1957 — July 19, USN Neptune from Willow Grove NAS PA crash, San Martino Mt., no. Italy –11

— 11 Chester Times, PA. “PV2 Wreck Located on Italian Peak.” 7-23-1957, p. 1.
— 11 Lebanon Daily News, PA. “Rescue Teams Return Plane Crash Victims.” 7-24-1957, 16.
— 11 Oakland Tribune, CA. “11 Air Dead Taken From Italy Peak.” 7-24-1957, p. 11.
— 11 VPNavy.org. U.S. Navy Patrol Squadrons. “VP-934 Mishap.”

Narrative Information

VPNavy.org: “A Lockheed Neptune, a P2V-6, assigned to Navy Reserve Patrol Squadron, VP-934, was reported missing on July 19, 1957. This squadron’s home base was NAS Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, but it was deployed to the NAF Port Lyautey, Morocco during the summer of 1957.

“The P2V-6 (Bureau No. 126535) departed NAF Port Lyautey, Morocco early on the morning of July 19 for a flight to Treviso (Istrana), Italy. Weather conditions for the destination airport were forecasted to deteriorate by the estimated arrival time. Radio communications with air traffic facilities during the flight over Italy were difficult. One reason may have been the weather conditions, which took the form of thunderstorms. Also, it was later determined by the Accident Review Board that the aircraft slowly drifted west and northwest from its intended course. For example, at 1325 hours, Universal Time, the crew reported the aircraft’s position as being over Ferrara when it was actually 20 nautical miles (32 kilometers) west of the station.

“As the aircraft neared its destination, it was flying either above or in clouds. At 1331 Universal Time, Navy 126535 was instructed to report over the Veneto VHF Omni-directional Range (VOR) at 11,000 feet (3,353 meters), the pilot acknowledged his instructions. Eleven minutes later, at 1342 Universal Time the pilot was able to contact Istrana Approach Control. He estimated Venice at 1345 Universal Time. The pilot then requested letdown instructions. He was cleared to descend to 5,000 feet by Istrana Approach Control and to report reaching 5,000 feet (1,524 meters). Permission to descend was based on the pilot’s position reports relative to certain navigational aids. Navy 126535 was actually positioned slightly more than 40 miles (64.4 kilometers) northwest of Istrana Airport, and in the mountainous terrain of the Trento Dolomites.

“It struck a mountain at 8,500 feet (2,591 meters) at a high rate of speed during its descent. There is no record that the pilot reported over the Veneto VOR at 11,000 feet. There were eleven fatalities. On July 23 the wreckage of Navy 126535, was discovered by Italian ‘Alpini’ troops….

“The crewmembers and Navy personnel who died in the accident of the P2V-6, Bureau No. 126535, VP-934, were:

Lieutenant Nicholas A. Vassalotti, USNR-R
Commander Robert M. Shermet, USNR-R
Harry E. Duffield, Aviation Machinist’s Mate, first Class, USNR-R
LT. Morton C. Lyle, USNR-R
Richard C. Gramm, Aviation Electronics Technician, Third Class, USNR-R
Charles W. Habbersett, Aviation Electronics Technician, First Class, USNR-R
Leo R. Killen, Airman, USNR-R
Bennie W. Maycheck, PHAC, USNR-R
LT. John A. Rolle, USNR-R
George Y. Taylor, Jr., ADR2, USNR-R
William J. Vogel, Jr. Aviation Electrician’s Mate, First Class.”

(VPNavy.org. U.S. Navy Patrol Squadrons. “VP-934 Mishap.”)

Newspapers

July 23, Associated Press: “Milan, Italy (AP) – The Navy plane which vanished over the rugged north Italian mountains with 11 men aboard was spotted today piled into the side of San Martino Mountain near Trento. There was no sign of survivors.

“The bomber came from Willow Grove Naval Air Station with 11 Delaware Valley [PA] reservists and regular Navy men aboard, including one formerly from Delaware County. (He was Aviation Technician 1-C Charles W. Habbersett….

“Alpine guides and army rescue teams with walkie-talkie radios and first aid kits set out to reach the wreckage. First reports said it may be hours before they can scale the rugged 9,000-foot peak….

“During the subsequent search, a sister plane crashed in the mountains near Turin, killing 9 of the 10 men aboard.

“The missing plane, a general service PV2 of the Navy’s Transport Command, was approaching its destination at Treviso Airport when it disappeared. The scene of the wreckage is about 100 miles northeast of Treviso.

“Airport officials said the pilot had asked permission to lose altitude to land and that everything appeared to be under control when radio contact was broken.” (Chester Times, PA. “PV2 Wreck Located on Italian Peak.” 7-23-1957, p. 1.)

July 24, Associated Press: “Trento, Italy, July 24 – (AP) — Italian alpine rescue teams brought the bodies of 11 U.S Navy airmen to the rescue center at Fiera today and said there were no other victims of the crash last Friday [July 19] in the-rugged Fradusta peaks of northern Italy.

“Alpine guides had reported previously that 15 or 16 bodies had been found at the scene. But Police Lt. Arrigo Pagliotto said the bodies were mangled and dismembered, and this led the initial search party to the erroneous conclusion that there were more than 11 persons aboard.

“The bodies were loaded into waiting ambulances, at Fiera for transfer to the Aviano Air Base headquarters of the rescue operations….

“The U.S. Navy at Naples listed the 11 as:

Lts. Nikolas A. Vassalotti
Morton C. Lyle, and
John A Rolle;
Comdr. Robert M. Shermet;
Charles W. Havverseck [Habbersett]
Richard C. Gramm,
George Y. Taylor, and
Leo R. Gillen,
Bennie W. Maycheck,
William, J. Vogel and
Harry Duffield.”

(Oakland Tribune, CA. “11 Air Dead Taken From Italy Peak.” 7-24-1957, p. 11.)

Sources

Chester Times, PA. “PV2 Wreck Located on Italian Peak.” 7-23-1957, p. 1. Accessed 10-10-2012 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=88535429

Lebanon Daily News, PA. “Rescue Teams Return Plane Crash Victims.” 7-24-1957, p. 16. Accessed 10-10-2012 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=97559774

Oakland Tribune, CA. “11 Air Dead Taken From Italy Peak.” 7-24-1957, p. 11. Accessed 10-10-2012 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=47636978

VPNavy.org. U.S. Navy Patrol Squadrons. “VP-934 Mishap., 1950’s.” Accessed 10-10-2012 at: http://www.vpnavy.com/vp934_mishap.html