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| Date: | Wednesday 3 June 1959 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  North American YA-5A-1 Vigilante |
| Owner/operator: | North American Aviation |
| Registration: | 145158 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | near Columbia Center, OH -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Test |
| Departure airport: | CMH |
| CMH | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Crashed near Route 16 just east of Columbia Center in Licking County after caught in trouble. Test pilot H.Z. Hopkins ejected safely.
Second prototype originally XA3J-1 and redesignated YA-5A-1.
Hydraulic and electrical system failure due to a fire in the nose wheel well. Hydraulic leak ignited battery in the wheel well. The battery was there to power test instruments. Solo pilot safely ejected.
Phase One Preliminary Evaluation had been completed on both prototypes (145157 and 145158), and both had achieved Mach 2. At time of crash 145158 was involved in control systems testing.
Due to the fire Hopkins had set up in the traffic pattern to land at the NAA Columbus plant after a 1-hour flight but then climbed it to eject. Pilot safely ejected at approximately 2,000’-3,000’ landing about 300 yards from the wreck. The Vigilante impacted a corn field about 10 miles east of the airport nearly vertical leaving a 15-foot crater.
Aircraft was still bailed to the manufacturer. The US Navy did not produce an accident report and it is not even noted in their mishap tracker.
NAA test pilot H.Z. “Zeke” Hopkins was the first pilot to eject from a Vigilante and this was the first Vigilante loss.
Sources:
Youngstown Vindicator 3 June 1959, p1
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 29-Nov-2017 19:35 | TB | Added |
| 19-Jul-2022 05:22 | Anon. | Updated [Location] |
| 09-May-2024 12:12 | ChrisB | Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative] |
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