Aboard the USS Oriskany off the coast of Okinawa, June 28, 1955: Crew members of the USS Oriskany examine the crushed remains of the Banshee jet that crashed into the fantail of the attack aircraft carrier on June 22. The Navy Banshee - coming in for a landing that day - slid into the groove blinking its wing lights as it dipped for a landing. The landing signal officer with his electrically-lighted paddles began to guide it in – then hurriedly waved the paddles over his head as he saw the Jet sinking too low for a safe landing.

It was too late.

The jet flamed out. A wing dipped, and the Banshee, piloted by Lt. (jg) John R. Mitchell of Quincy, Mass. Plowed into the fantail at 125 miles an hour.

As high octane gas flamed into the night sky and the ship’s fire crew ran to put them out, his fellow pilots gathered to remember Lt. Mitchell.

Then, the phone rang.

Read the 1955 eyewitness story of Lt. Mitchell’s crash here.

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