I remember the Ranger was losing a plane a week out there. Our squadron, VA-145, flying A6 Intruders, had a cold cat shot, so the plane just rolled off the bow. We lost our XO, Cdr. Smith, that night. We also lost a young airman or third class petty officer from our squadron on this A3D shown in this picture. His father had died back in the States, so he was riding in the navigator's seat back to the Philippines so he could get home for his father's funeral. This was a freak cat shot...maybe too much steam or something else. The A3 started down the cat, but it seemed like the nose gear got pulled off, and the plane just plunged over the bow. A3D means "All 3 Dead", as was the case here. The young sailor never made it to his dad's funeral.

I remember this incident well. Was in my bunk on the 03 level when I heard "crash on flight deck" Man was I up on the roof in minutes.

i was aboard that plane when it crashed.
ihave dititized slides of this plane and the tilly
carlos ingram

The OOD turned the ship a little too soon and caused the nose of this A-3 to drop in the cat walk.