The most significant event of the tour occurred in late July 1954 . Chinese airplanes had shot down a Douglas DC-4 passenger aircraft operated by Cathay Pacific Airways near Hainan Island off the Chinese coast . The Chinese military had believed it to be a Taiwanese military airplane . '' Philippine Sea '' was ordered into the area as part of a search mission to recover some of the 19 on board . While engaged in the search mission , a flight of the ship 's Douglas AD Skyraiders was attacked by two Chinese fighter aircraft . The Skyraiders returned fire and shot down the airplanes . Later this came to be known unofficially as the " Hainan Incident "
shot down
1954 Cathay Pacific Douglas DC-4 shootdown
USS Philippine Sea (CV-47)