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| Date: | Monday 11 October 1971 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  North American RA-5C Vigilante |
| Owner/operator: | US Navy |
| Registration: | 151727 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Location: | USS Independence - |
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | USS Independence |
| USS Independence |
Reportedly suffered hard landing and serious damage aboard USS Independence CVA-62 on 11 October 1971 during Mediterranean cruise. And was then written-off and salvaged at NAS Rota, Spain on 26 January 1972.
The US Navy does not have an Accident Report or SIR (Serious Incident Report) for this occurrence on record.
The US Navy Aircraft History Card for 151727 has an entry on 11 October 1971 showing the aircraft going into a Not Flyable Damage code and then Inactive Disposition Undetermined. This is followed by a Strike/Damage code on 26 January 1972.
The History Card shows the aircraft at NAS Albany for the Damage and Strike, not aboard USS Independence. However, this is not unusual on History Cards and RVAH-12 was based at Albany.
There is no doubt that 151727 was aboard USS Independence during this period (and not at Albany). RVAH-12 deployed with four Vigilantes on the carrier. Appears to have been 148933, 149286, 149297 and 151727. The 1971-1972 USS Independence Cruise Book has a photo of these 4 aircraft in formation. Of note in this photo, the SNARE sensor can be seen on 148933 and 151727.
The Zerox-manufactured Snare was installed in a turret on the spine in front of the vertical stabilizer and was about 10 inches high. The Snares were only installed on 148933 and 151727.
Snare was an articulated, infrared spectrum sensor hydraulically slewed by the RAN using a viewfinder. Snare missions were to obtain data emitted by Soviet Badger, Bear and Bison bombers based out of Murmansk that shadowed the fleet. The Snares appear to have been used for a short period prior to their Med deployment during NATO exercise Royal Knight in the North Atlantic.
More information is required. The USS Independence Deck Log for this period is currently unavailable but that may change.
Sources:
US Navy Aircraft History Card
USS Independence Cruise Book 1971-1972
Images:
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 11-Jun-2025 11:49 | ChrisB | Added |
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