8 fatalities

Eight Crew Members Killed in Searchlight Mission Crash into Lake George (147970)

Lake George, United States of AmericaFlight

On March 9, 1961, a Lockheed P-2 Neptune (registration 147970) operated by United States Navy - USN was involved in an aviation accident near Lake George, United States of America in flight. 8 people were killed. 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 US Navy searchlight mission aircraft crashed into Lake George in foggy conditions, killing all eight crew members. The wreckage was discovered the following morning.

Incident

On the evening of the accident, a searchlight mission aircraft departed from Jacksonville-Cecil Field Naval Air Station. The crew was conducting a local searchlight mission when the airplane encountered foggy conditions. While flying in these conditions, the aircraft went out of control and crashed into Lake George, approximately 66 miles south of the airbase. The wreckage was located the next morning.

Crew

The eight crew members on board were all killed in the crash. The confirmed crew members were: Lt Robert K. Morse (pilot), Lt Walter T. Gardner (mechanic), A2c Fred G. Pridgeon (technician), At2 Harry G. Cummins (technician), and Terry L. Ramsby 3.