06/26/2026
Navy pilot lands aboard the wrong aircraft carrier, 1952.
One of the most famous “wrong deck” landings occurred in 1952 and involved a U.S. Navy McDonnell F2H-2 Banshee assigned to Fighter Squadron 62 (VF-62).
The pilot, running critically low on fuel, accidentally landed on the USS Wasp (CV-18) instead of his designated carrier, the USS Coral Sea (CVB-43).
Since landing on the wrong ship was considered a major navigational embarrassment, the crew of the host vessel subjected the aircraft to traditional naval humor by covering it with playful and mocking graffiti.