Date:	Tuesday 15 December 1964
Time:	09:53
Type:	North American RA-5C Vigilante
Owner/operator:	United States Navy
Registration:	150827
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	8 NM west of Wauchula, FL -   United States of America
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	NAS Sanford, FL
Destination airport:	NAS Sanford, FL

Narrative:
Mid-air collision between RA-5C BuNo 150827 and RA-5C BuNo 150835 at 15,000’ resulting in the loss of 150827. Both aircraft assigned to RVAH-3.

150827 took off from NAS Sanford on a briefed 2.3 hour TRW-7 air-to-ground photography training mission with Vigilante 150835 following as chase and instructor aircraft. After levelling off at 15,000’, 827 took some air-to-air photos of 835 using the right oblique camera. The two Vigilantes then set up for vertical air-to-air photos with 835 aft of 827 with an intended separation of 500’ and speed of 310 KIAS. As 835 (the target aircraft) commenced his run to pass below 827 it collided with the nose cone of 827.

The aircraft made contact with the top of the port stabilizer of 835 against the bottom of the radome nose cone of 827. The radome separated and smashed into the canopy of 827 breaking the glass and canopy bow and entering the cockpit striking the pilot’s face curtain handle breaking off the right side of the handle.

The pilot of 827 believed his aircraft was breaking apart and immediately initiated the dual ejection.
After the ejections 150827 rolled several times, nose low, and impacted near vertical in a scrub pine pasture. It created a 60 X 35-foot crater. The nose cone was located 4 miles from the main crash site.

The damage to 835’s port stabilator was slight and it landed safely back at NAS Sanford.

Though not part of the training syllabus both crews had briefed the air-to-air photography.

The JAGMAN investigation determined that there had been no misconduct and no disciplinary actions were taken. Air-to-air photography was common practice. It was not recommended but was not prohibited. Though it was usually done with the side oblique cameras so that visual contact between aircraft could be maintained. Also, the crews had not done a cross check of their respective pressure altimeters.
The Vigilante had vertical, oblique, and split-image cameras as well as 3-inch and 18-inch horizon-to-horizon panoramic scanning cameras. These were contained in the ventral reconnaissance pod (“canoe”). The Vigilante did have air-to-air photography capability and could be used to photograph foreign power overflights of US Navy forces at sea.

The crew was rescued safely after landing in a palmetto thicket. They were located by Hardee County Sheriff’s deputies and walked to a Coast Guard helicopter that picked them up.

Crew of 150827:
Commander Roy W. McLain, Jr., replacement pilot (DFC Korea, retired a Captain)
Lt James L. Morgan, RAN (DFC Vietnam)

In the second plane 150835:
Lt Murl E. Husted, instructor pilot (USNA 1956, retired a Captain)
1st Class Aviation Jet Mechanic Alvin G. Hutto, RAN (retired a Master CPO)

150827 was accepted on 31 August 1963 and had 170 total airframe hours all with RVAH-3 Fleet Replacement Squadron at Sanford.

The second aircraft, RA-5C BuNo 150835 was lost the following year on 17 October 1965 off the USS America near Puerto Rico with RVAH-5.

http://www.forgottenjets.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/A-5.html
Sarasota Herald-Tribune 16 December 1964, p8
The Miami Herald Dec 16 1964
The Tampa Tribune Dec 21 1964
“Vigilante! A Pilot’s Story” by Robert Powell
US Navy accident report
US Navy JAGMAN investigation report

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
15-Jan-2022 15:23	TB	Updated [Date, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ]
07-Aug-2024 10:23	ChrisB	Updated [Phase, Source, Narrative, ]
06-May-2025 11:18	ChrisB	Updated [Time, Location, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Photo, ]