ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 185754
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| Date: | Friday 21 August 1970 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: |  Grumman A-6A Intruder |
| Owner/operator: | VA-176, US Navy |
| Registration: | 155593 |
| MSN: | I-319 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Lake Chesdin, near Petersburg, Dinwiddie County, Virginia -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | NAS Oceana, Virginia Beach, VA (NTU/KNTU) |
| NAS Oceana, Virginia Beach, VA (NTU/KNTU) | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
A-6A Intruder BuNo. 155593/'AE-501' of VA-176 "Thunderbolts", US Navy. Destroyed when crashed August 21, 1970: Inoperative horizontal stabilitor caused by mechanical rework error. Crashed into Lake Chesdin, near Petersburg, Dinwiddie County, Virginia at approximate Coordinates 37°13′14″N 77°31′30″W. Both crew - Lt. Andrew Michael Prydybasz (bombardier/navigator) and Lt L. Roberts (pilot) - ejected safely with non life threatening injuries. According to the following published report:
"A-6A BuNo 155593 assigned to the VA-176 Thunderbolts. The aircraft was lost on 21 August, 1970 on a check flight originating from NAS Oceana, Virginia Beach, Virginia. Returning to NAS Oceana at a relatively low altitude the aircraft experienced hydraulic system pressure loss and stabilator problems that caused an un-commanded dive and crash into Lake Chesdin. Both the crew did survive but they had some major injuries. Apparently bits hit several civilian cars and took out some treetops. They say it virtually disintegrated. The Navy recovered about 80% of the wreckage shortly after the crash. The tail hook was recovered from the lake near the Dinwiddie and Amelia County border in 2007. Aircrew survived the ejection with injuries and were picked up and assisted by two local residents." The aircraft tail hook was donated as a USNA class of 1965 memento and is located in the base of the Bill the Goat statue contributed by the USNA class of 1965 at the Navy Marine Corp Memorial Stadium located in Annapolis Maryland.
On August 27, 2010 local TV station CBS WTVR 6 ran a story "Father and Son Find 40 Year-old Fighter Jet" reporting on the wreckage being exposed by the falling level of Lake Chesdin due to droughts prevailing at the time:
"Father and Son Find 40 Year-old Fighter Jet - WTVR
Underneath the still waters of Lake Chesdin lies a mystery. But, clues have begun to surface. A father and son discovered pieces of a navy jet fighter. Though corroded, it was still in good shape. Three weeks ago, Jim Croom and his 7 year-old son, Jonathan stumbled upon the airplane parts while riding on the golf cart at the Cozy Cove Camp Ground in Dinwiddie."
Sources:
1. http://web.archive.org/web/20180422222159/http://www.millionmonkeytheater.com/A-6.html
2. http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_serials/thirdseries19.html
3. http://web.archive.org/web/20171103001143/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk:80/aircraft_by_type/a6_prowler.htm
4. http://usnatrident.blogspot.com/2015/09/class-of-1965-donates-bill-goat-statue.html
5. http://www.topix.com/forum/news/air-accidents/T3G6P2SSHSLMEL3TG
6. http://web.archive.org/web/20100831021750/http://www.wtvr.com:80/news/wtvr-airplane-dinwiddie-fighter-jet,0,5216864.story
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 23-Mar-2016 18:04 | Dr.John Smith | Added |
| 23-Mar-2016 18:08 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 25-Jul-2017 17:05 | Anon. | Updated [Narrative] |
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