This accident description is from the website of Earles McCaul.
http://personal.riverusers.com/~elmccaul/
"The Willie Victor Roster"
29-Mar-59 (Easter Sunday)
SQUADRON: AEWRON ELEVEN (VW-11)
AIRCRAFT: WV-2, BuNo 141332, MJ-17, "Seventeen Knot Hole"
LOCATION: NAS Argentia, Newfoundland.
EVENT: Crashed at 2:59 p.m., due to windshear, while landing on runway 32
while returning from a normal Atlantic Barrier patrol:
"...the huge plane with 21 men aboard hit the runway hard on the
right main landing gear and right wing tip. The right landing gear
collapsed and the aircraft burst into flames a few minutes later
while skidding down the runway. After skidding some 1500 fett, the
plane veered sharply to the right leaving the runway. The right wing,
with both engines, sheared off. The fuselage with left wing came to
a fiery stop after skidding another 400 feet off the runway. All crew-
members scrambled out safely and the fire was extinguished within a few
minutes." [source: FOGHORN Vol.1 No.10, April 10, 1959, pg 1]
U.S. Naval Aviation Safety Center, Accident Brief No. 11, May 1960:
"The aircraft arrived over the field, cancelled IFR and commenced
a contact approach to the duty runway. The wind at the time was given
as north-northeast 25 knots and the duty runway was 7.
The aircraft made contact with the runway at a point 480 feet from
the runway threshold, and at a point 600 feet down the runway gradually
veered to the right about 30 degrees and left the runway some 1300 feet
from the approach end. Smoke and flames were observed to come from the
aircraft starboard wing root after the first contact was made with the
runway.
The starboard wing, No.3 and No.4 engines, and the starboard main
landing gear separated from the aircraft. The other major components
remained with the fuselage which was gutted by fire.
The final approach was commenced at the minimum approach speed
recommended by the WV-2 Operating Procedures Manual. However, the pilot
permitted the airspeed to decrease gradually during the final approach.
Upon experiencing turbulence and downdraft prior to reaching the threshold
of the runway, the pilot added power to gain altitude in compensation for
the downdraft effects. This enabled him to reach the threshold of the
runway, but the aircraft attitude at this time was left-wing-down and
nose-high. When the pilot cut the power an apparent stall occurred. The
aircraft landed extremely hard on the starboard main landing gear and
veered gradually to the right off the runway."
LOSS: NO injuries among crew of 21.
PILOT: CDR Ivan W. Sturgis, PPC
