Richard Kenna 'Dick' Gaines Parachute Incident October 30th 1928

[paulmcmillan]

From Book "Aces of the Air" (1929)
Article Parachutes!
By Lt Harold Blaine "Min" Miller USN
Engineering Officer, Fighting Plane Squadron Two


Page 88 "Parachute are sometime used under unintentional circumstances. In the summer of 1928 Lieut. Dick Gaines was practicing aerobatics in a Navy fighting plane at an altitude of 9,000 feet. While in the inverted position at the top of a loop, he decided to fly on his back. His control stick was pushed forward, but too far, for the plane stalled while on its back. It then whipped into the mysterious "outside spin" and after tow dizzy turns threw Gaines out in spite of his safety belt. After an interval the astonished pilot pulled his rip-cord and floated down to the surface of San Diego Bay, where he was picked up buy a seaplane"

Dick Gaines is "Richard Kenna 'Dick' Gaines" Naval Aviator #3410 and he may actually have been a Ensign not Lieut at the time. He ended up as Commander USS Intrepid CV11 Sept 1944. The incident happened on October 30th 1928

The seaplane pilot who picked him up was Paul Irvin "Pappy" Gunn (later Colonel USAAF) *

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Gunn

* Some sources have Lieutenant Ray Taylor as the pilot but maybe a crew of two ??

https://newspapers.library.in.gov/cg...9281101-01.1.8


Can anyone please suggest an aircraft type and serial for this incident ?

Many Thanks

Paul McMillan

[twocee]

Paul,

The aircraft was F3B-1, A7716, of VF-3B. Ens. Gaines stalled at 7500' while attempting to half roll off the top of a loop and he was thrown out when his seat belt failed.

[paulmcmillan]

George


Thanks - I had a note (unfortunately from no source recoded) that aircraft was coded "F-2" - So A7716 may have been "3-F-2" before A7722

Later VF-3B (from Internet so not 100% sure except A7722 as photo evidence)


CV2- USS Lexingrion CA 1931 A7720 3-F-1
CV2- USS Lexingrion CA 1931 A7722 3-F-2