Aircraft: A-4A Custodian: VX-5 BuNo: 139926 Modex: XE-8 Location: NAS China Lake Area Date: OCT 1956 Photo credit: Contact: Gary Verver Description: I’m pretty sure this is A4D-1 139926 which was SOC EOM October 1956 and is the plane LT Hooks lost his life in as his accident was 10 October 1956. Very little info other than the Skyhawk came down about 5 miles south of Inyokern and info from one of the VX-5 guys that LT Hooks died of inhalation burns. I don’t think all of the damage occurred in-flight as the panels hanging off the plane would have been torn loose or deformed by the airstream. It’s in the dirt and the tires look a bit tattered. Gary Verver