ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 186050
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| Date: | Wednesday 5 November 1980 |
| Time: | night |
| Type: |  Grumman KA-6D Intruder |
| Owner/operator: | VA-145, US Navy |
| Registration: | 151821 |
| MSN: | I-124 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | USS Ranger, Near -
 Yemen
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | USS Ranger (CVA-61) Indian Ocean |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
KA‑6D Intruder BuNo. 151821/'NE 520' of VA‑145 on board the USS Ranger. destroyed on the night of November 5-6, 1980 when crashed during Westpac cruise whilst the carrier was in the Indian Ocean en route to "Gonzo station" in the Northern Arabian Sea. Both crew ejected successfully, and were recovered by the carriers "plane guard" SAR helicopter. Note that the aircraft took off late on the night of November 5, 1980, and was recorded as lost in the early hours of the following day (November 6): hence both dates appear in published sources. According to eyewitness reports from of the the crew of the USS Ranger:
"Some updates on the KA-6D ejection on 5 Nov 1980 involving VA-145 aircraft NE-520 (BuNo 151821) with Lt Comander Knowles and Lt Wieringa listed as aircrew. This ejection took place during our Westpac cruise, and not at NAS Whidbey Island. I was the VA-145 AQ flight deck troubleshooter at the time, and was on deck when the crew was recovered. I don't know the exact location of the USS Ranger at the time, but it was definitely during the Westpac..."
"I have just a couple of minor inputs. Mike Skelly was correct that the mishap occurred during our 1980/81 WestPac Cruise, but to be more precise the mishap occurred in the Indian Ocean, just two days short of arriving at Gonzo Station in the North Arabian Sea. Also, the occupants of the aircraft are mis-labeled. Lt. Commander Knowles was the Bombardier/Navigator and Lt Wieringa was the pilot. I was on the USS Ranger then as the maintenance officer of VA-25, one of the A-7E squadrons assigned to CVW-2".
Sources:
1. http://web.archive.org/web/20180422222159/http://www.millionmonkeytheater.com/A-6.html
2. http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_serials/thirdseries19.html
3. http://web.archive.org/web/20171103001143/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk:80/aircraft_by_type/a6_prowler.htm
4. https://www.navysite.de/cruisebooks/cv61-81/314.htm
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 31-Mar-2016 16:54 | Dr.John Smith | Added |
| 02-Apr-2016 19:55 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Location, Country] |
| 02-Apr-2016 19:57 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Location] |
| 03-Apr-2016 16:44 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Location] |
| 22-Oct-2020 06:29 | Jeff | Updated [Location] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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