Any landing you can walk away from is a good one????????
Thu Apr 07, 2005 2:03 pm
How's this for a landing! This Bombing Squadron 5 SBD-3 made a VERY hard landing on the USS Yorktown in April 1942. Note the impact point way aft of the flight deck. The Dauntless was split in half through the front cockpit. The pilot broke his back and the gunner had a severe concussion.
Thu Apr 07, 2005 2:06 pm
That would be the first Yorktown correct? Not CV-10?
Mike
Mike
SBD
Thu Apr 07, 2005 2:53 pm
Yes, the first one. The first Yorktown was sunk during the Battle of Midway on June 6, 1942. The second Yorktown carrier wasn't commisioned until later 1943.
Thu Apr 07, 2005 3:20 pm
. That picture reminds me of my Air Wings first time out on the Kittyhawk. One of VFA-97 Pilots hit the deck so hard it broke all the shock mounts off the radar and it was sitting free inside the nose. The only thing keeping it from skidding across the deck were the 4 bolts securing the carriage that hold the radar package (when the shock mounts are not broken).
We had several Hard landings but that took the cake. We joked that the CAG was going to loose an A/C before we pull back in. Not 2 hours later we splashed an EA-6B, The pilot was never found and one of the other crew was recovered but didn't make it. Really took the joke out of the joke.
We had several Hard landings but that took the cake. We joked that the CAG was going to loose an A/C before we pull back in. Not 2 hours later we splashed an EA-6B, The pilot was never found and one of the other crew was recovered but didn't make it. Really took the joke out of the joke.