Atlantic Ocean – September 15, 1948
On September 15, 1948, a navy F8F-1 Bearcat, (Bu. No. 121561), left the Quonset Point Naval Air Station to rendezvous with the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Leyte, (CV-32), operating off the coast of New England. As the aircraft was making its landing approach to the carrier the engine suddenly lost all power. The pilot immediately dropped the belly tank and retracted the landing gear and made an emergency water landing. The pilot was able to escape before the plane sank and was rescued a short time later. The pilot suffered non-life-threatening injuries, and the aircraft was not recovered.
The pilot was assigned to Fighter Squadron 71 at Quonset Point. (VF-71)
The accident occurred at 19 degrees 32.5 north/75 degrees27.7 west.
Source: U. S. Navy accident report dated September 15, 1948.