Original upload date: Mon, 31 Aug 2009 02:00:00 GMT
Archive date: Sun, 05 Dec 2021 14:10:23 GMT
USS Ticonderoga CVA-14 per Ship's Deck log entry states: Sunday 5 December 1965 From: Special Operations Area To: Yokosuka, Japan 12:00 to 16:00 ENTRY:- 14:50 WHILE BEING ROLLED FROM NO. 2 HANGER BAY
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TO NO. 2 ELEVATOR, A4E AIRCRAFT BU NO. 151022 OF VA-56, WITH PILOT LTJG D. M. WEBSTER USN, 668086 ABOARD, ROLLED OFF THE ELEVATOR AND SANK IN 2700 FATHOMS OF WATER AT 27*-33.2'N, 131*-19.3E.
signed by: J. S. McCABE LTJG USN
Broken Arrow, 5 December 1965: "While the USS Ticonderoga CVA-14 was en route from operations off Vietnam to Yokosuka, Japan, an A-4E aircraft Skyhawk [BuNo 151022] of VA-56 Champions loaded with bomb goes overboard. The aircraft was being rolled from the number 2 hangar bay to the number 2 elevator when it rolled off the elevator with the pilot LTJG Douglas M. Webster and the bomb and sank in 2700 fathoms [16,200 feet; 4,938 meters] of water. A search fails to find the pilot. The Department of Defense states this accident took place 'more than 500 miles from land' when it reveals the accident in 1981. However, Navy documents show the accident occurred about 80 miles east of the Japanese Ryuku Island chain and 250 miles south of Kyushu Island, Japan, and about 200 miles east of Okinawa. Due to the pressure at that depth, some believe that the weapon might have imploded. (There is no evidence supporting this)
*****MAY HIS SACRIFICE NEVER BE FORGOTTEN*****
