A routine night landing on the USS Nimitz turned into a deadly catastrophe.

History · Published 30 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: On May 26, 1981, a routine training exercise off the coast of Florida transformed into a tragedy. This video examines the crash of a Marine Corps EA-6B Prowler on the deck of the USS Nimitz, an event that claimed the lives of 14 crew members.

During night operations near Pensacola, Florida, a Marine Corps EA-6B Prowler aircraft crashed onto the flight deck of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz. The impact triggered a massive fire and a series of secondary explosions, resulting in the deaths of 14 crew members.

The History Guy explores this incident as part of a series dedicated to preserving forgotten historical events. By analyzing the circumstances of the 1981 disaster, the video provides a somber look at the risks inherent in carrier operations and the importance of remembering such events to prevent their recurrence.

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