Things that go bump in the night. February 8, 1968, aboard the USS Wasp (CVS-18) about 600 miles off the Virginia coast in a bad storm. Seas were running 16 - 20 feet, wind was 60 mph, with gusts to 90 mph. We received an SOS from a Liberian tanker that was in danger of capsizing. We launched an E-1B Tracer and two SH-3A Sea Kings to locate the tanker and remove the crew. The two helos returned safely with the crew of the tanker. The E-!B Tracer struck the round down at the rear of the carrier, shearing off the starboard main mount strut and driving the nose wheel strut throught the floor of the cockpit. The aircraft slid to a stop and all four aircrew exited safely, although they were visibly shaken. The copilot actually kissed the flight deck. We spent most of the remainder of the night securing the aircraft to the deck. The following day, the engines were removed and the aircraft was cannibalized for parts. Then the aircraft was jettisioned over the side.
Posted on: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 02:00:08 +0000
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