I was in a Navy tail hook Sq (VF-23) for a year. We had 13 pilots and
killed four in a little over a year (peace time). Three ashore and one
deployed to Westpac on the Yorktown.

I remember that we were told, while at Pensacola, that if a pilot
spent 20 years on a carrier, he had a .25 chance of being killed.

But no one, so far as I know, spent 20 years flying off a carrier.

After I got my wings, I spent 3.5 years flying in the Marine Corps,
2.5 at Cherry Point and one as a FAC at Camp Lejuene as a FAC.

I recall that there were four R4Q crashes, one F7F crash and two
single-engine crashes, all fatal. One F4U ditched, pilot lived. There
may have been more but that's all I can recall.

vince norris