Walter
" I find it somewhat curious that you could know of the accident and plane type but not have discovered the pilot's name at the same time. "
This is not curious.. There are numerous books and websites which detail the history and serial of a certain aircraft but do not detail the pilot name at the time of loss. I reckon 50% of queries on this site are .. "Can anyone confirm crew for Aircraft XXXX lost on ????' or can someone tell me how JT John Doe died on date ????
The art is matching the info together... So the full history is made avialable..
I surmise Alex Smart got his info from this website. As you see no pilot mentioned, so he wanted to discover the name...
http://home.att.net/~jbaugher/firstseries2.html
BTW I am surprised I did not post your fathers name as the pilot of NAvy plane 9593. As I found it out from Google News Archive.... See below
Anyway thank you very much for confirming your fathers name and thank you for posting further details
"Warships' flages were at half-mast from 10 to 11 am. here today when a memorial was held at the Naval Air Station for Lieut. Walter D. Leach."
Chicago Tribune - ProQuest Archiver - Sep 12, 1935
Walter Denison Leach, 33, was reported killed today when the navy plane he was piloting plunged into the ocean 19 miles northwest of La Jolla. ...
Los Angeles Times - ProQuest Archiver - Sep 18, 1935
Walter Dennison Leach. Jr.. UVS.. died September 11. 1035, rear La Jol.1 CAL 'nto the ocean nineteen miles northwest of La Jolla, accord- ing to reports. Leach was attached to Squadron VB5B on the U.S.S. Lexington.
Walter D. Leach. 33 years of age. killed Wednesday when his plane plunged into the ocean off La Jolla. Navy planes continued to search for his body today. ...