AW1 William Marshall "Billy Q" Quinn
HS-14 SH-60F
BUNO: 164611
7/4/64-3/15/95
Hometown: North Carolina
Aboard USS Independence, 100 nmi SE Yokosuka, Sea of Japan, SH-60F Aircraft on final approach for a routine landing at dusk. Pilots forcefully ejected through bubble, both crewmen lost.
Shipmates Comments:
AW1 (NAR) John B. Kalusa and AWC (AW) Jay Kirkner:
"An All-American guy. Go-to guy...best friend I ever had..."
Media Articles:
Navy News Wire Service 3-16-95:
NSWA383. HS-14 helicopter from USS Independence crashed
ABOARD USS INDEPENDENCE (NWSA) -- A Navy helicopter crashed March 15 in the western Pacific Ocean about 112 miles east of Honshu, Yokosuka, Japan. The anti-submarine warfare helicopter (SH-60F) was part of Helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron 14 (HS 14) attached to Carrier Air Wing 5 (CVW 5) and embarked on USS Independence (CV 62).
Two of the four HS 14 crew members -- the pilot and copilot -- were rescued and received medical treatment aboard Independence.
An extensive search was conducted for the remaining two crew members by other CVW 5 helicopters, USS Rodney M. Davis (FFG 60) and small boats from the Independence.
The SH-60F was assigned as plane guard for routine carrier flight operations at the time of the incident.
Names are being withheld pending notification of the next of kin. The cause of the crash is being investigated.

Navy News Wire Service:
NWSA389. Independence helicopter crash personnel identified.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is updated information on a previously released story (NWSA384, 16 March) concerning the USS Independence helicopter crash.
YOKOSUKA, Japan (NWSA) -- The names of the individuals involved in the March 15 crash of a U.S. Navy SH-60F Seahawk helicopter from USS Independence (CV 62) have been released.
The pilot, LT Todd Flannery, has been transferred to Naval Hospital Yokosuka and is currently in stable condition after suffering a broken leg and facial lacerations. The co-pilot, ENS Gust Sparangis, only suffered minor abrasions and is currently on board USS Independence.
Search and rescue operations for two missing crew members have been completed. The missing Sailors have been identified as Aviation Systems Warfare Operator(AW) 1st Class William Quinn and AW1 Humberto Escobar.
The helicopter crashed in the western Pacific Ocean approximately 112 miles east of Honshu, Yokosuka, Japan, at 8:26 p.m. local, March 15, while conducting plane guard operations for routine carrier refresher qualifications. A plane guard's function is to rescue downed aircrew in the case of accident during aircraft takeoffs and landings from the carrier.
The Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) joined the Independence Battle Group in search and rescue operations. JMSDF employed two SH-3 Sea King helicopters and two P-3C Orion aircraft from Atsugi, Japan. Additionally, two JMSDF destroyers, JDS Yuuguri (DD 153) and JDS Shirane (DDH 143), participated in the search and rescue efforts.