Mark Stephen Gontkovic was born September 7, 1953 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania to Joseph A. and Ann (Chamer) Gontkovic. In 1971, he graduated from Richland Township High School and attend the Naval Academy Preparatory School in Bainbridge, Maryland. In 1973, he was appointed to the United States Naval Academy by the Secretary of the Navy. Midshipman Gontkovic was a Navy three year letterman in Baseball. Midshipman Gontkovic graduated 526 of 830 midshipman from the United States Naval Academy on June 2, 1976. Midshipman Gontkovic’s service selection was Naval Air.
LTJG Gontkovic as pilot and LTJG Bilotti as bombardier/navigator were killed in line of duty in a training accident on December 6, 1979 in the Mediterranean Sea while assigned to Attack Squadron 35 (VA-35) “Black Panthers” aboard nuclear aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68). The A-6 E Intruder was a carrier-borne low-level attack bomber specifically designed to deliver a variety of ordnance on targets completely obscured by inclement weather or darkness. Flown by a crew of two and powered by two jet engines, the A-6E was equipped with a sophisticated weapons system and can carry five 2,000 pound general purpose bombs or a maximum of twenty-eight 500 pound bombs.
VA-35 was assigned to Carrier Air Group Eight (CAG-8) aboard nuclear aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68). On September 10, 1979, Nimitz departed Naval Station Norfolk on her third Mediterranean and Indian Ocean Cruise.
On December 6, 1979, LTJG Gontkovic and Bilotti were killed in line of duty in an accident in the Mediterranean Sea while assigned to VA-35 aboard aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CV-68).
Aircraft No. 505, an A-6A Intruder (BuNo 157011), LTJG Mark S. Gontkovic (USNA 1976) and LTJG Anthony J.R. Bilotti (USNA 1977), crashed off Avgo Nisi, a small deserted Greek island north of Crete utilized as a bombing range. The third aircraft in a bombing run, 505 rolled in for its strike but suffered what appeared to be a “catastrophic wing failure,” possibly due to being struck accidentally by weapons released by the second Intruder, impacting the water during its dive and killing both men.
Contributor: ET (47514618)
LTJG Gontkovic as pilot and LTJG Bilotti as bombardier/navigator were killed in line of duty in a training accident on December 6, 1979 in the Mediterranean Sea while assigned to Attack Squadron 35 (VA-35) “Black Panthers” aboard nuclear aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68). The A-6 E Intruder was a carrier-borne low-level attack bomber specifically designed to deliver a variety of ordnance on targets completely obscured by inclement weather or darkness. Flown by a crew of two and powered by two jet engines, the A-6E was equipped with a sophisticated weapons system and can carry five 2,000 pound general purpose bombs or a maximum of twenty-eight 500 pound bombs.
VA-35 was assigned to Carrier Air Group Eight (CAG-8) aboard nuclear aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68). On September 10, 1979, Nimitz departed Naval Station Norfolk on her third Mediterranean and Indian Ocean Cruise.
On December 6, 1979, LTJG Gontkovic and Bilotti were killed in line of duty in an accident in the Mediterranean Sea while assigned to VA-35 aboard aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CV-68).
Aircraft No. 505, an A-6A Intruder (BuNo 157011), LTJG Mark S. Gontkovic (USNA 1976) and LTJG Anthony J.R. Bilotti (USNA 1977), crashed off Avgo Nisi, a small deserted Greek island north of Crete utilized as a bombing range. The third aircraft in a bombing run, 505 rolled in for its strike but suffered what appeared to be a “catastrophic wing failure,” possibly due to being struck accidentally by weapons released by the second Intruder, impacting the water during its dive and killing both men.
Contributor: ET (47514618)
Mark Stephen Gontkovic was born September 7, 1953 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania to Joseph A. and Ann (Chamer) Gontkovic. In 1971, he graduated from Richland Township High School and attend the Naval Academy Preparatory School in Bainbridge, Maryland. In 1973, he was appointed to the United States Naval Academy by the Secretary of the Navy. Midshipman Gontkovic was a Navy three year letterman in Baseball. Midshipman Gontkovic graduated 526 of 830 midshipman from the United States Naval Academy on June 2, 1976. Midshipman Gontkovic’s service selection was Naval Air.
LTJG Gontkovic as pilot and LTJG Bilotti as bombardier/navigator were killed in line of duty in a training accident on December 6, 1979 in the Mediterranean Sea while assigned to Attack Squadron 35 (VA-35) “Black Panthers” aboard nuclear aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68). The A-6 E Intruder was a carrier-borne low-level attack bomber specifically designed to deliver a variety of ordnance on targets completely obscured by inclement weather or darkness. Flown by a crew of two and powered by two jet engines, the A-6E was equipped with a sophisticated weapons system and can carry five 2,000 pound general purpose bombs or a maximum of twenty-eight 500 pound bombs.
VA-35 was assigned to Carrier Air Group Eight (CAG-8) aboard nuclear aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68). On September 10, 1979, Nimitz departed Naval Station Norfolk on her third Mediterranean and Indian Ocean Cruise.
On December 6, 1979, LTJG Gontkovic and Bilotti were killed in line of duty in an accident in the Mediterranean Sea while assigned to VA-35 aboard aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CV-68).
Aircraft No. 505, an A-6A Intruder (BuNo 157011), LTJG Mark S. Gontkovic (USNA 1976) and LTJG Anthony J.R. Bilotti (USNA 1977), crashed off Avgo Nisi, a small deserted Greek island north of Crete utilized as a bombing range. The third aircraft in a bombing run, 505 rolled in for its strike but suffered what appeared to be a “catastrophic wing failure,” possibly due to being struck accidentally by weapons released by the second Intruder, impacting the water during its dive and killing both men.
Contributor: ET (47514618)
LTJG Gontkovic as pilot and LTJG Bilotti as bombardier/navigator were killed in line of duty in a training accident on December 6, 1979 in the Mediterranean Sea while assigned to Attack Squadron 35 (VA-35) “Black Panthers” aboard nuclear aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68). The A-6 E Intruder was a carrier-borne low-level attack bomber specifically designed to deliver a variety of ordnance on targets completely obscured by inclement weather or darkness. Flown by a crew of two and powered by two jet engines, the A-6E was equipped with a sophisticated weapons system and can carry five 2,000 pound general purpose bombs or a maximum of twenty-eight 500 pound bombs.
VA-35 was assigned to Carrier Air Group Eight (CAG-8) aboard nuclear aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68). On September 10, 1979, Nimitz departed Naval Station Norfolk on her third Mediterranean and Indian Ocean Cruise.
On December 6, 1979, LTJG Gontkovic and Bilotti were killed in line of duty in an accident in the Mediterranean Sea while assigned to VA-35 aboard aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CV-68).
Aircraft No. 505, an A-6A Intruder (BuNo 157011), LTJG Mark S. Gontkovic (USNA 1976) and LTJG Anthony J.R. Bilotti (USNA 1977), crashed off Avgo Nisi, a small deserted Greek island north of Crete utilized as a bombing range. The third aircraft in a bombing run, 505 rolled in for its strike but suffered what appeared to be a “catastrophic wing failure,” possibly due to being struck accidentally by weapons released by the second Intruder, impacting the water during its dive and killing both men.
Contributor: ET (47514618)
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