1833 Squadron Commander Norman Hanson, in [Carrier Pilot](https://www.amazon.ca/Carrier-Pilot-greatest-pilots-memoirs/dp/190926959X): p 230.

>We sorted out our various carriers, waited a minute or two, then I led the flight (we had just been joined by a couple more of our Corsairs) up the starboard side of Illustrious and lowered hook and undercarriage. Undercart OK anyway; down and locked. About a mile up, then round to port in a great I8O-degree turn. Down 20 degrees of flap. Ten degrees more. There was something wrong. What in God’s name was the matter with the thing? The flaps just weren’t taking the speed off it. I started to juggle, working out how to go about the business of landing and sailed on, well past the stem end of the ship. Eventually, somehow or other, I got it down to manageable speed and turned in towards the ship. I was low — too low. Down to about 350 feet — and a long, long way astern. Should I go round again? No — Bats was giving me ‘Roger’ so I pressed on and gave it a bit more throttle to get some extra height. I was in a bloody awful position, but he obviously thought I would make it OK. Then from the port side came a Corsair, in a steep turn, doing its approach to the deck; and was upon me before I saw it. I heard the roar from its engine above my own — God! It was close! And the pilot couldn’t see me beneath his wing! I crashed the throttle wide open to clear out of its way and promptly stalled. I had collected all its slipstream.

>My Corsair fell out of the sky like a stone, port wing down. I screamed. I knew, without a shadow of doubt, that I was done for. From 400 feet, in a six-ton aircraft, you don’t stand a dog’s chance. The stick was whipped out of my hand by the sudden stall and was far to the left, set as though in concrete. I took both hands to it—no good. I got my left knee behind it — still solid. The sea was coming up at me at a sickening speed. Any second now. Then the stick became free — I had regained flying speed. Thank God, I did the right things instinctively. I kicked the starboard rudder hard and she stopped spinning. I straightened up the wings and started to pull — gently, though. I didn’t want to go into a reverse spin, which a Corsair would do without any trouble. For one wildly optimistic moment I thought I was safe. The sea was close, horribly close and I was going fast now. But I was pulling out of the dive — gently, gently!

>Everything went black, as they say.

[https://www.armouredcarriers.com/operation-meridian-the-palembang-strike](https://www.armouredcarriers.com/operation-meridian-the-palembang-strike)

A Corsair goes into the water after hitting the prop wash of the Corsair about to be trapped aboard HMS Illustrious. It is possible this is Norman Hanson's ditching, as described below.