navy photo

U.S. Navy F6F Hellcat
U.S. Navy photo

     On June 29, 1948, a Grumman Hellcat which had been converted into a remote control drone was launched from Otis Air Field in Falmouth, Massachusetts, for a test flight.  Once airborne the aircraft was controlled by equipment aboard the U.S.S. Providence sailing in Buzzards Bay off Falmouth.  After flying over portions of Massachusetts and Rhode Island it went out to sea where it failed to respond to further signals from the Providence.  It crashed in the ocean near “No Man’s Land” Island, off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard.  The total flight covered nearly 190 miles.    

     Parts of the wrecked aircraft were later recovered by fishing boat in the area and turned over to the Coast Guard.   The aircraft had been painted red as part of the conversion.

     Source: Falmouth Enterprise, “Radio-Controlled Target Plane Crashes Into Bay”, July 2, 1948

 

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