ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 81112
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Wednesday 24 November 1943 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat |
| Owner/operator: | US Navy |
| Registration: | 66101 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | near Makin Atoll -
 Kiribati
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | USS Cowpens |
In November 1943, TG 50.1, build around the aircraft carriers Yorktown and Lexington and the light aircraft carrier Cowpens, was one of several aircraft carrier groups supporting the Operation Galvanic, the invasion of the Gilbert Islands by US forces. TG 50.1 especially concentrated against the islands of Makin and Mille. On 24 November at midday the formation was between Mille and Makin, in the zone nicknamed Alpha, by 172° 58’ E 4° 08’ N.
At 1333 hrs the F6F-3 Buno 66101 of VF-25 suffered a catstrophic fuel leak and fire on takeoff from the Cowpens. Unaware that his aircraft was on fire the pilot, Lt.(jg) Alfred W. Magee, Jr., turned back and attempted an emergency landing on the Cowpens. A picture in the book "F6F Hellcat at War" (page 89) show the plane as it prepared to land. The pilot landed successfully his burning aircraft. Magee then realised how bad the fire was and evacuated his fighter without injury (another picture show him running on the wing) while fire fighting crews rushed to the plane. They put out the flames in a minute and a half, with no casualties.
Ammunition and belly tank were quickly removed. Efforts to extinguish internal wing and wiring did not succeed, the danger of an outbreak of fire was imminent and the damage sustained so extensive that the plane was pushed at 1401 hrs over the starboard quarter of the carrier while still playing fog spray on it.
Sources:
USS Cowpens War Diary, November 1943 (available online at https://www.fold3.com/image/270775500)
http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/25.htm
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:F6F-3_of_VF-25_burning_on_USS_Cowpens_%28CVL-25%29_in_November_1943.jpg
"F6F Hellcat at War", by Cory Graff. ISBN 978-0-7603-3306-8
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/USN/LLNov43.htm
http://ww2air.altervista.org/ww2/galvanic.htm
http://www.wwiiarchives.net/servlet/action/document/page/1390/1/0
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=4.132764&lon=172.968750&z=8&m=b
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 14-Nov-2010 11:55 | ASN archive | Added |
| 25-Nov-2015 06:46 | Laurent Rizzotti | Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Country, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 28-Nov-2021 01:13 | Ron Averes | Updated [Country] |
| 10-Jul-2022 05:12 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation