ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 158702
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| Date: | Tuesday 28 November 1972 |
| Time: | 02:15 |
| Type: |  Grumman A-6A Intruder |
| Owner/operator: | VA-75, US Navy |
| Registration: | 155622 |
| MSN: | I-348 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | in Gulf of Tonkin, 80 miles E of Dong Hoi, North Vietnam -
 Vietnam
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | USS Saratoga (CV-60), Gulf of Tonkin, North Vietnam |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
A-6A Intruder BuNo. 155622/'AC-501' of VA‑75 "Sunday Punchers" on board the USS Saratoga (CVA-60). Lost on combat operations on November 28, 1972: Crashed during launch into Gulf of Tonkin off North Vietnam, 80 miles east of Dong Hoi, at approximate coordinates 17'28.57"N 107'48.56"E. One of the two crew as killed, the other ejected. According to the following eyewitness report from the surviving crew member:
"BuNo 155622 piloted by Commander Charles M. Earnest, Commanding Officer of VA-75 "Sunday Punchers", crashed on takeoff at 02:15 on November 28, 1972 from number one catapult on the USS Saratoga (CVA-60). The PHD (Pilot's Horizontal Display) came out (not bolted in) when the catapult fired and jammed the stick in the full aft position. I (Lt Commander Grady L. Jackson) as the skipper's Bombardier/Navigator, along with Charlie, knew immediately that we were in an extremist situation, but the g-forces prevented us from reacting until we cleared the bow.
As soon as the g-forces eased, I looked over and saw Commander Earnest trying to knock the PHD back in with his hand. However, with the aircraft fully loaded with fuel, and 14 Rockeyes (approximately 500 lbs each), and the stick full aft the aircraft continued to climb in a very nose high attitude and then I felt the sensation of the aircraft start a hard roll to the starboard.
I quickly threw down my flashlight that I used for night launches and reached up and pulled the face curtain and ejected through the canopy as the aircraft rolled through 45 degrees. I must have had parachute deployment as the next thing I knew I was in the water and tangled in the lines from my parachute.
HS-7 put in a rescue swimmer and he cut away my parachute and I was picked up in the SH-3 and we looked for another half hour for Skipper Earnest, but I knew he had not ejected. As a side note Commander Earnest had over 450 missions in Vietnam when he was killed and I spent the remainder of my 30+ year career on active duty getting "Command Ejection" in the A-6 aircraft, which did happen, but then the A-6 aircraft were retired!"
Charles Earnest was not sighted at any time during the search operation, and the SAR effort was terminated at 1200 hours on 28 November. At that time, Cmdr. Earnest was declared Missing in Action.
On 6 December 1972, a Naval Board of Inquiry was convened aboard ship to evaluate all information pertaining to the loss of the Intruder and its pilot. After a thorough review all the facts and circumstances surrounding the loss, including the debriefing statements of Lt. Cmdr. Jackson, the men who were on the flight deck during the Intruder's launch and the SAR personnel who conducted the search operation; the Board of Inquiry determined that Cmdr. Earnest could not have survived: his loss incident and his status was quickly changed to Killed in Action/Body not Recovered.
Sources:
1. A-6 Intruder Units of the Vietnam War By Rick Morgan
2. http://web.archive.org/web/20180422222159/http://www.millionmonkeytheater.com/A-6.html
3. http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_serials/thirdseries19.html
4. http://web.archive.org/web/20171103001143/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk:80/aircraft_by_type/a6_prowler.htm
5. http://taskforceomegainc.org/e055.html
6. https://navy.togetherweserved.com/usn/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=AssignmentExt&ID=1379831
7. https://www.flickr.com/photos/my_public_domain_photos/5434785525
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 28 July 1971 | 155640 | VA-42, US Navy | 0 | Dare County Navy Bombing Range, West of Mateo, North Carolina |  |
w/o |
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 20-Aug-2013 09:00 | Uli Elch | Added |
| 20-Aug-2013 09:34 | Uli Elch | Updated [Date, Registration, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Narrative] |
| 26-Mar-2016 02:25 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 26-Mar-2016 02:30 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Source] |
| 26-Mar-2016 02:34 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 21-Nov-2020 20:40 | Anon. | Updated [Narrative] |
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