In early 60's I never saw an engine failure in VAH-5's A3D's although
single engine approaches and landings were practiced in the RAG with one
engine pulled back to idle. In 1962, an A-3 doing a loft maneuver on the
Lake George, FL, target had the port (I think) engine break away about
40deg nose up and follow the loft bomb trajectory presumably into the
Lake. The scoring towers declined to score the engine splash. The A-3
returned to NAS Sanford, about 40 miles, and called in that they had
lost an engine. The tower operator reportedly replied quite bored,
"Cleared for straight-in runway 9, standard single engine approach."
Only after being told in no uncertain terms that the port engine was
missing did the tower alert the crash crews and VAH-5 maintenance. Given
the A-3's narrow 'wheelbase' the maintenance chief sent 12-15 men out to
the runway, after rollout they climbed on the wing to counterbalance the
missing engine. I've seen a picture of the A-3 taxiing or being towed in
to the line with the dozen or so men on the pylon-only wing, in one of
the A-3 Skywarrior monographs. But from 1960-63 I don't remember any
engine failures - an event which seems to have increased with age, as I
read these postings.
Joel McEachen VAH-5

Dave Kearton wrote:
Art Greer wrote:
The only twins that didn't do single engine landing to my knowledge
were the A-3 and RA-5s. I've seen an RA-5 land with the canopy blown
and an A-3 take a barricade when it's hook presure system failed
causing hook skip, but no single engine landings.
Art Greer


I guess a go-aroound would be an adventure on an A-3 (even an S-3) with the
engines so far apart.