ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 56338
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| Date: | Thursday 6 December 1979 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Grumman A-6E Intruder |
| Owner/operator: | VA-35, US Navy |
| Registration: | 157011 |
| MSN: | I-480 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Avgo Ni Si Training Range, Crete -
 Greece
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | USS Nimitz (CVN-68) Aegan Sea off Crete |
| CVN-68 | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
A-6E Intruder BoNo. 157011/'AJ-505' of VA-35, US Navy, home based at NAS Oceana. Lost December 6, 1979 on a sortie from the aboard USS Nimitz. Possible wing failure: Crashed into the Mediterranean Sea off the Avgo Ni Si Bombing Range, Crete. Both crew - Lt(JG) Mark S. Gontkovic (pilot) and LtJG Anthony J. R. "Tony" Bilotti (bombardier/navigator) - were killed. According to the following eyewitness report:
"I was on the Nimitz for the 79-80 cruise when we lost a number of planes and crews. The A-6 crash was VA-35 during a bombing run where Lt Mark Gonkovic (USNA '76) and Lt (JG) Anthony J. R. "Tony" Bilotti (B/N) were killed. Don't remember the details these days, but believe there was no ejection.
Also, the Prowler loss was on a divert, but when they got there (don't remember divert field-maybe Trapani) it was closed. After a couple of passes to get them to turn the lights on the crew departed for a controlled ejection. Bob killed during descent by impact into rocks on mountain/hillside - CDR Mike Wertz, USN-Ret.
Sources:
1. http://web.archive.org/web/20171103001143/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk:80/aircraft_by_type/a6_prowler.htm
2. http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_serials/thirdseries20.html
3. http://web.archive.org/web/20180422222159/http://www.millionmonkeytheater.com/A-6.html
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 22-May-2009 04:04 | Anon. | Updated |
| 29-Mar-2016 20:03 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 10-Aug-2020 17:48 | Neck | Updated [Destination airport] |
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