This Military Service Page was created/owned by
Sgt Edson Franklin Bellis
to remember
Marine Maj Thomas W Tyler.
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Contact Info
Home Town Ethridge
Date of Passing Jun 26, 1981
Location of Interment Arlington National Cemetery (VLM) - Arlington, Virginia
Family members had been invited on board the amphibious assault ship Tarawa for a cruise, and Tyler's fiancee was watching as he did a demonstration flyby in his AV-8A. He was supposed to make several passes by the ship from stern to bow. But after the first pass, he changed direction, heading bow to stern. After narrowly missing the ship, the plane hit the water. Investigators concluded the "primary cause of the accident was pilot error," noting that the presence of his fiancee "may have altered Maj. Tyler's previous conscientious flying attitude." Their report also faulted shipboard personnel for not warning Tyler sooner that he had strayed from his flight plan. Tyler graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and flew helicopters in Vietnam. But his real love was the Harrier. "He just loved to fly that plane," said John L. Tyler, his father. Thomas Tyler, 33, was divorced and had a daughter, who was 7 at the time he was killed.
Other Comments:
Harrier Pilots - All shared a devotion to the corps and to the Harrier's special mission of using Marine air power to protect Marines on the ground. Some came from military families, with fathers and even grandfathers who had flown or fought in America's wars. Others stunned their parents when they announced plans to enlist and learn to fly. They typically were high achievers in school and in flight training. Some chose to fly the Harrier, invigorated by the challenge. Others were assigned to the plane by the Marines. They died in fiery explosions and ill-timed ejections. Some made fatal mistakes. Some did everything right and perished anyway.
