Squantum, Massachusetts – February 13, 1946
On February 13, 1946, a navy TBM-3 Avenger, (Bu. No. 23077), was taking off on a training flight from the Squantum Naval Air Station in Massachusetts, bound for the Quonset Point Naval Air Station in Rhode Island. Immediately after leaving the ground the engine vibrated, backfired, and lost all power. The aircraft fell back to the runway with its wheels still locked and down. Upon landing, the pilot was forced to put the airplane into an intentional ground loop to avoid crashing into some ground obstructions. Due to the speed at which this occurred, the aircraft suffered substantial damage, but the pilot was not hurt.
The aircraft was assigned to VJ-15
Source: U. S. Navy accident report dated February 13, 1946.