At approximately 10.00 am on the 19th of March, a pilot on a routine training flight from the adjacent US Navy base had engine trouble due to low oil pressure. He attempted to land back at the base, but instead tried to make an emergency landing on the 7th hole. The plane landed on the fairway, instantly killing Bertha Johnson and Mary Dempsey, who had just played their tee shots and were walking to their balls. The plane continued down the fairway, crashing into a clump of trees before exploding into flames. The pilot scrambled out of the wreckage, before being informed of the tragedy that had occurred.
