I was in the Flight Test Division from October 1959 until July 1960. I'm trying to get some information about a mid air collision that occurred in the spring of 1960. Here are the particulars, as I remember them. . . An aircract from an air force base up around Washington D,C. ditched into the bay. A helicopter from Pax River picked up the pilot brought him to our base cleaned him up, etc. and they were getting airborn to take him back to his base. It was about 15:30 hours. The helicopter was lifting near the base of the control tower. . .About the same time, an F8 was launched from the catapult site. The Crusader had a hydraulic failure, the pilot ejected, our fighter hit the helicopter, turned a crash truck on its side and wiped out several vehicles in the adjacent parking lot. At least one crew member was decapitated, there were several deaths.I believe this incident was written up by Granpaw Pettibone in Naval Aviation News. I cannot locate the article on line. I want all the information I can get on this accident: Date, time, Names of casualties, injuries suffered and any other information and photo's out there.Please contact Richard Barry360-970-6339
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