1964 — Nov 27, US Navy Lockheed P2V-7 Neptune plane crash, Cape Newenham, AK– 12

— 12 Baugher. US Navy…Marine Corps BuNos Third Series (130265 to 135773). 10-7-2011.
— 12 Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. “Crash of a Lockheed P2V-7S Neptune…12…”
— 12 Daily Chronicle, Centralia, WA. “Alaska Air Crash Claims 12 Fliers,” Nov 28, 1964, 1.
— 12 Oshkosh Daily Northwestern, WI. “Navy Patrol Plane Crash Kills Dozen,” 11-28-‘64, 24
— 12 US Dept. Navy. “Casualties: US Navy…Marine Corps Personnel Killed and Injured…”
— 12 Whidbey Patrol Squadron Memorial, Veterans Memorial Park, Oak Harbor, WA.

Narrative Information

Baugher: “135610 (c/n 726-7046) converted to P2V-7S in 1960. Crashed into mountain SW of Cape Newenham, Alaska Nov 27, 1964. 12 killed.” (Baugher. US Navy…Marine Corps BuNos Third Series (130265 to 135773). 10-7-2011.)

U.S. Navy: “A twin-engine P2V Neptune…crashed into a mountain near the tip of Cape Newenham, Alaska. Twelve crew members killed. 26 Nov. 1964.” (US Dept. Navy. “Casualties: US Navy… Marine Corps Personnel Killed and Injured…”)

Whidbey: “VP-2. 27 Nov 1964: LT Dennis Wilson and his crew of eleven were killed on a patrol in the Bering Sea when their SP-2H (P2V-7) aircraft impacted a mountain near Cape Newenham.” (Whidbey Patrol Squadron Memorial, Veterans Memorial Park, Oak Harbor, WA.)

Newspapers

Nov 28: “Kodiak, Alaska (AP)– Twelve Navy fliers died Friday [Nov 27] when an anti-submarine patrol plane crashed into a mountain near the tip of Cape Newenham, 250 miles northwest of Kodiak. A four-man rescue party found the wreckage of the burned plane and bodies of the crew….The crash was four miles west of the [Cape Newenham] warning station. The plane hit about 200 feet below the crest of the mountain, 800 feet above the sea…. at the time of the crash visibility at the crash site was about 80 feet….radar contact was difficult because the plane was flying near the ground.

“….a normal position report was received from the plane crew at the aircraft control site at 9:05 a.m. Friday, and attempts were made later to radio the plane, but they were unsuccessful. Then a column of black smoke was seen rising through the overcast.” (Daily Chronicle, Centralia, WA. “Alaska Air Crash Claims 12 Fliers,” Nov 28, 1964, 1.)

Nov 28: “Anchorage, Alaska (UPI)–Twelve men were killed Friday [Nov 27] when a Navy patrol plane crashed into a hill four miles north of Cape Newenham in western Alaska while on a routine ice reconnaissance mission. The bodies of 11 of the men were recovered Friday night by Air Force radar station personnel, the Navy announced. The plane had taken off from the Kodiak Naval Air Station. The plane, a P2V Neptune bomber, was based with Squadron VP2 at the Whidbey Island, Wash. It was stationed on rotating assignment at Kodiak. A Navy spokesman said the plane reported no trouble on its last radio transmission. Cape Newenham juts into the Bering Sea between Bristol Bay and Kuskokwim Bay about 340 miles west of Kodiak and about 450 miles southwest of here.” (Oshkosh Daily Northwestern, WI. “Navy Patrol Plane Crash Kills Dozen,” 28 Nov 1964, p. 24.)

Sources

Baugher, Joseph F. US Navy and US Marine Corps BuNos Third Series (130265 to 135773). Oct 7, 2011 update. Accessed at: http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_serials/thirdseries15.html

Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. “Crash of a Lockheed P2V-7S Neptune near Cape Newenham: 12 killed.” Accessed 7-7-2022 at: https://www.baaa-acro.com/aircraft/lockheed-p-2-neptune?page=5

Daily Chronicle (Centralia, WA). “Alaska Air Crash Claims 12 Fliers,” Nov 28, 1964, 1. Accessed at: https://newspaperarchive.com

Oshkosh Daily Northwestern, WI. “Navy Patrol Plane Crash Kills Dozen,” Nov 28, 1964, p. 24. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=17756036

United States Department of the Navy. Casualties: US Navy and Marine Corps Personnel Killed and Injured in Selected Accidents and Other Incidents Not Directly the Result of Enemy Action. Washington, DC: Naval Historical Center. 2008. Accessed 7-7-2022 at: https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/c/casualties-usnavy-marinecorps-personnel-killed-injured-selected-accidents-other-incidents-notdirectly-result-enemy-action.html

Whidbey Patrol Squadron Memorial, Veterans Memorial Park, Oak Harbor, WA. “Historical Background.” Accessed 11-13-2011 at: http://patron2.com/files/wpsm_files/wpsm_22.html