Naval Air Development Center, Warminster, PA |
Point of Contact = Squadron Duty Officer (SDO). See FAQ/Research/Contact link under [SA] in the menu. |
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LT Kenneth "Kenny" Wetzel, United States Navy |
On July 23, 1974, Lt Kenneth "Kenny" Wetzel took off in A-4C BuNo 147680 on runway 9, and started to experience a rough running engine. He made a turn back towards NADC, and held the aircraft as long as he could. |
 NADMC Johnsville |
 NADC Warminster |
 NADC Warminster |
 NADC Technology Dir. |
 NAF Warminster |
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Heritage-Patches In 1944, the Navy acquired the Brewster Aircraft Corporation which consisted of production shops,administration spaces and the adjoining airfield and hangar spaces. The Navy designated the plant the Naval Air Modification Unit (NAMU), a branch of the Naval Air Material Center (NAMC), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The task assigned to NAMU involved quantity conversion and modification of newly produced aircraft prior to delivery to the fleet for combat use. With the end of WW II the need for NAMU vanished and in 1947 it was redesignated as the U. S. Naval Air Development Station (NADS). Expansion of NADS activities necessitated another reorganization along more functional lines as the U. S. Naval Air Development Center (NADC) in 1949. NADC became part of the Naval Air Warfare Center command in 1996 and was closed 31 Mar 1997 |
Sources David Weber Gary Verver Armand Rubbo, ASCS(SW/AW) USN, ret |
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Commanding Officers Jul 43 – Nov 46 - - CAPT R.S. Barnaby Nov 46 – Jul 47 - - CAPT C.E. Kirkbride Jul 47 – Jun 50 - - CAPT E.W. Rounds Jul 50 – Aug 51 - - RADM S.B. Spangler Oct 51 – Mar 53 - - CAPT R.S. Hatcher Mar 53 – May 54 - - CAPT C.J. Pfinstag May 54 – Aug 56 - - CAPT J.A. Haley Aug 56 – Aug 59 - - CAPT E.E. Fawkes Sep 59 – Aug 62 - - CAPT H.L. Leon Aug 62 – Jul 65 - - CAPT A.E. Paddock Jul 65 – Aug 66 - - CAPT Benjes, Jr. Aug 66 – Oct 68 - - CAPT B.L. Towle Oct 68 – Jul 71 - - CAPT F.W. Ewald Jul 71 – Jun 74 - - CAPT H.B. McCaulley Jun 74 – Jun 76 - - CAPT G.M. Yowell Jun 76 – Jun 79 - - CAPT C.M. Rigsbee Jun 79 – Aug 81 - - CAPT P.L. Dudley, Jr. Aug 81 – Jul 84 - - CAPT J.B. Anderson Jul 84 – Jul 87 - - CAPT E.J. Sturm Jul 87 – Jun 91 - - CAPT C.J. Winters Jun 91 – May 95 - - CAPT W.L. McCracken May 95 – Sep 96 - - CAPT M.A. Cosgrove |
Awards No info yet. |
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Base Tail ID No info yet. |
Hosted Units No info yet |
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Date Type First Received - - - - - - Type of Aircraft: 1950 - - - - - - - - WV-1 1957 - - - - - - - - WV-2 Unknown- - - - - - - EC-121 Unknown- - - - - - - Lockheed NP-2E Unknown- - - - - - - Douglas RA-3B 126 May 1969 - - - - Douglas A4D-2N (A-4C) Skyhawk * 5 June 1974- - - - - Douglas TA-4F Skyhawk 29 September 1976- - Douglas A-4M Skyhawk * November 30, 1962 The A4D-2N designation was changed to A-4C For A-4 Skyhawk aircraft assigned to this unit see lower in this page:
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Events 1943 1947 Naval Air Development Station (NADS) Johnsville, PA 1949 1965 July 23, 1974: Lt. Kenneth R. Wetzel was killed when he apparently tried to eject from his A-4C Skyhawk (BuNo 147680) minutes after take-off from NADC Warminster. Bucks County Courier-Times, July 24, 1974. Lt. Kenneth R. Wetzel, 30, was killed when his A-4C Skyhawk crashed yesterday in a corn field, slid across a road and skidded upside down to a halt inside NADC Warminster after his routine flight developed trouble on take-off. Philadelphia Daily News, Wednesday, 24 July 1974. Lt Kenneth "Kenny" Wetzel took off in A-4C BuNo 147680 on runway 9, and started to experience a rough running engine. He made a turn back towards NADC, and held the aircraft as long as he could, ejected but landed in the crash fire ball and perished.
1996 31 Mar 1997
A-4 Skyhawk aircraft assigned to this unit:
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