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| Date: | Sunday 3 December 1972 |
| Time: | morning |
| Type: |  Grumman A-6A Intruder |
| Owner/operator: | VMA(AW)-332 USMC |
| Registration: | 154155 |
| MSN: | I-290 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Pamlico Sound, near Beaufort, North Carolina -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | MCAS Cherry Point, Havelock, North Carolina (NKT/KNKT) |
| MCAS Cherry Point, Havelock, North Carolina (NKT/KNKT) |
A-6A Intruder BuNo. 154155 of VMA(AW)-332 at MCAS Cherry Point, Havelock, North Carolina. Destroyed December 3, 1972: Crashed into Pamlico Sound while practicing low level vis ord when they caught a wing tip on the water while turning inbound to the target. The accident board found that the air crew lost ground reference in the turn due to very bright early morning sun and glare
Both crew - Mike Rohrer (Pilot) and Bob Baurle (Bombardier/Navigator)- did not eject, and both were killed, The crew was recovered several weeks later. According to the following eyewitness report:
"I flew with VMA (AW)-332 at Cherry Point in 1972 and early 1973. We lost an A-6A in the autumn of 1972 on a target down near Beaufort, North Carolina. Mike Rohrer was the pilot and Bob Baurle was the Bombardier/Navigator. They were practicing low level vis ord when they caught a wing tip on the water while turning inbound to the target. The accident board found that the air crew lost ground reference in the turn due to very bright early morning sun and glare. There were no ejections. The crew was recovered still in the cockpit several weeks later after the Navy brought in side-scan sonar to locate the wreckage in the Pamlico sound".
Sources:
1. http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_serials/thirdseries19.html
2. http://web.archive.org/web/20180422222159/http://www.millionmonkeytheater.com/A-6.html
3. http://web.archive.org/web/20171103001143/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk:80/aircraft_by_type/a6_prowler.htm
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 26-Mar-2016 02:49 | Dr.John Smith | Added |
| 26-Mar-2016 02:50 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Time, ] |
| 13-Jul-2016 05:45 | Anon. | Updated [Narrative, ] |
| 27-Dec-2019 22:05 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator, Operator, ] |
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