Date:	Sunday 27 September 1964
Time:	14:03
Type:	North American A-5A Vigilante
Owner/operator:	US Navy
Registration:	147863
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Near USS Enterprise, Atlantic Ocean off coast of Brazil -   Atlantic Ocean
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	USS Enterprise
Destination airport:	USS Enterprise

Narrative:
Crashed off the coast of Brazil while operating from the USS Enterprise due to hydraulics leak.

Mechanical failure and crash off the coast of Brazil. USS Enterprise was part of “Operation Sea Orbit” and cooperating with the Brazilian Navy at the time.

USS Enterprise sent up a mixed 40-airplane flyover of Recife, Brazil when another aircraft in the formation saw hydraulic fluid leaking from this Vigilante. The pilot dropped the ram-air turbine for emergency power but the fluid was gone and the controls froze. Safe ejection made over water and they were rescued by helo. Deck Log: 1385 Hours Enterprise received Mayday from A-5A side number 709 over position 06 43.5S 33 55.8W. 1403 Hours A-5A crashed into sea at depth 2,000 fathoms (12,000’). SAR conducted by helo and USS Bainbridge (DLGN-25). 1430 Hours Pilot and bombardier sighted in water 06 56.5S 34 00.6W. 1447 Hours crew rescued safe by helo, no injuries. Back on board at 1454.

VAH-7 Crew:
Lt Commander Jack Tuttle, pilot
Lt(jg) David Sharp

Deck log states the aircraft was 149863 but that is a Grumman Tracker not a Vigilante. It was 147863.

Operation Sea Orbit was a round the world, unrefueled cruise by three nuclear-powered ships: the carrier USS Enterprise with cruisers USS Long Beach and USS Bainbridge. This accident occurred right near the end of their 65-day cruise returning to Norfolk on 3 October, 1964.
VAH-7 was redesignated RVAH-7 on 1 December 1964.

http://www.forgottenjets.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/A-5.html
“North American A-5A/RA-5C Vigilante (Naval Fighters, 64)” by Steve Ginter
“Vigilante Illustrated” by Lou Drendel
“Vigilante! A Pilot’s Story” by Robert “Boom” Powell
USS Enterprise deck log

Photo: U.S. Navy

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
10-May-2021 18:40	harro	Updated [Source, Narrative, Photo, ]
15-Jan-2022 14:43	TB	Updated [Other fatalities, Narrative, ]
09-Feb-2022 21:52	TB	Updated [Source, ]
08-Jul-2024 12:52	ChrisB	Updated [Time, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Photo, ]