▁pilot ▁Bill ▁Mc A voy ▁and ▁aircraft ' s ▁designer ▁Charles ▁Ward ▁Hall , ▁Sr ., ▁manage ▁to ▁ch op ▁thro tt les , ▁plane ▁sett les ▁back , ▁suffering ▁only ▁minor ▁damage . ▁Inc ident ▁occurred ▁at ▁NAS ▁An ac ost ia , ▁Washington , ▁D . C .. ▁This ▁sole ▁prototype ▁was ▁the ▁largest ▁four - engine ▁bi plane ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Navy ▁ever ▁proc ured , ▁with ▁a ▁wings pan ▁of ▁ 1 1 2 ▁feet . ▁ 2 6 ▁November ▁One ▁of ▁two ▁Nak aj ima ▁Navy ▁Ex perimental ▁K us ho ▁ 6 - sh i ▁Special ▁Bom ber ▁( 6 - sh i ▁Tok ush u ▁Bak uge k iki - ▁ 6 - Sh i ▁{ 1 9 3 1 } ▁Special ▁Bom ber / D ive ▁Bom ber ) ▁pro tot ypes , ▁the ▁first ▁car rier - based ▁d ive ▁bom ber ▁design ▁in ▁Japan , ▁crashes ▁in ▁a ▁rural ▁area , ▁killing ▁Nak aj ima ▁test ▁pilot ▁Ts une o ▁F uj im aki . ▁Ob ser vers ▁reported ▁that ▁the ▁pilot ▁made ▁several ▁attempted ▁recover ies ▁but ▁each ▁time ▁the ▁nose ▁pitch ed ▁down ▁to ▁vertical . ▁Imp act ▁is ▁said ▁have ▁driven ▁the ▁air frame ▁two ▁metres ▁into ▁the ▁ground . ▁Further ▁evaluation ▁of ▁the ▁type ▁is ▁susp ended . ▁For ▁security ▁purposes , ▁the ▁term ▁" d ive - b om ber " ▁was ▁not ▁used , ▁the ▁design ▁being ▁described ▁as ▁a ▁" special ▁bom ber ".