Date:	Saturday 25 July 1953
Time:
Type:	Douglas AD-4 Skyraider
Owner/operator:	US Navy
Registration:	126922
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	-
Phase:	Unknown
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Operated out of USS Princeton (CVA-37) aircraft carrier. Dick Hall was flying in a 10-plane mission to return the Skyraider planes to Atsugi Japan from South Korea. Due to the weather, the skipper put 4-plane divisions at altitudes of 16, 12, 8 and 4,000 feet. What should have been a rather short trip was besieged by a huge storm. Dick was assigned to the 4,000 feet altitude group. At that altitude, they had to make visual contact with the ground because “the hilltops were much higher than us.” There were a few times they almost flew into a cliff. They were so low and so far away that they had no radio contact with Atsugi. The flight should have taken about 40 minutes, but they tried for almost 4 ½ hour to penetrate the blinding rain. They had to fly almost abreast of the leader. Dick was on the right wing almost even with the leader when he said he was going to make a 180 degree turn to the right. Dick had to cut his power off quickly to keep from running ahead of him. The #4 pilot on the left wing said, “No Mac. I’ll never be able to keep up with you.” Mac, the flight leader, said, “Ok. I’m going left” and immediately went into a left turn. Dick could not get his power back on in time and in just a second or two he was out of sight. Dick continued to fly straight ahead because he did not want to give chase and fly right into his tail. Dick called and told the leader that he lost them on that turn and Mac replied, No. Dick, you are right here with me”. Dick assured him that he was all alone and they discovered that another plane had gotten separated from his flight and descended until he could see the ground. Had Dick been in his formation location, they may have had a midair collision. Dick continued ahead for approximately one mile and then made his 180 degree turn. Dick intended to turn whenever Mac said so that they could keep their distance. Unfortunately, Mac made his next turn without an announcement so Dick was unknowingly heading directly at them. One of the pilots said, Dick, you just passed ten feet over my head.” It was raining so hard that Dick flew directly over the four planes and never saw them. Right at the same time, he saw on the ground an Army camp with “Army Tank Battalion” painted on the roofs. Dick was down to about 15 minutes of gas left and knew all the other planes were the same. He told the other planes he was going to ditch behind the camp and would call Atsugi to tell them where the other planes were. Dick instructed the other pilots to fly as high as they could so they could be seen on radar and directed to the field. It all worked wonderfully well. They brought the four planes in single file and they all landed safely. Two of the planes made it into the flight line to park. One plane ran out of gas as he was taxiing in, the fourth plan ran out of gas as he landed.
There was no loss of planes or pilots based upon the action of Dick Hall in ditching his plan to save the others. In fact, his plan with a bent rudder was repaired and sold to the French for their war in Africa. It was later purchased by a warbird enthusiast who flew Dick’s Skyraider in air shows. In 2012, Dick was able to fly to London for the Flying Legends Air Show and he sat in his plane once again.
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http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/korea/reports/air/

LTCR Rickard "Dick" Hall. Flight confirmed in his flight book.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
21-Oct-2025 16:54	Anon.	Updated [Source, Narrative, ]