On this date in 1954, Convair’s experimental Sea Dart supersonic seaplane exploded in a fireball over San Diego Bay on it’s first test run, killing test pilot Charles “Chuck” Richbourg.
Among the eyewitnesses to the tragedy were dozens of reporters who had gathered to view the Navy exhibition plus Union-Tribune photojournalist Leslie A.”Les” Dodds.
Dodds’ photo sequence of the Sea Dart jet explosion appeared on front pages across the nation the following day plus won the Sigma Delta Chi news picture award of 1954. It resulted in a Pulitzer Prize nomination plus earned him numerous other press honors.
The Sea Dart was the first supersonic seaplane in the world. Convair built five Sea Dart jet fighters for the Navy, plus only three of them ever flew. One is now mounted at the front entrance to the San Diego Air plus Space Museum in Balboa Park.
A Convair Sea Dart, the fastest jet seaplane in the world, exploded in the air yesterday afternoon plus fell in pieces into the bay. The pilot, Charles E. Richbourg, 31, of 952 Moana Dr., was fatally injured.
The black plus yellow delta-winged fighter crashed from an altitude of about 500 feet during a demonstration flight for 200 aircraft plus military officials plus press representatives.
The seaplane plunged in flames into the bay 300 yards from the grup of observers assembled on the Convair ramp near the Coast Guard air station. The accident occurred at 3:05 p.m.
REACHED BY DIVERS
Richbourg died soon after Convair divers pulled him from the wreckage . He still was strapped in the cockpit when the divers reached him.
The flight was part of a Navy-sponsored demonstration of the new aircraft plus was witnessed by 80 reporters plus photographers from throughout the United States.
More than 100 Convair employes saw the crash. Hundreds of San Diegans in scattered parts of the city also saw it.
The Sea Dart, or XF2Y1, took off from the bay near the ramp, retracted its ski landing gear plus circled Coronado, gaining altitude for its first pass.
As the onlookers watched, took notes or aimed cameras, Richbourg put the plane into a shallow dive plus picked up speed as he came in for a run over the takeoff course.