The call of the roll. Final Memorial Day Post

Since this is Memorial Day, it is appropriate that I recognize those folks who had to pay the price of aviation’s hazards. Listed below is a summary of all fatal E-2 and C-2 mishaps from the records of the Hawkeye and Greyhound community that I could find as well as the names of those E-2 and C-2 Aviators who were killed in other aircraft mishaps.

VAW-123, USS Forrestal, E-2A, Mediterranean Sea, October 16, 1969, Lost at Sea in a bolter…. LCDR Paul Martin Wright, LCDR James Leo Delaney, LTjg Howard Booth Rutledge.

USS Coral Sea-1970 E-2A, 112 km Off Đồng Hới, the crew informed the ship about a fire in the cockpit. Crashed into the Gulf of Tonkin while trying to return to the ship. Lt(jg) Charles Brooks Pfaffmann, Lt Larry Coleman Knight, SN Brian Lee Bushnell, SN Andrew Anthony Horchar, AMEC Jack Lee Wright.

VAW-115, 19 Oct 1971, E-2B, USS Midway, Aircraft was on final approach when an A-7 crossed the pattern and clipped the E2’s wing. This caused a loss of hydraulic pressure and control of the aircraft. LCDR K. Rasmussen, LT N. Tucker, LT D. Vonprychtyns, LT. E Pearlman, AT2 R. Poe.

VAW-120- 1973 E-2B. Crashed in the water just off Ocean View (Norfolk). Lt. Walter J. MacLeod Jr., Lt. Cmdr. Randall M. Moore, Lt. Edward W. Cassel, Lt. Arthur T. Dunn, Ens. Howard E. Wagoner.

VAW-125, 14 January 1978. E-2C Elevator disconnect accident over Supply, NC. LCDR’s Ken llgenfritz, Tom Davis and LT Jim Beamer. Two “guest” CVW-1 aircrew also perished.

VAW-115, USS Midway, Aug 1985… E-2C. Aircraft crashed into the sea after a night bolter. LT(jg) Kevin Kuhnig and Ens Chris Mims, Lost at sea.

VAW-126 USS John F. Kennedy, July 31, 1992. E-2C. The aircraft crashed due to a hydraulic fire. Lt. Cmdr. Alan M. McLachlen, Lt. Michael F. Horowitz, Lt. Tristram E. Farmer, Lt. j.g. Thomas D. Plautz, Lt. j.g. Richard Siter Jr.

VAW-124 USS Theodore Roosevelt, March 26th, 1993, crashed ahead of the ship in the Ionian Sea. LCDR Jon A. Rystrom, LT William R. Dyer, LT Robert A. Forwalder, LT. Patrick J. Ardaiz, and LT John A. Messier.

USCG, 1990, Roosevelt Roads PR, E-2C. Crashed 500 yards short of the runway. LT. Duane E. Stenbak, LT Paul E. Perlt, LT. Craig E. Lerner, Petty Officer Matthew H. Baker.

VAW-120, USS Harry S. Truman, Aug 15, 2007, shortly after takeoff, the aircraft crashed into the sea, 240 km off Virginia. LT. Ryan Betton, LT Cameron Hall, LT Jerry Smith.

VAW-121, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, Mar 31, 2010, Inflight pitch lock, 3 crewmembers bailed out, LT Steve Zilberman was killed.

LT John Gore (VAW 126, VR-48) 15 Nov 85. C-131 crashed shortly after take-off from Napier Field, Dothan, Alabama,

LT Tom Waterbury, VAW-117. 15 April 1992, Killed in a T-2C mishap. Crashed in the Gulf of Mexico shortly after launch from USS Forrestal, operating ~70 miles S of NAS Pensacola, Florida.

LT John Brown, Dec 5th, 1994. T-34C. Former C-2 driver. Aircraft lost control in the vicinity of Robertsdale AL.

LT Greg Fulco, VAW-112, 21 Feb 2001, T-45A mishap. Aircraft was performing safety observer duties about a mile from the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower when it crashed.

LT Tom Adams, USN 22 March 2003, Persian Gulf in a Sea King Mk2 which crashed while doing AEW on an OIF combat mission during a PEP tour with the Royal Navy.

LT Patrick Ruth, VAW-126, T-45 mishap on 1 Oct 2017. Aircraft crashed during low-level flight.

C-2A, Squadron unknown, 1965 – Thursday 29 April 1965 (from NAS Patuxent River). The first YC-2A prototype (modified E-2A Hawkeye) ditched into Long Island Sound while on a test flight. CDR Murdoch M McLeod; LCDR Thomas A Eades and 2 unknown.

C-2A, VRC-50, 1969 – 2 October 1969 (USS Constellation CV-64), The Greyhound departed Luzon Island-Cubi Point NAS (NCP), Philippines to fly to USS Constellation. Aircraft destroyed when it crashed into the sea near the ship. All six crew members and 21 passengers were killed. LT Herbert H. Dilger; LT Richard A. Livingston, PO3 Paul K. Moser; PO3 Michael J. Tye and PO3 Rayford J. Hill and twenty passengers:Terry L. Beck; Richard W. Bell; Michael L. Bowman; Frank Bytheway; Rolando C. Dayao; Donald C. Dean; Carl J. Ellerd; James J. Fowler; Roy G. Fowler; Leonardo M. Gan; Paul E. Gore; William D. Gorsuch; Delvin L. Kohler; Howard M. Koslosky; Robert B. Leonard; Ronald W. Montgomery; William R. Moore; Kenneth M. Prentice; Fidel G. Salazar; Keavin L. Terrell; Reynaldo R. Viado (all missing)

C-2A VRC-50, 1970 -USS Ranger, 15 December 1970, just after being catapulted, aircraft stalled and crashed into the Gulf of Tonkin. LT Meril Olen McCoy, LT(JG) Anthony J. Piersanti,P03 Clyde Chilton Owen, AMS3 John Frank Szlapa plus 9 passengers whose names I could not find.

C-2A USNTPS, Monday 23 August 1971 ( NAS Patuxent River), aircraft crashed into the Chesapeake Bay two miles east of Hermanvill. LCDR John E. McCauley, LCDR D. K. Shiverdecker, Grumman Aerospace Co. David Hauptmann.

C-2A, VRC-50, 1971 – Sunday 12 December 1971 (NAS Cubi Point), Crashed during a logistics flight in the Vietnam War. LT Vetal C. LaMountain, LTJG Gale V. Woolsey, ABH3 Richard C. Gaynor, AN James M. VanBussum and their passengers, CTOC Donald E. Dickerson, CTR1 Walter R. Woods , CTM2 Gregory K. Zeller , CTO3 James M. Coon , CTOSN Stephen H. Elliott,CTISN John R. Deremigio.

C-2A VR-24, 1972 – Saturday 29 January 1972 (USS Independence CV-62), Crashed into the sea while attempting to land on carrier USS Independence. Pilots were trapped in the cockpit. LT Kenneth M. Garton, LT David E. Alger.

C-2A, VR-24, 1973 – Friday 16 November 1973 (USS Independence CV-62), Crashed into the sea about five miles from runway 11 after both engines lost power. Crew survived, 7 passengers, killed.

VRC-40, 1993 (USS Theodore Roosevelt) AD1 Mark Wall blown overboard.

C-2A, VRC-30 DET 5, 2017 – Wednesday 22 November 2017 (USS Ronald Reagan CVN-76), Aircraft crashed at sea. LT Steven Combs and passengers, Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equipment) Airman Matthew Chialastri and Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Apprentice Bryan Grosso were killed.

This is not a complete list I am sure. Please let me know of any additions that need to be made.