Nellis – North Island – Barbers Point

On August 3, 1970 at 12:00 AM, Nellis – North Island – Barbers Point experienced a crash involving Lockheed P-3 Orion, operated by United States Navy - USN, with the event recorded near Searchlight Nevada.

The flight was categorized as military and the reported phase was flight at a desert crash site.

10 people were known to be on board, 10 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 10, crew fatalities: 10, passengers on board: 0, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is weather. The crew departed Nellis AFB in Las Vegas on a flight to Barbers Point NAS, Hawaii, with an intermediate stop at North Island-Halsey Field NAS in San Diego. Few minutes after takeoff, the airplane went through a thunderstorm area and encountered heavy turbulences. The pilot lost control of the airplane that entered a dive, partially disintegrated in the air and eventually crashed in a desert area located 10 miles northwest of Searchlight, Nevada. The airplane was totally destroyed and debris scattered on more that half a mile. All ten crew members were killed. Crew (VP-17): Lt Timothy D. Bailing, Lt Norman L. Johnson, Ltjg Henry J. McGreevey, Adj1 Ambrose Ordonia, Adj1 Johnny D. Shelton, Atn3 Cletus L. Morrison, Aw3 John D. Maas, Aw3 John W. Schmitz, Aw3 Michael A. Silvers, Aw3 Bruce E. Weaver.

Aircraft reference details include registration 152159, MSN 185-5129, year of manufacture 1965.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 35.4813°, -114.9196°.