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| Date: | Tuesday 13 August 1974 |
| Time: | 21:38 |
| Type: |  North American RA-5C Vigilante |
| Owner/operator: | United States Navy (USN) |
| Registration: | 151630 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Gulf of Mexico, 3.6 naut. miles north-northwest of Naples, FL -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | NAS Boca Chica, FL |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Crashed into the Gulf of Mexico off the West Florida Coast due to an engine bay fire. Pilot (Lt) missing, not found. Other rescued.
Crashed into Gulf of Mexico NNW of Naples, Florida in about 20 feet of water on training flight. IFR enroute to VFR night reconnaissance route out of Boca Chica NAS. Ejection at 13,000’, 22 minutes into flight. Pilot’s remains were recovered 4 days later. Report states no seat pan deployment. Helmet and oxygen mask were in place with visor down. Survival radio missing. His shroud cutter was out of his pocket, lanyard attached. Navy accident report is censored and does not give reason for ejection but loss of one generator was reported to Miami Center and by RAN. Wreckage was partially recovered. SAR for pilot was terminated 15 August. Pilot's remains were found on 17 August.
RVAH-3.
Pilot Lt Commander Malcolm W. McKay killed.
RAN/Navigator Lt Hugh Johnson Stephens rescued by Coast Guard patrol boat. He had climbed into his life raft and was first picked up by a passing fishing boat.
151630 was delivered to the Navy on 11 January 1965 and had acquired 3,084.8 total flight hours.
Sources:
http://www.forgottenjets.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/A-5.html
Lakeland Ledger 14 August 1974, p5A
US Navy accident report.
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 16-Jan-2022 12:25 | TB | Updated [Operator, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Source, Narrative] |
| 16-Jan-2022 12:25 | TB | Updated [Time] |
| 11-Jun-2024 12:32 | ChrisB | Updated [Time, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category] |
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