VP-50…
In the language of the United States Navy VP-50 was “Fixed Wing Patrol Squadron 50” – also known as the Blue Dragons. From 1946 until June 30, 1992 they were an active squadron of the United States Navy. I once flew for the U.S. Navy. The death of any aviator or any sailor has an impact on all of us who earned Navy Wings of Gold – or any of the other hard-earned insignias of naval service (surface warfare, submarines, SEALS, and the other specialties).
On March 21, 1991 two P-3C Orions of VP-50 collided about 60 miles southwest of San Diego, CA in bad weather. One aircraft was relieving the other on a normal anti-submarine patrol watch. The aircraft were stationed at Naval Air Station Moffett Field, south of San Francisco, CA. I distinctly remember reading the first newspaper reports the day after the accident – 27 U.S. Navy personnel missing at sea. That is a horrific toll for any Navy squadron, whose total personnel would only be a few hundred officers and enlisted men – especially when it happened in a single instant, in peacetime. I could only imagine the shock and sorrow within the VP-50 family and NAS Moffett Field community that day.
The cause of the accident was never determined beyond it being a mid-air collision. Pilot error was probably a contributing cause – and weather, crew fatigue, and perhaps a mechanical problem additional factors. The human cost, however, was almost instantly quantified – 27 young souls lost at sea – lost forever to their wives, children, parents, friends, and shipmates. Lost, but not forgotten.
Moffett Field Naval Air Station has been closed, but Moffett Field as a civilian airport remains. Located on its grounds is a plaque listing the names of all 27 men who perished in the Pacific Ocean that night. There is another monument to these same men in Arlington National Cemetery.
I have included three photographs in this post. One is of the monument at Moffett Field, listing the names of those who perished that night. Another is of four VP-50 aircraft in flight. And one is of two P-3C Orion aircraft flying over the Golden Gate Bridge. These are not VP-50 aircraft, but I know every man who ever flew with VP-50 out of Moffett Field witnessed this view. They loved flying for moments like this.
Please visit the VP-50 web page devoted to the men who died that night at: http://www.vpnavy.com/vp50mem_04dec98.html
chester l. jones "cj" said:
I was the aircraft division scpo that was responsible for getting that memorial donated, however i only had a month left on active duty, and the bulk of the work was done by the command master chief “skip” Howells an other professional and dedicated shipmates.
Manuel Gonzalez said:
1971 – 1974 I was proud to have served at NAS Moffett Field, CA. with patrol squadron 9. In past years i have try to reach some of the shipmates to no avail,but through the years,i have served also in the us immigration dept.us border patrol,for 20 years,local sheriff dept,as a deputy,constable dept ,and 8 years with the TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPT AS A GAME WARDEN,RETIRED AFTER 32 YEARS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT,AND STILL PROUD TO HAVE SERVED FOR MY COUNTRY,AND STILL A GOLDEN EAGLE VP 9,I AM OVER 60 YEARS OF AGE AND STILL KICKING
Tim Peck said:
If the photo two birds with tail markings RP are not drifty 50 which flew with who are they? I’ve seen most of the squadrons out of Moffett. Im a VQ1 vet.
Tim ATC 100% Disabled Vietnam Vet Retired.
Comander Post 380 The American Legion.
God Bless
Dan said:
Tim,
I believe these aircraft are VP-31 aircraft.
Dan
Larry Zieminski said:
I was in VP-46 from 1971-1974 and NAS Moffett Filed 1974-1978. I don’t remember seeing this, but that isn’t anything new. Anyhow, I wish the shipmates lost a heart felt R.I.P.
I witness the P3 collision with the Convair 990 at Moffett in the 70’s, and it is a horrific event to see.
Kenneth W Roberts said:
I was in VP-50 from 1965 to 1968 and was in crew 2 when we flew the P5-M Seaplane and crew 1 when we flew the P3-A. I was the first one to spot the wreckage of SG-13 a P5-M. The entire crew was lost. I also saw a P3-A crash and burn at Moffett Field when the port landing gear broke completely off. I was in crew 1 at Moffett and Commander Kidd was the CO.
Brett Thrailkill said:
I was an instructor at NAMTRADET 1012. On March 18th I needed twelve hours of flight time or I would lose my flight pay for January, February and March. So I did something I had never done on shore duty. I worked all day teaching and then went and flew eight hours that night.
This took care of two months of my flight pay, but I was still four hours short. On March 20th I looked at VP-50’s flight schedule and saw that my old crew was flying the next day. I decided to teach all day and fly at night once more and would be done for the quarter.
After teaching that day, I got into my car and drove over to the hanger. I grabbed my gear and started to walk in. Half way there I told myself, “Screw this, I only need 4 more hours. I can get that on a bounce flight” and I returned to my car and drove home.
The next morning I turned on CNN Headline News as I do every morning and caught the tail end of a story about a Navy mid-air collision off of San Diego. I assumed it must have been F-18’s because of the location and the proximity they quite often fly to each other.
When I got to NAMTRA I saw that our command flag was at half-mast. I saw a Chief on the porch and inquired as to why.
He said “Didn’t you hear? VP-50 had a mid-air last night.”
I was wearing my flight jacket with a 50 patch on it and thought he was pulling my leg. I laughed and said “Yeah right.”
“No,” he replied, “I’m serious.”
Immediately it hit me like a punch to the gut. I instinctively knew who it was that had crashed last night. I jumped in the car and rushed over to the hanger the whole time saying “Please let me be wrong. Please let me be wrong.”
I was stunned when my shipmates confirmed my worst fears. Two of our aircraft had collided while relieving each other on-station. Gone was my Radar operator, Sensor Station One operator, Ordnanceman, my “Sea Puppy” (the guy I trained to replace me and one of my students from my second class at NAMTRA. I lost twenty seven of my shipmates that night. Ten of them were good friends and four of them were like my brothers.
My Ordnanceman wasn’t even supposed to be there at all. He was a last minute addition for another AO who had come down sick. Another guy was from my hometown in Lexington, MA whom I had never met him. It was his first tactical flight in the squadron. The girlfriend of one of the Flight Engineers had a baby three months premature that night, after she found out what happened.
I rushed home and collapsed in my wife’s arms sobbing. I think about them from time to time but always on the anniversary of this tragic event. I miss them all.
“Forever onsta…”
Charles Doyle said:
I was with VP-50 in 19 83,4,5 as a photographer and it one the memories I have!!!
Mike Gordon said:
Thanks, Brett, for the very personal memory you shared.
I have a different perspective, and it may surprise many readers here.
I happened to be the Junior Office of the Deck on the midwatch when that collision happened. I was on the submarine that those aircraft were tracking. You guys had us dead on, too.
10 years later I met two officers who had been attached to VP50 at the time, at a Navy Birthday Ball. We began by talking about how hard submarines are to track, and we eventually learned we (the two P3s of VP50, and my boat) were on opposite sides of the same exercise. We shared a lot of beer and a lot of tears that night, in October 2000.
On the boat we were stunned by the loss, but due to our operational status at the time, we were unable to even acknowledge the mishap, let alone assist in the search. I held that event in mind for almost 10 years, never finding closure. My two aviator buddies helped me find that closure. For one of them, I wear his miniature wings on my dinner dress blue jacket, and he wears my dolphins on his.
To my lost aviation war fighters,
Requiem in Pace (Latin, Rest in Peace).
Vic Monzon said:
The image of the two VP-31 aircraft over the GGB looks very similar to the images I captured while in VP-31 during 1982-85. Lots of VP-31 members ordered copies.
As for the collision, I seem to remember part of the investigation addressed a gripe on the Radar Altimeter on one aircraft…amounting to about a 600 ft error. The aircraft had 1000 ft vertical separation. And when conducting a hot turnover, both aircraft are often marking the best buoy in contact. Altitude errors from both aircraft…in the wrong directions could have placed them in extremis. At the time, I was transferring to FASO…which lost two instructors in the evolution.
Willliam Bonar said:
1967-1970, Started out in San Diego with P-5’s then to Moffett Field for the Orion changeover. First trip to ‘Nam I was a ground pounder in Ord. Second trip I was a crewmember of Crew 8. I was coming out of the shop when the Aussie P3B broke it’s port main mount and went down hard towards Hanger 1. The crew got out fine but one idiot went back into the burning plane and grabbed his camera. He backed out snapping pics. Had a great time with many great people, despite the few ups and downs. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Judith Kirkweg said:
@ Kenneth Roberts. My dad Dutch Landreth was Commander Kidd’s flight engineer at Moffet Field. Dad then went to SG8 with LT. Commander Segelhorst.
Dion Osika said:
Previous comments were made regarding two differing aircraft lost at Moffett Field in the late 1960s. I was assigned to VP-31 from Mar 1966 to Sept 1968. The aircraft lost due to a hard landing that punctured the wing fuel tank was an Australian P-3 from a detachment that was at Moffett for transition training and acquiring the new P3C aircraft. The later crash between a P3 from a patrol squadron and the NASA aircraft occurred post 1968 when I was discharged but now residing in the area. The two aircraft were given landing instructions to the same runway, the NASA a/c was inbound from a flight over the Pacific while the squadron (I cant remember which) a/c was shooting touch and go landings. VP 31 also lost an aircraft in a landing accident in 1968 at Crows Landing auxiliary field in the San Joaquin Valley.
Cecilia Freeman said:
We’re having a 25th anniversary memorial & reunion at Moffett Field on March 20, 2016. There’s a large group coming and we have official Navy participation as well.
I worked in QA for VP 50 on March 21, 1991. I got a call very early that day because I managed the tech pub library. I lost some of my closest friends and I was in the delivery room with the woman Brett mentioned when she had that baby at 8 something that night. She was my roommate and I was holding her hand as her 2 lb 2 oz son was born on the day his father died. Thankfully he’s going to be 25 next month.
Cecilia Freeman said:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VP50FASOMemorial/
Jeff Brant AME2 said:
I remember that day and will never forget it. My shop was short handed and I ended up see off both of the crews. I remember waiting for one air craft to come back. I wanted to do my turn around on it so I could go home. It was my birthday after all. I remember maintenance getting ready to lunch the alert air craft because they were over due. We were in the middle of getting the gear when maintenance told us to stand down. We were told to go home instead. I thought that was odd it was not till the next morning we found out what had happened. I also remember maintenance telling us to turn in our flight schedules that day. I miss them all. As a retired vet. I like to think they will never be forgotten. They were my friends.
Tracy Kreckman said:
I was there when it happened. I was at the controls of an SH-60F with HS-6 as we were in the midst of a joint 24-hour exercise during a workup cycle prior to our 1991 deployment aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. The weather was horrible that night. We were constantly in and out of clouds in heavy rain all night. We were talking to the P-3s as they were turning over. They weren’t saying a lot to us, but we assumed they were sharing buoy info with each other on another freq.
Suddenly the sky turned to daylight for a few seconds, with the light coming from behind and above us. We did a slow turn the long way around, and when we got to that bearing we saw a trail of embers drifting down from the sky, and three flares in the water that had activated automatically. We tried to raise both aircraft on the radio but received no reply. We climbed high enough to get comms with the carrier and report what had happened. We spent the rest of our fuel flying a SAR pattern over the incident area into the dawn hours, but seeing only debris.
After we landed, we met with several folks to debrief, including the Admiral and a VP-50 rep. I found out then that one of my former AOCS classmates was one of those lost. I still remember and honor them every Memorial day.
Kitty Burgh (formerly Mitchell) said:
I was Officer-in-Charge of PSD Moffett Field when this collision occurred. When I arrived at work that day, many of my personnel were there early, running around the building. When I asked what was going on, they told me about the crash. My disbursing office was busy cutting “death gratuity” checks for the families of those members who had been lost in the crash. At that time the death gratuity was only about $3,000 (unlike today’s benefit of $100,000). The commanding officer of VP-50 was at PSD, wandering around in tears, and I’m sure feeling totally helpless to do anything. A memorial service was held on the parade ground in front of the base CO’s building sometime later, and many of the spouses and families attended. This was one of the saddest times of my Navy career.
Melissa Dvorak said:
I was stationed at VP-50 when the accident happened. People say they remember the exact moment they heard JFK was shot. Likewise, I remember the exact moment I learned my shipmates were all gone. I was living in the barracks, fortunate to have my own room. My shipmate and close friend from across the hall, AT3 Laura King knocked on my door. She was valiantly trying to keep her emotions in check but began shaking and crying as she told me the news. I remember asking “WHO?”, and she named some of the guys. Shocked and stunned, I didn’t want to believe her. I remember praying and hoping that they would be found. The next few days after the accident were terrible for everyone. I think we were all numb in our shock and grief. It took me awhile to give up hope and face the fact that my buddies, my friends, my brothers would never be seen again. I have wept reading the post from Brett and others. Sadly, I have trouble remembering names and the only one I can remember this moment so many years later is (I think? AQ3) Dennis Farquhar. He was a short, stocky, friendly young guy. Always smiling and joking. The kind of guy you would count yourself lucky to call friend because he knew the meaning of the word.
Pam Tina said:
I worked in the weather and oceanography command. My job was to analyze the weather and oceanography conditions, create the presentation, and brief our flight crews just before they left for their missions. I was the briefer for both of these flight crews on that day. When I went to work, the next day, I was told about the accident. @Melissa Dvorak is right: I will never forget the day and how I felt. It is seared into my heart, forever. Wishing you all fair winds and calm seas. PT
dana shields said:
I just discovered this webpage. Thank you so so much to all of you for opening your hearts to us. I have learned a lot about what happened during the crash by reading this – things I’ve wondered about for 29 years. Thank you for sharing. I am the sister of LT JG James B. Shields (Jeb) who was killed in the crash. Jeb was the navigator on the flight coming in to relieve the first flight. My heart breaks for all of us. I wrote a book about what it was like losing Jeb in that crash, and how I healed, titled “things I’ve learned about loss” . It will come out next month, August 25, 2020. I hope it helps people grieve and find peace. I would love to stay in touch with anyone who would like to connect. I’m hoping there will be a 30 year anniversary memorial at Moffett in 2021. I’ll be there.
dana
Laura Rosas said:
Thank you so much for providing your heartfelt memories and insights. I live on Moffat Field as a civilian and often stop at the memorial and say a prayer. The “Still on Station” always hits me. Living through this pandemic has allowed me to become more acquainted with the memorials and history of this special place. My heart goes out to all of you who lost loved ones in this tragic event. Please know that the memorial is provided with flowers and flags on holidays and that these men have not been forgotten, even by those who never knew them. God Bless.
Gary R. Wertz, said:
I recall this morning well also; around 0715 that morning I arrived at CPW-2; NAS Barbers Point, HI. to assume the Staff Duty Officer Day Watch. As I entered the ASWOC at Barbers Point CDR Steve Cabrian, the ASWOC, Director, said; “Chief it’s going to be a very bad and sad day today. VP-50 had two airplanes collide near Big Sur, CA. earlier this morning.” Later that day we received the list of personnel who were aboard the aircraft. Sadly one name stood out to me; AW-1 Randall D. Hall; he had been in VP-1, a very dedicated and competent SS-3; always fun to be around. VP-1 was his first tour, I was his LPO and then later the Division LCPO. A very sad loss. May all rest in peace and “Fair Winds and Following seas be with them; Wings forever folded.”
DIANA L ROGERS said:
I served at Moffett Field NAS (1989-1992) VP-31 in 210 shop, and was there the day VP-50 crashed. Lost a great friend in that accident. There was not a single person on base that did not mourn that devastating loss of someone they knew at the base service. It was a tremendous loss not only to the NAS but to Aviation as well.
Fair winds and following seas… always in our hearts.
Michael R Walker said:
My first command was VP-31 Black Lightning(1989-1992) in w/c 110. The tail letters for VP-31 were RP (so several of us would say it stood for Rookie Pilots since VP31 was a training command. In 1992 I joined VP-46 and I was there when the crash happened, it was a sad day for all who were on the base. It was so long ago yet I will never forget that day. My hearts aches for all lost on that tragic day. Towards the end of my career I ended up in VP-30 and ended retiring at NAS Jacksonvile in 2009. I will always have fond memories of NAS Moffett Field but I will never forget that tragic day.
Laura King (Sanderson) said:
I was an AT, aircraft handler, and CDI in VP-50 when this horrible tragedy happened. I don’t think there was a single one of us who didn’t experience survivors guilt or wonder if something we did or didn’t do could of prevented the accident. The hardest thing was when they decommissioned us shortly thereafter and spread us around to other squadrons. The Navy was never the same after VP-50. We were a family that always had each others back. Other squadrons never compared to the fun we had from having paint fights, kidnapping each others stuffed animals or dancing in the snow on rooftops in Adak. I have missed those days and the many people we lost.
Richard Chaikin said:
Being the father of Ltjg David Chaikin, the newest member of the crew, I am truly sad that the Moffet memorial stone does not have his last name spelled correctly, and those in power, refuse to correct it. They have an ‘e’ where there should be an ‘i’
William barker said:
I was a Navy Aircrewman when that happened also was in naval aircrew training at NAS PENSACOLA, with Dennis Farqaure (please forgive me if I spelled his last name wrong it’s been over thirty years
). He was a great guy. We only knew each other for about 8 weeks. That doesn’t matter, my crew landed after a long flight similar mission training to that news. I was stationed at NAS BRUNSWICK.The P-3 community was always small. Someone in our squadron V-P 23 knew someone on those two aircraft. I still remember that day, as if it happened yesterday.
AO1/AC MARK STEPHENSON, USN(RET) said:
I was with VP-6 in Adak when this happened and to this day I remember that day. Today VP-1 lost a crew of 14 in 1983, I lost shipmates on that day. Let us never forget our shipmates on Eternal Patrol/
AD2 DAVID DUNAWAY said:
I WAS WORKING IN THE IMRL TOOL CONTROL DEPT AT VP-50 I HAD THE DAY OFF. I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL THAT MORNING REQUESTING ME TO RETURN TO BASE ASAP. I WOULD NOT KNOW THE INTEL I WAS ABOUT TO RECEIVE WOULD CHANGE MY LIFE FOREVER. I REMEMBER IT LIKE IT WAS YESTERDAY, 27 OF MY FRIENDS AND FELLOW AIRMEN WERE GONE FOREVER,MY HEART STILL BREAK’S WHEN I THINK ABOUT IT, ABSENT BUT NOT FORGOTTEN’ UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN.
John Hawley said:
I was with VP-50 from 1982 – 1985 and participated in many exercises down in SoCal. Flying is inherently dangerous, but flying in bad Wx and in an exercise environment even more so. I heard about this accident from a VP-50 shipmate days later. We both echoed what many have already likely thought or said: There for but the Grace of God…
Patrol Squadron FIFTY Dragon Tales
https://youtu.be/oLhJv_gal6M
AFCM(NAC) Thomas Crow Flt. ENG. VP-47 said:
I knew most the Flight Engineers,one of the crew. That crewman I was at his being presented the award of Wing Sailor of the Quarter. I met his young wife and new born at that presentatation. He flew that night o build his flight time up to maintain his flight pay.
I knew Vp 50, they used be theonly squadron to cover Adak Alaska. They were considered wild and out of control. Not unexpected with this crew under that CO.
LN1(AW) Ralph Sellers said:
I was the Staff Legalman Carrier Group Three when the accident occurred and had to transcribe all the tapes from beginning of the flight until the end for both aircraft. The Lincoln was also on station to pull any debris from the ocean and some of the things that we pulled were not what you really wanted to see. It was something that I will never forget, especially after listening to the tapes over and over to type everything that I heard until there wasn’t.
Roger Mac Zura said:
Vp50 ADJ2 1967 -1971 Looking for a copy of 70/71 cruise book.
I see a lot of familiar names on this post.