Watch a Remarkable Footage of a Hellcat F6F Crashing Onto an Aircraft Carrier During the Intensity of WWII
WW2 Marine Carrier Aviation / YouTube
Crash Landing on the USS Block Island
On February 6, 1945, during the shakedown cruise of the USS Block Island (CVE-106), squadron VMF(N)-511 was practicing carrier landings. One of the aircraft, an F6F Hellcat marked F(N)26, was captured on film as it tipped during landing and struck the flight deck with its propeller. The engine appeared to be displaced from the impact. The pilot’s head can be seen hitting the cockpit panel during the crash.
This footage was taken from a longer training film. It was shown both in real time and in slow motion. In a reel recorded the next day, a pilot with a head bandage is seen discussing the incident with the Landing Signal Officer (LSO). Although the damaged plane carried the name of Major R. Porter, the wounded pilot in the video doesn’t clearly resemble him. He seems to look more like Lt. Troyer, another pilot from the same unit.
Major Porter’s Combat Record and Service
Major R. Porter had a long history of service as a Marine Corps aviator. He became a pilot in 1941 and served with VMF-121 and VMF-111 in the Pacific, including time in Samoa and Guadalcanal. He flew the Corsair F4U-1 and was credited with shooting down three enemy aircraft and four probables.
Later, Porter became an instructor and was promoted to Major. He helped form VMF(N)-544 and was later assigned to VMF(N)-511 aboard the Block Island. He eventually took command of VMF(N)-542 and flew missions over Okinawa. Porter was one of the few Marine pilots credited with multiple kills in both the Hellcat and Corsair.
His awards included the Navy Cross nomination, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, four Air Medals, and two Presidential Unit Citations. He retired in 1962 as a Colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve.
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