Explosion on the flight deck aboard U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS <i>Essex</i> (CV-9) near the starboard bow, after a McDonnell F2H-2 <i>Banshee</i> (BuNo 124968) of Fighter Squadron VF-172 "Night Owls" crashed into parked aircraft in a deck landing accident off Korea on 16 September 1951. The accident resulted in the loss of seven lives and four aircraft: two F2H-2s (BuNo 124966, 124968) and two Grumman F9F-2 <i>Panther</i>s (Bureau No 125128, 125131) of VF-51 "Screaming Eagles". The F2H was piloted by LtJG Keller. The <i>Essex</i>, with assigned Carrier Air Group 5 (CVG-5), was deployed to Korea from 26 June 1951 to 25 March 1952.
U.S. Navy
1951-09-16
Official U.S. Navy Photograph <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/g430000/g433494c.htm">80-G-433494</a>, now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives.