Some of our planes would return from strikes with varying degrees of damage and a decision had to be made whether to take them aboard or have them ditch in the ocean.
When the pilot of a returning TBM reported he couldn’t get his hook down he was instructed to stay aloft until all the other planes were in and the flight deck crews then prepared for a barrier crash.
The pilot was able to touch down at almost the very end of the deck.
His tires started smoking immediately while he stood on the brakes and slid up the deck. As he neared the first barrier a crewman thinking he had a chance to stop lowered it. Others were also lowered until just inches away from the last barrier the plane tilted up with the prop almost hitting the deck, and stopped.
Everyone on the deck and island structure began cheering and applauding. This outstanding feat brought tears to the eyes of some of the witnesses.
To the best of anyone’s recollections, recorded or otherwise, this is the only time a plane was able to successfully land on an Essex class carrier without a tailhook and stop before hitting the barrier.
And so it happened on the flight deck of Yorktown many years ago.

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