ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 259733
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| Date: | Thursday 30 October 1969 |
| Time: | 20:08 |
| Type: |  North American RA-5C Vigilante |
| Owner/operator: | US Navy |
| Registration: | 149303 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | South China Sea -
 Mediterranean Sea
|
| Phase: | Standing |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | |
Unoccupied Vigilante rolled off the port side of the Kennedy into the water while the carrier was turning to starboard and sank.
Per USS Kennedy DECK LOG 30 October 1969; Time 1553 Hours: “RA-5C Side Number 601 rolled off the port side of flight deck. Position 34 32.69N 25 57.54E. The ship was in a starboard turn. Commenced maneuvering on various courses and speeds while searching for the aircraft. Time 1558 Hours: Search concluded, results negative.”
Aircraft apparently unoccupied. It sank in less than 5 minutes and they stopped searching. There is no further mention of it or any personnel rescues in the Deck Log.
Confirmed with Cruise Book and other contemporary photos that 149303 was Modex/Side Number 601.
This was the maiden cruise for USS John F Kennedy. She went to the Mediterranean from April to December 1969 relieving Forrestal.
RVAH-14 Eagle Eyes stood-up in February of 1968 specifically to fill the heavy recon role for the commissioning of USS John F Kennedy and there was a long work-up period. They tried to operate with 6 Vigilante per squadron but as losses mounted in Vietnam this declined to 5, then 4, and finally 3 by 1974.
149303 was an A3J-2 redesignated A-5B then converted to RA-5C.
Sources:
http://www.forgottenjets.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/A-5.html
USS John F. Kennedy deck log.
Location
Images:
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 05-Dec-2023 11:27 | ChrisB | Updated [Time, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Country, Phase, Source, Narrative, Category, Photo] |
| 26-Dec-2023 11:22 | ChrisB | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Location, Category] |
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