1962 — Aug 1, USN Marlin P5M crash, Zambales Mountains, northern Philippines — 12

–12 Aviation Safety Network. USN Marlin plane crash Zumbales mts., Philippines, 1 Aug 1962.
–12 UPI. “Crash Survivor Is Good; 12 Others Perish.” Herald Journal, Logan, UT. 8-5-1962, p7.

Narrative Information

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database:
“Date: 01-Aug-1962
“Time: evening
“Type: Martin SP-5 Marlin (P5M)
“Owner/operator: United States Navy (SN)
….
“Fatalities: Fatalities: 12 / Occupants: 13
….
Location: northern Philippines
“Phase: En route
“Nature: Military
“Departure airport [Not noted.] [According to news reports it was Sangley Point NAS.]
“Destination airport: Sangley Point Naval Station [US base, northern Cavite City peninsula.]
“Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources “Narrative: Crashed into Zumbales [sic] mountain during patrol flight. Mechanic
survived.”

Newspaper

Aug 2, AP: “Manila, Philippines, (AP) – A U.S. Navy seaplane with 13 crewmen aboard disappeared early today while returning to Sangley Point Naval Station. Thirteen hours after the twin-engine P5M patrol craft made its last radio report no trace of it had been found. Twenty-seven planes and helicopters and three ships searched an area from Luzon Island’s Lingayen Gulf, about 150 miles northwest of Manila, to Sangley Point in Manila Bay. Seas were reported slight to moderate.

“The plane was on a routine night training flight. Its last radio message, received at midnight, gave no hint of distress….” (Associated Press. “Navy Plane With 13 Still Lost.” Corpus Christi Times, TX. 8-2-1962, p. 10.)

Aug 3, UPI: “Manila – UPI – The Navy announced that the wreckage of a patrol plane missing with 13 persons aboard was sighted today on a mountain in the Northern Philippines. A Navy spokesman said there was no immediate word regarding possible survivors. The plan, a P5M, had been missing since Wednesday night when it failed to return from a routine patrol mission.” (UPI. “Wreckage of Navy Plane Seen.” Star-News, Pasadena, CA. 8-13-1962, p. 1.)

Aug 4, Pacific Stars and Stripes. Japan Edition: “S&S Philippines Bureau. Sangley Point, P.I. – U.S. Navy planes and ships Friday were combing the South China Sea off the Philippine island of Luzon for a Navy P5M Marlin patrol plane missing since early Thursday with 13 persons aboard. An air search was launched from Sangley Point, Cubi Point NAS and Clark AB to join five Navy ships, a Coast Guard cutter and a night search plane, also a P5M Marlin.

(United Press International in Washington said the Navy Thursday identified the missing crew members as: [We break the following paragraph into separate lines below.}

Cdr. Norbert Paul Vegelahn Milwaukee, Wis.
Lt. (jg) William Lealey Locke Spring City, Tenn.
Lt. (jg) Joseph Lawrence Criscoe Jackson, Miss.
Ensign Burnley Bert Burton… Cavite City, Philippines
Aviation Machinist’s Mate Robert Bluford Columbia, S.C.
Aviation Electronics Technician John Graham Faulkner Little Rock, Ark.
Aviation Electronics Technician Paul Arthur Waterhouse Chicago
Aviation Ordnanceman Gilbert Clair Bettis Bay City, Ore.
Aviation Structure Mechanic Rapolla Juan Cruze… Cavite City, Philippines
Aviation Electrician’s Mate Joseph Bernard Daughtery East St. Louis, Ill.
Chief Training Devices Man Thomas Eugene Bowman Idaho Falls, Ida.
Aviation Electronics Technician Bernard Gene Clark Millington, Tenn. and
Aviation Electronics Technician Henry Bernard Brown Jr. Washington, Me.

“The missing plane, an antisubmarine warfare aircraft assigned to Patrol Sq. 40 (VP-40) here, was last heard from at midnight Wednesday. It was to return from a ‘routine training flight’ to the airfield here about 1:30 a.m. Thursday, according to a spokesman for Rear Adm. David J. Welsh, commander, U.S. Naval Forces Philippines….” (Pacific Stars and Stripes, Japan Edition. “Ships and Planes Comb P.I. Waters For Missing P5M.” 8-4-1962, p. 36.)

Aug 5, UPI: “Manila (UPI)—A U.S. naval airman, sole survivor of a Martin P5M seaplane crash, is reported in good condition despite spending a day and a night on a remote mountainside with the bodies of his 12 crewmates. The survivor is Aviation Electricians Mate Joseph Bernard Daugherty, East St. Louis, Ill. He was plucked from the crash scene by a helicopter and flown to the hospital at Cubic Point U.S. Naval Station. Hospital authorities said he received a broken jaw and second and third degree burns but his condition was not serious.

“Search planes located the wreckage and Daugherty in the northern Philippines Friday after a 30-hour hunt. Marine helicopters flew to the side, near the top of a 1,600-foot mountain ridge, to ring out Daugherty and the 12 bodies.

“The plane crashed early Thursday in Zambales Province, between Lingayen Gulf and Bataan, major World War II battlefields….The Nay had given no indication of what caused the crash.” (UPI. “Crash Survivor Is Good; 12 Others Perish.” The Herald Journal, Logan, UT. 8-5-1962, p7.)

Sources

Associated Press. “Navy Plane With 13 Still Lost.” Corpus Christi Times, TX. 8-2-1962, p. 10. Accessed 7-11-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/corpus-christi-times-aug-02-1962-p-8/

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database. USN Marlin plane crash Zumbales mts., Philippines, 1 Aug 1962. Accessed 7-11-2023 at:
https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/165970

Pacific Stars and Stripes, Japan Edition. “Ships and Planes Comb P.I. Waters For Missing P5M.” 8-4-1962, p. 36. Accessed 7-12-2023 at:
https://newspaperarchive.com/pacific-stars-and-stripes-aug-04-1962-p-36/

UPI. “Crash Survivor Is Good; 12 Others Perish.” The Herald Journal, Logan, UT. 8-5-1962, p. 7. Accessed 7-12-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/logan-herald-journal-aug-05-1962-p-7/

UPI. “Wreckage of Navy Plane Seen.” Star-News, Pasadena, CA. 8-13-1962, p. 1. Accessed 7-12-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/star-news-aug-03-1962-p-30/