<p>Three U.S. Marine Corps Douglas A4D-2 <i>Skyhawk</i> (BuNo 142731, 142742, 142745) from Marine Attack  Squadron VMA-225 "Vagabonds" in flight. VMA-225 was assigned to Carrier Air Group 10 (CVG-10) aboard the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS <i>Essex</i> (CVA-9) for a deployment to the Mediterranean Sea from 7 August 1959 to 26 February 1960.<br></p>
The A-4B 142742 crashed after an engine flame-out during a test flight over the South China Sea on 26 November 1967 while in service with Anti-Submarine Fighter Squadron VSF-3. The pilot ejected and was rescued.
USN
between August 1959 and February 1960 <div style="display: none;">date QS:P,+1950-00-00T00:00:00Z/7,P1319,+1959-08-00T00:00:00Z/10,P1326,+1960-02-00T00:00:00Z/10</div>
U.S. Navy photo <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.navysite.de/cruisebooks/cv9-59/109.htm">[1]</a> from the <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.navysite.de/cruisebooks/cv9-59/index_008.htm">USS <i>Essex</i> (CVA-9) 1959-60 cruise book</a> available at <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://navysite.de/cruisebooks/index.html">Navysite.de</a>