10 fatalities

Ten Crew Killed in Night Ditching After Engine Failure (127752)

Jeju, South KoreaFlight

On January 4, 1954, a Lockheed P-2 Neptune (registration 127752) operated by United States Navy - USN was involved in an aviation accident near Jeju, South Korea in flight. 10 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Engine failure. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-06-12Data APIEditorial standards

A night flight from Iwakuni to Suwon ended in a ditching after the crew reported an engine failure. All ten crew members were killed, and wreckage was found two days later.

Accident

The aircraft was conducting a night flight from Iwakuni to Suwon. During the journey, the crew reported an engine failure to ground control. Based on this report, they elected to ditch the aircraft, a procedure for emergency landing on water. The aircraft was not seen again until the wreckage was found two days later. All ten crew members on board were killed.

Investigation

The official probable cause of the accident was engine failure. Investigators noted that the accident may have been the result of an aerial attack by a US Navy Douglas AD-4B Skyraider on a night patrol. This possibility was considered during the investigation.

Crew

The aircraft carried ten crew members: Jesse Beasley, Fredric Prael, Rex Claussen, Gordon Spicklemier, Lloyd Rensink, Bruce Berger, James Hand, Robert Archbold, Stanley Mulford, and Paul Morelli. All ten died in the accident.