USS Los Angeles CA-135, Port Side, Aft Superstructure Contributed by Jeff Davis, May 1999

Sept 1999, John Sommerfield, johnsomm@inreach.com, provided the following info:
 

ABOARD USS LOS ANGELES, Oct. 29, 1952 (AP) The first known helicopter landing on a destroyer took place yesterday as the helicopter from the heavy cruiser USS Los Angeles dropped into the narrow fantail of the USS Orleck.  Piloted by Lt. William W. Wear, USNR, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the copter was hovering over the destroyer deck and discharging a passenger by hoist when the craft lost power. Dangling in his harness below the aircraft when it developed engine trouble, he quickly slipped out of the hoist harness and dropped to the deck a few feet below and sprinted clear. "I looked up and saw the helicopter and ran forward to avoid the rotors", related Ens. Howe later.  To keep from striking the after five-inch mount Lt. Wear skillfully slipped the helicopter aft. It bounced against a loaded charge rack and settled on deck with one wheel astride one 400 pound can of TNT.

May 1999: Jeff Davis (jtdavis@bright.net) wrote:

 "I'm trying to find a helo pilot that was aboard the LA during '52 and '53.  My father, Eugene P. Davis (davng@bright.net), BT1, was onboard the USS Orleck DD 886 during this time and was able to take some photos of a helo from the LA after it had made an emergency landing on the fantail of the Orleck and of the recovery of the helo by a cruiser assumed to be the LA. One of these photos shows the pilot and helo after the landing and one could possibly recognize the pilot if they knew him then.  ...My father would like to give these photos to the pilot"

Note 1:  Jerry Huck, USS Los Angeles  '52-'56, has confirmed that the helicopter was from the LA - a photo of the incident appears in the 1952-1953 cruise book.

Note 2:  The helicopter is a Sikorsky S-51 Dragonfly.  First flight was in 1946.

If you have any more information about this incident or the helicopter crew, please email the webmaster.

	Helicopter on USS Orleck's fantail. Can you identify the officer near the number "43" on the helo?
	Is this the helicopter pilot, Lt. William W. Wear?
	Helo being hoisted aboard the USS Los Angeles CA-135.

8-15-2000