Date & Time:
Jan 30, 1963 at 0200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed P-3 Orion
Operator:
Registration:
149672
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Patuxent River - Patuxent River
MSN:
5013
YOM:
1962
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
4
Pax on board:
10
Pax fatalities:
10
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
14
Circumstances:
The crew departed Patuxent River NAS on a night exercise with a US Marine Ship. While cruising at an altitude of 500 feet, the airplane nosed down and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, some 231 miles east of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Few debris and the dead body of the captain were found floating on water. No trace of the rest of the crew was found.
Probable cause:
Due to lack of evidence, it was not possible to determine the exact cause of the accident. Nevertheless, altimeters oscillations could occur in flight and may ba a contributing factor.
