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| Date: | Thursday 14 March 1968 |
| Time: | 10:50 |
| Type: |  North American RA-5C Vigilante |
| Owner/operator: | US Navy |
| Registration: | 148926 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Tokyo Bay, 3.2 NM WNW Kisarazu, Japan -
 Japan
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | NAS Atsugi |
| NAS Atsugi |
Crashed into Tokyo Bay, Japan.
Port engine flamed out during overhead break to land. RVAH-6 was on WESTPAC-Vietnam combat cruise aboard USS Ranger.
The RA-5C departed NAS Atsugi to practice touch & go landings at Kisarazu Airfield, 1017 local time. The aircraft entered the break at 800’ and 260 knots when the pilot noticed a generator failure on the port engine. The pilot attempted unsuccessfully to reset the generator. Port engine instruments indicated 20% RPM and 100-200C EGT. Realizing the port engine had flamed out the pilot placed both throttles in max afterburner and attempted to relight the port engine.
The pilot told the Reconnaissance Attack Navigator to standby for ejection as he raised the landing gear, selected 30 degrees flaps and attempted to level the wings. The aircraft continued in a port bank with the starboard engine in full AB. The pilot was unable to level the wings with full right stick and full right rudder as it rolled and yawed into the failed port engine.
At 400’ MSL with 40-70 degrees of bank and 160-170 KIAS the pilot ejected both crew. The Vigilante crashed into Tokyo Bay in 80 feet of water. The crew were rescued within 20 minutes by a passing ferry boat.
Some of the aircraft was later salvaged including the port engine.
It was believed there had been an inadvertent activation of the firewall fuel shut-off switch (ENGINE FIRE SWITCH) to the port engine. This Engine Fire Switch is used to shut off fuel in case of an engine fire. The switch is located directly above the HYDRAULIC SUBSYSTEMS ISOLATION SWITCH on the pilot’s port console just outboard of the throttle quadrant. The salvaged port engine firewall shutoff valve was in the closed position. During landing the Hydraulic Subsystems Isolation Switch is moved from “Flight” to “Takeoff/Landing”. The pilot may have engaged the wrong switch or when selecting the Hydraulic Subsystems Isolation Switch a short may have activated fuel cutoff to the port engine.
The aircraft was also 8,000 pounds overweight at the time for FCLP-type touch and go landings but the pilot had intended to dump fuel.
RVAH-6 crew:
Lt Commander Carl E. Campbell, Pilot
Lt Douglas W. Cook, RAN
Lt Commander Campbell had ejected from an F9F-8B on 21 November 1961 following a flameout.
Sources:
http://www.forgottenjets.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/A-5.html
The Tampa Times Mar 14 1968
US Navy Accident Report
Images:
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 07-Aug-2024 09:00 | ChrisB | Updated [Aircraft type, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 04-Jun-2025 11:36 | ChrisB | Updated [Time, Location, Source, Narrative, Photo, ] |
| 05-Jun-2025 12:01 | ChrisB | Updated [Total fatalities, ] |
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