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| Date: | Tuesday 8 January 1980 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Grumman A-6E Intruder |
| Owner/operator: | VA-196, US Navy |
| Registration: | 160426 |
| MSN: | I-588 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | USS Coral Sea (CVA-43), South China Sea, West of NAS Cubi Pt, Philippi -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | USS Coral Sea (CVA-43)Camel Station, NW Arabian Sea, off Yemen |
A-6E Intruder BuNo. 160426/'NK 510' of VA-196 "Main Battery". Based on board the USS Coral Sea (CVA-43). Aircraft lost January 8, 1980 during a catapult launch. The carrier was, at the time, en route West Pac-Indian Ocean-Persian Gulf, en roue to the area of "Camel Station", the code for an area of the Arabian Sea off the coast of Yemen
(The USS Coral Sea relieved the USS Midway in the northern part of the Arabian Sea on 5 February 1980 in connection with the continuing hostage crisis in Iran. Militant followers of the Ayatollah Khomeini, who had come to power following the overthrow of the Shah, seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran on 4 November 1979 and held 63 U.S. citizens hostage)
Both crew -Lt (JG) Frank Giblin (pilot) and Lt (JG) Dempsey Butler (bombardier/navigator)- ejected, and were recovered by the carriers "plane guard" SAR helicopter.
Sources:
1. http://web.archive.org/web/20180422222159/http://www.millionmonkeytheater.com/A-6.html
2. http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_serials/thirdseries21.html
3. http://web.archive.org/web/20171103001143/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk:80/aircraft_by_type/a6_prowler.htm
4. http://web.archive.org/web/20171111064723/http://www.navy.mil:80/navydata/nav_legacy.asp?id=59
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 30-Mar-2016 17:51 | Dr.John Smith | Added |
| 17-Mar-2017 17:28 | shax | Updated [Location, Country, Narrative, ] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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