File:F4U-4crash CVA-34 Mar1953.jpeg

English: Crash of a U.S. Navy F4U-4 Corsair from fighter squadron VF-124, Carrier Air Group 12 (CVG-12) on the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany (CVA-34) on 6 March 1953. On that day VF-124 and VA-125 (flying Douglas Skyraiders) bombed depots, trenches, and bunkers south of Wonsan and near Hamsong, Korea. In the middle of these strikes the F4U-4 piloted by Lt. Edwin L. Kummer, VF-124, developed engine trouble shortly after take off. Aborting the mission, Kummer tried but was unable to jettison all his ordnance, as one 113 kg (250 lb) bomb "hung-up" on the bomb rack. Unfortunately, as the Corsair hit the deck, the bomb broke loose, bounced up the flight deck, and exploded over the No. 3 elevator, killing two sailors and wounding fourteen others. One of the men killed was Photographer Airman Thomas L. McGraw, killed while filming landing operations, while the other was Aviation Electrician Airman Thomas M. Yeager. The explosion riddled the hangar deck below with shrapnel, piercing many of the parked aircraft and flooding the hangar bay with gasoline. Firefighting teams quickly extinguished the fire and isolated the hangar deck, preventing the fire from spreading into the ship. At the same time, Airman Richard D. Donovan ran through the flames, cut the unconscious pilot from his harness, and pulled him to safety (see photo). Damage repair crews put the aircraft carrier back in business within hours and Oriskany began launching airstrikes again on 8 March 1953.