1964 — Dec 4 USN P3A Orion fire, sea crash, 25M W of Luzon, Cubi Pt NAS, Philippines–13

–13 AP. “13 Men Missing as Navy Plane Crashes.” Humboldt Times, Eureka, CA. 12-5-1964, 1.
–13 Aviation Safety Network. USN P-3A Orion crash 25M W off Cubi Pt. NAS, Philippines, 12-4-1964.
–13 Baugher. US Navy and US Marine Corps BuNos Third Series (150139 to 156169). 7-9-2023 rev.
–13 UPI. “Navy Plane Crash Kills 13, Mainly From [CA].” Modesto Bee, CA. 12-6-1964, C-5.

Narrative Information

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database:
“Date: Friday 4 December 1964
“Type: Lockheed P-3A Orion
“Operator: United States Navy
“Registration: 150508
“MSN: 185-5034
….
“Crew: Fatalities: 13 / Occupants: 13
“Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0
….
“Location: 40 km (25 mls) W off Luzon Island-Cubi Point NAS…Philippines (Pacific)
“Phase: En route (ENR)
“Nature: Military
“Departure airport: Luzon Island-Cubi Point NAS…Philippines
“Destination airport: Luzon Island-Cubi Point NAS…Philippines
“Narrative: Onboard fire caused by launching magnesium flares. The aircraft crashed
into the sea.”

Baugher: “Lockheed P-3A-25-LO Orion….150508 (MSN 186-5034), VP-9) destroyed by onboard fire caused by launching magnesium flares NAS Cubi Point Dec 4, 1964.”

Newspapers

Dec 5, AP: “Manila (AP) – A U.S. Navy patrol plane with 13 men aboard crashed in the South China Sea Friday night. The U.S. Navy said two bodies have been recovered and 11 men were missing. A spokesman said the plane, a four-engine turboprop P3A Orion, crashed about 25 miles west of U.S. Subic Bay Naval Base at 7:30 p.m. EST. He said the plane was on a routine training mission from the Cubi Point Naval Air Station which is adjacent to Subi Bay. It was attached to Patrol Squadron Nine based at Okinawa.

“Seventh Fleet ships – two destroyers and a fleet tug – and planes from the two carriers reached the scene quickly. The spokesman said the search is continuing. He said the cause of the crash is not known.

“The information officer at Moffett Naval Air Station in Mountain View [CA] said several aboard the plane are from the nearby Sunnyvale area.” (Associated Press. “13 Men Missing as Navy Plane Crashes. Craft Dives in South China Sea.” The Humboldt Times, Eureka, CA. 12-5-1964, p. 1.)

Dec 6, UPI: “Manila – UPI – Fruitless rescue operations for possible survivors of a United States Navy patrol plane with 13 men aboard that crashed at sea ended yesterday. A US Navy spokesman said only two bodies were recovered.

“The four engine, P3A Orion patrol plane was on a routine training mission from the US Naval Air Station at Cubi Point. It crashed 25 miles west of the base at Subic Bay, 120 miles north of Manila, Friday night….

“The defense department identified 13 men aboard the patrol plane. They were:

Lieutenant Harold Messervy… of Santa Clara, Calif…
Lieutenant (junior grade) S. W. Murray… of Mountain View, Calif…
Lieutenant (junior grade) Roy F. Mack… of Mountain View, Calif…
Lieutenant (junior grade) R. C. Thayer… of Sunnyvale, Calif…
Aviation Mechanic First Class William K. Purcell… of Fremont, Calif…
Aviation Clerk John L. Donohue… of San Leandro, Calif.
Aviation Boatswain’s Mate John J. Haley… of Mountain View, Calif…
Aviation Electronics Technician W. H. Darden… of Milpitas, Calif…
Airman Caren A. Poe… of Palmer, Alaska
Aviation Ordinanceman Ralph H. Green… of Mountain View, Calif…
Aviation Mechanic Gary H. Dowell… of Oakland…
Aviation Mechanic Chief Raymond Smith… of Mountain View, Calif…
Aviation Structural Mechanic Howard J. Gero… of Three Rivers, Mass.”

(UPI. “Navy Plane Crash Kills 13, Mainly From California.” The Modesto Bee, CA. 12-6-1964, p. C-5.)

Sources

Associated Press. “13 Men Missing as Navy Plane Crashes. Craft Dives in South China Sea.” The Humboldt Times, Eureka, CA. 12-5-1964, p. 1. Accessed 7-13-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/eureka-humboldt-times-dec-05-1964-p-60/

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database. USN P-3A Orion crash 25M W off Cubi Point NAS, Philippines, 12-4-1964. Accessed 7-13-2023 at:
https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19641204-0

Baugher, Joseph. US Navy and US Marine Corps BuNos Third Series (150139 to 156169). 7-9-2023 revision. Accessed 7-13-2023 at: http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_serials/thirdseries19.html

UPI. “Navy Plane Crash Kills 13, Mainly From California.” The Modesto Bee, CA. 12-6-1964, p. C-5. Accessed 7-13-2023 at:
https://newspaperarchive.com/modesto-bee-and-news-herald-dec-06-1964-p-29/