On one of my first trips out to sea on the Abraham Lincoln we were prepping for a future deployment. We had some of the air group on board and we were practicing night ops off the San Diego coast. I had spent enough time listening to the catapults to know how they sound they make. I was lin my bunk and trying to get some sleep/rest which is difficult to do with that shit happening. On deployment you're often so damn tired you learn to sleep thru it. So I'm just laying in the bunk and notice the sound of that catapult wasnt right. A few seconds later and alarms start going off. An F18 was being launched and we had a cold cat situation. Guy never got enough speed to get the plane in the air. He went right into the drink. We spent quite a while searching for him along with other boats in the battle group but I don't think he was ever found. Still live in San Diego and I've talked with some former navy pilots and they all relate. I don't remember the guys name but a lot of those older pilots say they probably knew him.
unlolful t1_jeafn0b wrote
Reply to comment by sessafresh in 2 Blackhawk helicopters with 101st Airborne Division crash, status of crew members unknown | CNN by 5xad0w
On one of my first trips out to sea on the Abraham Lincoln we were prepping for a future deployment. We had some of the air group on board and we were practicing night ops off the San Diego coast. I had spent enough time listening to the catapults to know how they sound they make. I was lin my bunk and trying to get some sleep/rest which is difficult to do with that shit happening. On deployment you're often so damn tired you learn to sleep thru it. So I'm just laying in the bunk and notice the sound of that catapult wasnt right. A few seconds later and alarms start going off. An F18 was being launched and we had a cold cat situation. Guy never got enough speed to get the plane in the air. He went right into the drink. We spent quite a while searching for him along with other boats in the battle group but I don't think he was ever found. Still live in San Diego and I've talked with some former navy pilots and they all relate. I don't remember the guys name but a lot of those older pilots say they probably knew him.