Dear Reader:

Life aboard a warship is not always easy. Here is a log of some of the incidents which occurred during the 1955-1956 deployment of the U.S.S. Ticonderoga, CVA-14 while I was aboard.

THE CRUISE OF THE T I C O N D E R O G A

On the ten day cruise from Norfolk to Gibraltar, two died of a heart attack (one CPO and one Lt. Cdr.)

One AD (Ens. Barnes, VA35) noses over, pilot dies on way to sick bay.

One F9F lost landing gear, no one killed.

An F2H-3 on night flying crashed on landing, killing seven as the plane swept over the bow and fell into the sea.

One AD lost over the side on take-off; pilot saved.

F9F into the barrier; no one hurt.

F7U made a good landing, then hit Tillie with wing tip.

Another F9F into the barrier, same pilot as No. 6.

On landing, an F9F crashed into an F7U, pushing it into one AD and scraping another AD; one airman hit on the head with a jury strut.

AD on landing nosed up, fell back on tail wheel, and buckled the fuselage; same crew as No. 5.

F7U nose gear collapses on landing; pilot taken to Sick Bay on stretcher.

F2H-3 given a wave off; tail hook caught a small barrier, pulling the plane to the deck just aft of #2 elevator; plane skids across elevator, explodes, and falls into the sea with the pilot (Martin) Date 1/17/56.

Same date as No. 12, an F2H3 was shot off the catapult without permission; the pilot (Doane) was lost with the plane.

Pilot of F2H-3 shot off with a "dead" catapult saved (Jessie Miller, CAG-3).

AD lands, noses up; "struck" (complete loss).

An F2H-3, coming in too low, hooked the edge of the flight deck instead of an arresting cable, sheared off the shoe, damaging the tail section of the plane. Pilot (Manfredi) unhurt; 3/15/56.
Same date as No. 16, another F2H-3 missed all arresting cables but was stopped by the barrier. The pilot (Werner) unhurt, the plane a total loss.

Plane giving demonstration of dog-fighting went into a dive and did not pull out; pilot lost.

April 4, 1956; AJ turning up, man walked into the propeller.

Same date as above, an AD coming in on a GCT (Ground Controlled Approach) missed the ship completely. Pilot (Melhorn) and crew picked up by Destroyer.

July 17, 1956; F2H-3, G.F. Haggquist pilot, landed so that the tail hook hit the gutter along the flight deck, forcing the tail hook back up into the tail section; the plane went on into the barrier. No one hurt.

F7U Cutlass pilot made a normal landing, when his tail hook snapped off; the plane went on into the barrier and the nose landing gear, ten feet tall, collapsed; as the plane fell forward, the landing gear went through the fuselage, killing the pilot. As a result of this crash, all F7Us were removed from the ship.