NADC Warminster

Naval Air Development Center, Warminster, PA

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LT Kenneth "Kenny" Wetzel, United States Navy

Naval Aviator Wings
Sailor playing TAPS
23 JULY 1974

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.
The aircraft started to nose over near the intersection of Hatboro and Bristol Rds, Southampton Township, PA, approximately 1/2 mile short of Runway 27.
He ejected, but his parachute deployed over the fireball and he fell to his death.
The aircraft hit the ground, crossed Bristol Road and through the base fence.





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NAF Warminster

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

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.

Base Tail ID

No info yet.

Hosted Units

No info yet

Aircraft

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:

Events

1943
U. S. Naval Aircraft Modification Unit (NAMU) Johnsville, PA

1947 Naval Air Development Station (NADS) Johnsville, PA

1949
Naval Air Development Center (NADC) Johnsville, PA

1965
Naval Air Development Center (NADC) Warminster, PA

July 23, 1974: Lt. Kenneth R. Wetzel was killed when he apparently tried to eject from his A-4C Skyhawk jet 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. The aircraft started to nose over near the intersection of Hatboro and Bristol Rds., Southampton Township, PA, approximately 1/2 mile short of Runway 27. He ejected, but his parachute deployed over the fireball and he fell to his death. The aircraft hit the ground, crossed Bristol Road and through the base fence. Pilot banked hard right to return. He hit the fence on final and ejected The fireball got to him. He didn’t survive. Worst day of my life. From Robert Fagiolo. 

June 30, 1975: A-4B Skyhawk BuNo 145062 was damaged in an accident and was stricken.
e-Mail sa-contact-losses@a4skyhawk.net if you have any further information re the who, what, where or why.

1996
Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC) Warminster, PA

31 Mar 1997
NADC Johnsville closed

Photos

10JUN73: NA-4C Skyhawk BuNo 145062 assigned to the Naval Air Development Center, Warminster, PA. W.G. Welch from Mike Wilson collection.

APR65: Left front view of Naval Air Development Center A-4C Skyhawk BuNo 145062 parked on the ramp. R. Besecker.

Left front view of Naval Air Development Center A-4C Skyhawk BuNo 145062 with NADC Johnsville designed special delivery containers which are 21 inches in diameter, 9 feet long with a capacity of 500 pounds. Naval Aviation News photo.

15MAY71: Right front view of Naval Air Development Center A-4C Skyhawk BuNo 145062 parked on the ramp. Lionel Paul.

Left side view of Naval Air Development Center A-4C Skyhawk BuNo 145062 parked on the ramp. Unknown via W. Mutza.

Prototype A-4F (NA-4F) Skyhawk assigned to the Naval Air Development Center, Warminster, PA. Unknown from Mike Wilson collection.

SEP76: Prototype A-4F (NA-4F) Skyhawk BuNo 152101 assigned to the Naval Air Development Center, Warminster, PA. Naval Air Development Center (NADC) Warminster NA-4F Skyhawk on the ramp, NAS Miramar, September 1976. C-1A Trader BuNo 136755 in the right background. Photo via Tailhook Association.

This photo was provided by the US Navy to John Chesire while he was flying A-4C Skyhawk BuNo 145062 at the NADC facility. U.S.Navy photo John Chesire.

Circa 1962: The following seven images are of NADC Johnsville A4D-2N BuNo 145062 - Ordnance is unknown.
Pic1
Pic2
Pic3
Pic4
Pic5
Pic6
Pic7
From Gary Verver Collection.

152865: TA-4F 152865 of VMT-203 undergoing full scale airframe fatigue test at Naval Air Development Center, Warminster, PA. NADC photo from Ron Picciani.

1975: BuNo 149646, A-4L, getting ready to taxi. Source Gary Verver.


Off-Duty Photos

No info yet.

A-4 Skyhawk aircraft assigned to this unit:

  • Douglas A4D-2N (A-4C) Skyhawk
    • 145062 c/n 12308
      • 01 Jun 1972 - NAF - NAF Warminster, PA
      • 01 Jul 1973 - NAF RDT&E - NAF Warminster, PA
      • 30 Jun 1975 - Stricken - 1SO
    • 147680 C/N 12444
      • 16 May 1969 - NAF - NAF Warminster, PA
      • 23 Jul 1974 - Stricken - 1SO
    • 149646 c/n 12971
      • 03 Sep 1975 - NAF RDT&E - NAF Warminster, PA
      • 19 Jan 1977 - NATF - NAS Lakehurst, NJ
  • Douglas TA-4F Skyhawk
    • 152865 C/N 13511
      • 05 Jun 1974 - NASC Rep - NAF Warminster, PA
      • 06 Jun 1974 - Stricken - 3S0
  • Douglas A-4M Skyhawk
    • 158425 c/n 14247
      • 29 Sep 1976 - NAF RDT&E - NAF Warminster, PA
      • 09 Jun 1977 - NPRO - Long Beach, CA

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