I was on board USS KITTY HAWK as electronics technician when this happened. We were told that he was a new safety officer. No name that I remember. What I remember is a cloud of red smoke when I was taking a radio for repair. The A-7 was lowered to the hanger deck, and the rest of the body was removed from the suction port. I went to witness the removal of the body parts from the airplane on the hanger deck, but was told told to return to my duty section.
What we heard from each other was that he was new, and wasn't ready for the flight deck. I was an electronics technician and had nothing to do with the flight squadrons. I have no knowledge of the flight squadrons operations.

I remember the accident. I looked at my cruise book and can confirm that an F. Settle was listed among those who died during the 1972 cruise. Whether this is the officer from the intake accident or not, I do not know.
Former CO Townsend is listed in teh association roster. Perhaps he can shed some light on your question.

Saw it on the TV over and over. Didn't they paint teeth on that intake.

I was the Aviation Stores Officer (S-6 Division). I can confirm his name to be LT Frank Settle. He had been aboard about 3 weeks.

Regards,

Jim

I was the center deck operator with CMDR Gapp who was the CAT OFFICER on Cats 1&2 when Lt. Settle was sucked into the A-7. I was approx. 30 feet from him when he walked in front of the A-7, and I was approx. 10 feet from where he exited the tail pipe of the A-7.
The nose wheel of the A-7 was sidways and stuck on the vanzelm track of Cat 2 and the pilot added throtle to straighten the nose wheel when Settles walked in front of the intake.
I thought his name was George Settles not Frank...If you all remember...we were launching an ALPHA strike for IRON HAND 2...unlimited strikes against the north Vietnamese. we went farther north than any other ship during the entire Vietnam war. Nixon got ****** off because the Vietnamese walked away from the Paris peace talks.. they had stacked up all the A-7's on Cat 2 and were launching them off of Cat 1 while they were also launching off of the waist cats. A-7 #304 was the first A-7 lined up at the rear of Cat 2 and was being directed to Cat 1 for launch...and you know the rest.
I read several accounts on the Kitty Hawk message board but I was there when it all happened. So was Chief Petty Officer Bynam. He was V-2 divisions CPO of the Bow Catapults. There were several of us who personally told Lt. Settles that he was getting too close to the intakes on deck but he ignored us and I personally told CMDR Gapp that the new safety officer was walking around with his head up is ass and that he should talk to him. For the record...I thought Lt. Settles was an alright guy. He was young and confident and I was sorry this happened to him.
I don't think I will ever forget him or CMDR Gapp..
I hope this is what you wanted. I can also be reached at another email address at dejoyfam@comcast.net

the pilot of the A7 was a Lt. Booher va 192 I knew the guys that pulled the engine.

I was a buddy to Frank he was sucked into the A-7 as he was setting the bird up for launch. I was in S-6 Div we [ the COD crew] watched in horror as we were coming up Elevator 1. I was splashed as was the other men in the COD crew I was driving the Fork lift. Frank lived in Tampa Florida. Frank had a little baby girl and he had not seen her. All he did whenever we saw him was bring out pictures of her. She was only 4 months old when he died. Frank was gone on tour with the USS Kittyhawk for a very short time but he was a good guy and friend to be around. Frank is Buried at the National Cemetery in Pensacola. IN Fact I'll going to his grave this next week. I'll tell him you asked about him. I miss him so too! The ingestion happened the day before his Birthday, June 19th 1972.
Garland L Young
S-6 Divison COD crew
USS Kittyhawk CV63
1970-1973

I believe that Cmdr wilson who also came back and walked off the helo onboard with artificial legs some time after the accident

I always have thought that the officer was new on board, and was an O-4. I thought he was a replacement flight-deck officer. I was the AIMD/IM2-division officer in '71 and AIMD/IM1-division officer in '72. I think LT Bill Dazel had IM2 at the time of the accident. AIMD received the engine from the squadron, and we crated and shipped it back to North Island. There may have been a memorial-service for the officer. There's no "more dangerous" place on earth than the flight deck of an attack-carrier during combat operations, hazardous-duty pay notwithstanding.

I remember that day. I was eating chow when it happened.

I was assigned to P-1 Div.#4MMR,heard from a couple of people who had been in the hangar at the time,said that he was basically in the wrong place/wrong time just a couple of days as safety Officer.I also heard that while they had the eng.removed for cleaning,someone(fuel crew) painted sharks teeth on the sides of the intake cowl and called it the purple people eater.True story.Fuelers wear purple jerseys.