The Wondering Nose

An F9F Panther came to grief when its hook caught the wire on the USS Bon Homme Richard CVA-31. The nose section came loose for some reason, skittered down the deck by itself and went over the side into the ocean, where an alert photographer caught it finally bobbing along on the waves like a cork. The nose section on the Panther is removable so crewmen can work on the guns, cameras or other gear that is installed in that part of the aircraft.