List of aircraft accidents at Eglin Air Force Base
Encyclopedia
This is a partial list of aviation accidents at Eglin Field/Eglin Air Force Base
, Florida or involving Eglin-based aircraft. You can help improve it by adding other incidents and accidents.
Eglin Air Force Base
Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 3 miles southwest of Valparaiso, Florida in Okaloosa County....
, Florida or involving Eglin-based aircraft. You can help improve it by adding other incidents and accidents.
1930s
- 5 August 1935 - Boeing P-12CBoeing P-12The Boeing P-12 or F4B was an American pursuit aircraft that was operated by the United States Army Air Corps and United States Navy.-Design and development:...
, 31-186, of the Army Air Corps Tactical School, Maxwell FieldMaxwell FieldMaxwell Field was the football stadium located behind the former location of Louisville Male High School, 911 S. Brook St., Louisville, Kentucky, 40203 which was bounded by the streets of Brook, Breckinridge, Floyd, and Caldwell streets in Louisville, Kentucky. In 1984 a double murder known locally...
, Montgomery, Alabama, piloted by Edward E. Hildreth, suffers a landing accident that results in a ground loop causing moderate damage. Repaired. - 25 July 1936 - Keystone B-4AKeystone B-4|-See also:-References and external links:****...
, 30-346, of the 54th Bomb Squadron, Maxwell FieldMaxwell FieldMaxwell Field was the football stadium located behind the former location of Louisville Male High School, 911 S. Brook St., Louisville, Kentucky, 40203 which was bounded by the streets of Brook, Breckinridge, Floyd, and Caldwell streets in Louisville, Kentucky. In 1984 a double murder known locally...
, Alabama, wrecked in takeoff accident at the Valparaiso Bombing Range. Pilot was Herman A. Schmid. - 5 February 1937 - Boeing P-12CBoeing P-12The Boeing P-12 or F4B was an American pursuit aircraft that was operated by the United States Army Air Corps and United States Navy.-Design and development:...
, 31-185, of the 91st School Squadron, Maxwell FieldMaxwell FieldMaxwell Field was the football stadium located behind the former location of Louisville Male High School, 911 S. Brook St., Louisville, Kentucky, 40203 which was bounded by the streets of Brook, Breckinridge, Floyd, and Caldwell streets in Louisville, Kentucky. In 1984 a double murder known locally...
, Montgomery, Alabama, piloted by William C. Goldsborough, suffers a landing accident at the Valparaiso Bombing and Gunnery Base that results in a ground loop causing moderate damage. - 22 August 1937 - Douglas O-25ADouglas O-2The Douglas O-2 is a 1920s American observation aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company.-Development:The important family of Douglas observation aircraft sprang from two XO-2 prototypes, the first of which was powered by the 420 hp Liberty V-1650-1 V-engine and test-flown in the autumn...
, 30-372 (serial is in doubt - O-25A serial block ended at -370; 30-372 ties up to Fleet YPT-6) , of the 105th Observation Squadron, Tennessee National Guard, out of Sky Harbor AirportMurfreesboro Municipal AirportMurfreesboro Municipal Airport is about 2 nm north of the central business district of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, United States. It is also the home of the Middle Tennessee State University Aerospace aircraft and simulators...
, Murfreesboro, TennesseeMurfreesboro, TennesseeMurfreesboro is a city in and the county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 108,755 according to the United States Census Bureau's 2010 U.S. Census, up from 68,816 residents certified during the 2000 census. The center of population of Tennessee is located in...
, suffers landing accident-ground contact at Valparaiso Bombing and Gunnery Range, and is destroyed. Pilot was George W. Noland. - 26 August 1937 - Boeing P-12CBoeing P-12The Boeing P-12 or F4B was an American pursuit aircraft that was operated by the United States Army Air Corps and United States Navy.-Design and development:...
, 31-184, of the 91st School Squadron, Maxwell FieldMaxwell FieldMaxwell Field was the football stadium located behind the former location of Louisville Male High School, 911 S. Brook St., Louisville, Kentucky, 40203 which was bounded by the streets of Brook, Breckinridge, Floyd, and Caldwell streets in Louisville, Kentucky. In 1984 a double murder known locally...
, Montgomery, Alabama, piloted by Paul T. Cullen, is moderately damaged in a landing accident at Eglin Field. On Friday 23 March 1951, Brig. Gen. Cullen, is lost in the crash of C-124 Globemaster IIC-124 Globemaster IIThe Douglas C-124 Globemaster II, nicknamed "Old Shakey", was a heavy-lift cargo aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company in Long Beach, California....
, 49-244, c/n 43173, of the 2nd Strategic Support Squadron, Strategic Air CommandStrategic Air CommandThe Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
, en route from Gander, Newfoundland to RAF MildenhallRAF MildenhallRAF Mildenhall is a Royal Air Force station located at Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. Despite its status as an RAF station, it primarily supports United States Air Force operations and is currently the home of the 100th Air Refueling Wing...
, missing over the Atlantic Ocean; wreckage found near Ireland. 53 went MIA, including Gen. Paul T. Cullen and his command staff, en route to his headquarters of the newly activated 7th Air Division, SACStrategic Air CommandThe Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
, at South RuislipSouth RuislipSouth Ruislip is a suburban area in the London Borough of Hillingdon.The population, according to the 2001 UK census, was 10,823. By 2008, this had reached 11,116.-Education:...
, London, England. Cullen had been deputy commander of Barksdale Air Force BaseBarksdale Air Force BaseBarksdale Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately east-southeast of Bossier City, Louisiana.The host unit at Barksdale is the 2d Bomb Wing , the oldest Bomb Wing in the Air Force. It is assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command's Eighth Air Force...
, Louisiana. - 27 July 1938 - Douglas O-38EDouglas O-38-References:*The complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft Editors: Paul Eden & Soph Moeng, , 1152 pp.-External links:...
, 33-11, of the Missouri National GuardMissouri National GuardThe Missouri National Guard consists of the:*Missouri Army National Guard*Missouri Air National Guard-External links:* compiled by the United States Army Center of Military History...
, Lambert Field, Anglum, Missouri, is damaged in a landing accident resulting in a nose-over at the Bombing Range, Eglin Field, Florida. Pilot was Paul A. Zartman.
1940s
- 2 February 1941 - Douglas B-23 Dragon, 39-27, c/n 2713, damaged on landing at Eglin Field. Struck off charge on 9 April 1942.
- 9 October 1941 – "Flying cadet W. H. Snyder, stationed at Gunters Field [sic], Alabama was killed here (Crestview, FloridaCrestview, FloridaCrestview is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. Crestview’s name was chosen because of its location on the peak of a long woodland range between the Yellow and Shoal rivers which flow almost parallel on the east and west side of the City....
) when his plane (BT-13 ValiantBT-13 ValiantThe Vultee BT-13 Valiant was an American World War II-era basic trainer aircraft built by Vultee Aircraft for the United States Army Air Corps, and later US Army Air Forces...
, 40-1064, of the 85th Support Squadron,) crashed in a black-jack thicket near the new CAA airport Thursday morning. He was brought to Enzor Brothers Hospital following the crash and died at about 4:00 Thursday afternoon from his injuries. Snyder was one of two groups of 30 planes each from Gunters [sic] Field here on a routine training flight, Mr. B. M. Dove, in charge of the CAA airport said. 'His plane apparently developed motor trouble as he was preparing to land and the plane crashed before he could reach the field', Mr. Dove said. Henry Spencer and his brother, Jason, who live within 300 yards of the scene of the accident were watching the plane when it went into its fatal dive. 'I was looking right at him", Henry Spencer said, 'He was flying along pretty low and suddenly made a dive for the ground. His plane tore out the top of a large oak tree before he hit the ground; He was going mighty fast and his motor seemed to be going at full speed', he declared. The Spencer brothers were the first to reach the scene and found the pilot badly injured and bleeding about the head. They did not attempt [sic] to remove him from the tangled wreckage until Army ground units arrived a few minutes later." It was reported that Snyder was "an English student flyer but this statement could not be verified by Army officers who referred all questions to the public relations department at Gunters [sic] Field. The plane was so badly damaged that it could not be repaired and a wrecking crew from Eglin Field were dismanteling [sic] it late Thursday for salvage." - 2 January 1942 - 2nd Lt. Garland O. Peel Jr., is killed in the take-off crash of Martin B-12AMMartin B-10The Martin B-10 was the first all-metal monoplane bomber to go into regular use by the United States Army Air Corps, entering service in June 1934...
, 33-262,, of the 387th School Squadron, 2 January 1942, when he suffers engine failure. He was a gunnery school instructor at Eglin. Peel Field, Auxiliary Field 4, is named for him and is later utilized for the filming of scenes for the 1944 film Thirty Seconds Over TokyoThirty Seconds over TokyoThirty Seconds Over Tokyo is a 1944 MGM war film. It is based on the true story of America's first retaliatory air strike against Japan four months after the December 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The movie was directed by Mervyn LeRoy and produced by Sam Zimbalist. The screenplay by...
. - 19 January 1942 - B-25C-1 MitchellB-25 MitchellThe North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
, 41-13118, crashes into the Gulf of MexicoGulf of MexicoThe Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
2 miles S of Destin, FloridaDestin, FloridaDestin is a city located in Okaloosa County, Florida. It is a principal city of the Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.Located on Florida's Emerald Coast, Destin is known for its white beaches and emerald green waters...
killing pilot George E. Pierce. Joe BaugherJoe BaugherJoseph F. Baugher is a retired physicist, software engineer, and author, who has also written articles on aviation.He graduated from Gettysburg College in 1963 and studied physics under Philip J. Bray at Brown University, receiving a Ph.D...
cites date of 19 October 1942 for loss. Eglin Auxiliary Field 2 is named for Pierce. - 4 March 1942 – "Two Eglin Field Army flyers, Lt. John W. Smith and 2nd Lt. Richard Edward Baldsiefen, 23, were killed in a plane crash near Eglin Field Wednesday. Details of the accident were not learned today. The bodies were taken to a PensacolaPensacola, FloridaPensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
funeral home." Baldsiefen was a gunnery instructor at Eglin. Eglin Auxiliary Field 8 is later named Baldsiefen Field. Their AT-6A Texan, 41-528, came down at Auxiliary Field 4. - 21 March 1942 – P-40E Warhawk, 40-603, wrecked in taxi accident at Eglin Field.
- 23 March 1942 – B-25B MitchellB-25 MitchellThe North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
, 40-2291, piloted by 1st Lt. James P. Bates, crashes on take-off from Auxiliary Field No. 3 during training for the planned Doolittle RaidDoolittle RaidThe Doolittle Raid, on 18 April 1942, was the first air raid by the United States to strike the Japanese Home Islands during World War II. By demonstrating that Japan itself was vulnerable to American air attack, it provided a vital morale boost and opportunity for U.S. retaliation after the...
on Japan. This aircraft did not participate in the mission. Some sources state that Bates deployed with the Raiders aboard the USS HornetUSS HornetEight ships of the United States Navy have been named USS Hornet, after the stinging insect., was a ten-gun sloop commissioned in 1775, and served in the American Revolutionary War, was also a ten-gun sloop and took part in the First Barbary War, was a brig-rigged sloop of war launched on 28 July...
but did not fly the mission, but Gen. Doolittle said in his autobiography that the pilot did not deploy with the unit on the carrier Hornet. - 16 November 1942 - Douglas A-24-DE Banshee, 41-15748, of the Air Proving Ground, piloted by Raymond L. Hodges, is damaged in a landing accident at Eglin Field. Repaired, the aircraft will be reclassified to CL-26 status on 12 January 1944.
- 26 November 1942 – Eglin Field headquarters announced on Monday 30 November 1942 that an Army plane [type not given] on a cross country flight crashed this date between Crestview, FloridaCrestview, FloridaCrestview is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. Crestview’s name was chosen because of its location on the peak of a long woodland range between the Yellow and Shoal rivers which flow almost parallel on the east and west side of the City....
and Pensacola, FloridaPensacola, FloridaPensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
, killing all three men on board. KWF were pilot 1st Lt. Duncan C. Murphy, son of Hugh Murphy, 1700 Twenty-first Avenue, St. Petersburg, FloridaSt. Petersburg, FloridaSt. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
; co-pilot 2nd Lt. Albert J. Wieland, son of A. D. Wieland, Norton, KansasNorton, KansasNorton is a city in and the county seat of Norton County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,928.-History:...
; and Sgt. Herbert C. Wade, son of Mrs. Nancy Adeline Wade, Route 1, Big Stone Gap, VirginiaBig Stone Gap, VirginiaBig Stone Gap is a town in Wise County, Virginia, United States. The population was 5,643 at the 2010 census.-History:The community was formerly known as "Meneral City" and "Three Forks." The "Big Stone Gap" refers to the valley which has been created on the Appalachia Straight, located between...
. The cause of the crash was not known and an investigation is underway, a public relations officer said. The B-26B MarauderB-26 MarauderThe Martin B-26 Marauder was a World War II twin-engine medium bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942, it was also used in the Mediterranean Theater and in Western Europe....
, 41-17704, came down 25 miles N of Pensacola, Florida. - 29 November 1942 – Lt. Col. Boyd David "Buzz" Wagner, 26, from Emeigh, Pennsylvania (31 October 1916 – 29 November 1942), the first USAAF ace of World War II (8 confirmed victories), is killed in the crash of a factory-fresh P-40K-15-CU Warhawk, 42-10271, 25 miles E of Eglin Field on a flight to Maxwell FieldMaxwell FieldMaxwell Field was the football stadium located behind the former location of Louisville Male High School, 911 S. Brook St., Louisville, Kentucky, 40203 which was bounded by the streets of Brook, Breckinridge, Floyd, and Caldwell streets in Louisville, Kentucky. In 1984 a double murder known locally...
, Alabama. He departed Eglin and then was not heard from again. The search for the missing plane took at least four days. He was the recipient of the Distinguished Service CrossDistinguished Service Cross (United States)The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
, the Distinguished Flying CrossDistinguished Flying Cross (United States)The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...
, and the Purple HeartPurple HeartThe Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
. The wreckage was discovered 5 miles N of Freeport, FloridaFreeport, FloridaFreeport is a city in Walton County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,190 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 1,427.-Geography:Freeport is located at ....
in January 1943. - 2 May 1943 - P-38G-13-LO LightningP-38 LightningThe Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
, 43-2227, piloted by Clyde M. Adams, is flown into the water of the Gulf of MexicoGulf of MexicoThe Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
, three miles S of Tower Beach, Santa Rosa IslandSanta Rosa Island, FloridaSanta Rosa Island[p] is a 40-mile barrier island located in the U.S. state of Florida, thirty miles east of the Alabama state border...
, Florida, killing pilot. - 1 October 1943 – After flying combat missions from Great Britain and receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
, Lieutenant Donald Wilson Hurlburt was assigned in mid-1943 to the First Proving Ground Electronics Test Unit at Eglin Field. He died this date when his LockheedLockheed CorporationThe Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company. Lockheed was founded in 1912 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995.-Origins:...
AT-18-LO Hudson gunnery trainer, 42-55591, c/n 414-7313, crashed during take-off at Eglin. Eglin Auxiliary Field 9 was named Hurlburt FieldHurlburt FieldHurlburt Field is a U.S. Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the Town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation, and is home to Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command , the 1st Special Operations Wing , the...
in his honor by Eglin base commander General Grandison Gardner. Hurlburt's nephew was Captain Craig D. ButtonCraig D. ButtonCraig David Button was a United States Air Force pilot who died when he crashed an A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft in mysterious circumstances on April 2, 1997. During the incident, Captain Button inexplicably flew hundreds of miles off-course without radio contact, appeared to maneuver purposefully...
(noted for his mysterious flight and crash of an A-10 Thunderbolt on 2 April 1997). It should be noted that an official history of Eglin AFB's early years cites 2 October 1943 as the date of this accident, and also notes that Capt. Barclay H. Dillon, test pilot of the Fighter Section of the 1st Proving Ground Group, died in another accident the same date. His P-38J-5-LO LightningP-38 LightningThe Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
, 42-67103, crashed 8 miles W of Milton, FloridaMilton, FloridaMilton , or Milltown, because Milton had the largest mill around) is a city in Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States. The city was incorporated in 1844 and is home to Naval Air Station Whiting Field. The population was 7,045 at the 2000 census. In 2004, the population recorded by the U.S...
. Auxiliary Field No. 10 was later named Eglin Dillon Airdrome, now more commonly known as OLF Choctaw. - 10 October 1943 – Maj. Walter J. Wagner, former commanding officer for the 1st Proving Ground, Eglin Field, is killed in crash of AT-6C-NT Texan, 41-32187, c/n 88-9677, at Auxiliary Field 2, this date. Auxiliary Field No. 1 is named in his honor.
- 19 October 1943 - Former American Volunteer GroupAmerican Volunteer GroupThe American Volunteer Groups were volunteer air units organized by the United States government to aid the Nationalist government of China against Japan in the Second Sino-Japanese War...
ground crewman who became a pilot, Donald L. Rodewald, crashes a North American P-51B-1-NA Mustang, 43-12099, c/n 102-24547, of the 1st Proving Ground, at Eglin Field this date in a forced landing after he runs out of fuel. - 8 January 1944 - 1st Lt. Andrew Biancur, a test pilot of the Medium Bombardment Section of the 1st Proving Ground Group, is killed in crash of YP-61-NO Black WidowP-61 Black WidowThe Northrop P-61 Black Widow was the first operational U.S. military aircraft designed specifically for night interception of aircraft, and was the first aircraft specifically designed to use radar. It was an all-metal, twin-engine, twin-boom design developed during World War II...
, 41-18883, c/n 711, at Eglin Field this date. Auxiliary Field 6 is later named in his honor. - 19 January 1944 - YB-29-BW SuperfortressB-29 SuperfortressThe B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
, 41-36956, assigned to the 40th Bombardment Group, Wright FieldWright FieldWright Field was an airfield of the United States Army Air Corps and Air Forces near Riverside, Ohio. From 1927 to 1947 it was the research and development center for the Air Corps, and during World War II a flight test center....
, Ohio, is heavily damaged in ground accident at Eglin Field. Pilot was Jack H. Summers. - 28 January 1944 – Col. Robin E. Epler, deputy commander (Technical) of the Air Proving Ground, Eglin Field, is killed this date in crash of A-20G-10-DO Havoc, 42-54016, one mile NE of Crestview, FloridaCrestview, FloridaCrestview is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. Crestview’s name was chosen because of its location on the peak of a long woodland range between the Yellow and Shoal rivers which flow almost parallel on the east and west side of the City....
. Auxiliary Field No. 7 is named in his honor. - 9 March 1944 - Captured Focke-Wulf FW 190, EB-101, piloted by Lt. Col. Tarleton H. Watkins, crashes at Eglin Field this date when it strikes parked P-47D-10-RE ThunderboltP-47 ThunderboltRepublic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
, 42-75130 while taxiing. Brakes failed. This was pilot's first time in the FW 190, but other pilots had flown it for 46 hours. - 8 April 1944 - Aeronca L-3C Grasshopper, 43-1742, of the 610 Air Base Unit, piloted by Arthur G. Phillips, is damaged in a landing accident. Repaired.
- 10 October 1944 – First Fisher P-75A-GC Eagle, 44-44549, crashes on flight test out of Eglin Field, FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, when propellers apparently run out of oil, pilot Maj. Harry R. Bolster attempts dead-stick landing but crashes short on approach, dies. Bolster was a former instructor pilot with the American Volunteer GroupAmerican Volunteer GroupThe American Volunteer Groups were volunteer air units organized by the United States government to aid the Nationalist government of China against Japan in the Second Sino-Japanese War...
.
- 22 October 1944 – Second of only two Bell XP-77-BE lightweight fighters completed out of a contract for six, 43-34916, crashes when pilot Barney E. Turner attempts an Immelmann turnImmelmann turnThe Immelmann turn refers to two different aircraft maneuvers.-In aerobatics:In modern aerobatical parlance, an Immelmann turn is an aerobatic maneuver of little practical use in aerial combat, and is a different maneuver altogether from the original dogfighting tactic of World War I from which it...
resulting in an inverted spin during testing at the Air Proving Ground, Eglin Field, Florida. http://www.aviastar.org/air/usa/bell_xp-77.php - 31 March 1945 - Donald L. Rodewald crash belly lands a P-51D-25-NA Mustang, 44-72717, c/n 122-39176, of the 610th Base Unit, Eglin Field, 2.5 miles S of Green Bay, WisconsinGreen Bay, WisconsinGreen Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
, after mechanical failure. - 28 April 1945 – A-26C-25-DT InvaderA-26 InvaderThe Douglas A-26 Invader was a United States twin-engined light attack bomber built by the Douglas Aircraft Co. during World War II that also saw service during several of the Cold War's major conflicts...
, 43-22644, assigned to the 611 Base Unit at Wright FieldWright FieldWright Field was an airfield of the United States Army Air Corps and Air Forces near Riverside, Ohio. From 1927 to 1947 it was the research and development center for the Air Corps, and during World War II a flight test center....
, Ohio, crashes into the Choctawhatchee BayChoctawhatchee BayChoctawhatchee Bay is a bay in the Emerald Coast region of the Florida Panhandle. The bay, located within Okaloosa and Walton counties, has a surface area of 129 mi2...
, 3 Miles NE of Fort Walton, Florida after being struck by a spherical Speedee bouncing bombBouncing bombA bouncing bomb is a bomb designed specifically to bounce to a target across water in a calculated manner, in order to avoid obstacles such as torpedo nets, and to allow both the bomb's speed on arrival at the target and the timing of its detonation to be pre-determined...
, a 35-in [89 cm] casing with [an overall weight] of 950 lb [431 kg]. This was the American nomenclature for the British Highball bomb, twenty-five inert casings of which were sent to the U.S. after initial testing with a modified A-26 which was adapted at the VickersVickersVickers was a famous name in British engineering that existed through many companies from 1828 until 1999.-Early history:Vickers was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by the miller Edward Vickers and his father-in-law George Naylor in 1828. Naylor was a partner in the foundry Naylor &...
experimental facility at Foxwarren, near EsherEsherEsher is a town in the Surrey borough of Elmbridge in South East England near the River Mole. It is a very prosperous part of the Greater London Urban Area, largely suburban in character, and is situated 14.1 miles south west of Charing Cross....
, SurreySurreySurrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. Dropped at low altitude (~10 feet), the weapon skipped back into the aircraft completely knocking off the tail unit causing the bomber to nose over instantly and crash into the bay. It had taken off from Eglin Field, Florida, on a low level bombing exercise at AAF water range Number 60. Footage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcoBw1Gb_Ik&feature=related - 29 May 1945 - A Mitsubishi Ki-46 Type III "Dinah"Mitsubishi Ki-46The Mitsubishi Ki-46 was a twin-engine reconnaissance aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II. Its Army Shiki designation was Type 100 Command Reconnaissance Aircraft ; the Allied nickname was "Dinah"....
, c/n 2846 (?), 'TAIC 10', from NAS Anacostia, D.C., piloted by Glenn W. Knight, suffers damage in a taxi accident at Eglin Field. - 26 July 1946 - The crash of an L-5E SentinelL-5 SentinelThe Stinson L-5 Sentinel was a World War II era liaison aircraft used by all branches of the U.S. military and by the British Royal Air Force. Along with the Stinson L-1 Vigilant, the L-5 was the only other American liaison aircraft of WWII that was purpose-built for military use and had no...
, 44-17844, during a routine flight out of Eglin Field, Florida, kills Capt. Russell H. Rothman, originally of Chicago, Illinois, when the liaison aircraft crashes 17 miles NW of Valparaiso, FloridaValparaiso, FloridaValparaiso is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, in the United States, and it is named after the Chilean city of Valparaiso. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,408. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the city had a population of 6,336...
. Rothman, who entered the service 16 September 1941 and had flown 800 hours in C-46 CommandoC-46 CommandoThe Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando was a transport aircraft originally derived from a commercial high-altitude airliner design. It was instead used as a military transport during World War II by the United States Army Air Forces as well as the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps under the designation R5C...
and C-47 SkytrainC-47 SkytrainThe Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
transports in the European Theatre of Operations, had only recently been appointed to a regular commission in the Regular Army. He held the Unit Citation, the Air MedalAir MedalThe Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:...
with three clusters, the European and Middle East Theatre of Operations Ribbon, the American Defense Ribbon and the World War II Victory Medal. He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Eleanor E. Rothman, of 26 Shalimar Court, Shalimar, FloridaShalimar, FloridaShalimar is a town in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. The population was 718 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 738...
, and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred H. Rothman of Chicago. - 15 January 1947 - An Army A-26 bomber crashed 16 miles northwest of Eglin. The pilot Capt. Robert W. McCulla of East Orange, New JerseyEast Orange, New JerseyEast Orange is a city in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the city's population 64,270, making it the state's 20th largest municipality, having dropped 5,554 residents from its population of 69,824 in the 2000 Census, when it was the state's 14th most...
, and one passenger, Pfc. Oliver Banks of Nashville, TennesseeNashville, TennesseeNashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, were killed. Major J.S. Wallace, also a passenger, parachuted to safety. Army officials said the plane left Barksdale Field, Louisianna, at 4:55 a.m. and was due at Tyndall Field, Florida, at 7:10 a.m. when it crashed 45 minutes later in the woods between Eglin Auxiliary Fields 4 and 7. It was flying at an altitude of 2,000 feet and had radio contact with Brookley Field, Alabama, tower, when both motors stopped at once. McCulla and Wallace were staioned at Tyndall; Banks, on a five-day pass before getting discharged, was stationed at MacDill Field, Florida. Banks had obtained a ride at Barksdale. - 29 April 1947 - Three Eglin Field men were listed as missing following the crash of an Army B-17 while on a routine training flight about five miles south of Destin, FloridaDestin, FloridaDestin is a city located in Okaloosa County, Florida. It is a principal city of the Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.Located on Florida's Emerald Coast, Destin is known for its white beaches and emerald green waters...
. Four members of the seven-man crew bailed out and three were picked up by Eglin rescue craft. The fourth man was rescued by a local fishing boat. The three crew members listed as missing were: 1st. Lt. High R. Burns, Scranton, PennsylvaniaScranton, PennsylvaniaScranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
; 1st. Lt. Raymond W. Duffy, Louisville, KentuckyLouisville, KentuckyLouisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, and Staff Sgt. Joseph W. Willcoxen, San Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. - 6 May 1947 – A TP-51H-5-NA Mustang, 44-64344, flown by Major Wayne Patton of the Eglin Field fighter section crashed into the base library at Eglin Field during a belly-landing due to engine failure. Medical authorities reported his condition as satisfactory.
- 27 May 1947 - Lt. Lawrence Taylor Biehunko and his crew are forced to bail out over the Gulf of Mexico when the aircraft they are testing (type not specified) suffers an engine fire. After treading water without a Mae West for over thirty minutes, he is picked up by a fishing boat. Four of his crew are lost to drowning. On 8 June 1947, Biehunko is made a member of the Caterpillar Club because of an emergency parachute jump from the burning aircraft.
- 25 July 1947 – First (of two) North AmericanNorth American AviationNorth American Aviation was a major US aerospace manufacturer, responsible for a number of historic aircraft, including the T-6 Texan trainer, the P-51 Mustang fighter, the B-25 Mitchell bomber, the F-86 Sabre jet fighter, the X-15 rocket plane, and the XB-70, as well as Apollo Command and Service...
XP-82 Twin Mustangs, 44-83886, c/n 120-43742, of the 611 AAF Base Unit, piloted by Jesse G. Oliver, crash lands at Eglin Field, Florida. Repaired, it will be transferred to NACANACA- Organizations :* National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the forerunner of the U.S. federal agency NASA* National Association for Campus Activities, an organization for programmers of university and college activities...
on 6 June 1948 and operated until 5 October 1955, after which it is salvaged at Langley AFB, Virginia. - 29 July 1947 – Nine crew are killed and two injured in a failed take-off attempt by a B-29-45-MO SuperfortressB-29 SuperfortressThe B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
, 44-86307, from Eglin Field, Florida at 0813 hrs., the bomber coming down ~300 yards N of the main base near Valparaiso, FloridaValparaiso, FloridaValparaiso is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, in the United States, and it is named after the Chilean city of Valparaiso. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,408. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the city had a population of 6,336...
and burning. Killed were instructor pilot Capt. Gordon W. Barrett, of Pittsfield, MassachusettsPittsfield, MassachusettsPittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Its area code is 413. Its ZIP code is 01201...
, a West Point graduate who was awarded the DFCDistinguished Flying Cross (United States)The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...
while flying B-29s in World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
; pilot 1st Lt. Huddie C. Bagley of Braufield, Texas; co-pilot Capt. Robert M. Seldomridge of Lancaster, PennsylvaniaLancaster, PennsylvaniaLancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
; navigator 1st Lt. Joseph A. Anderson, Shalimar, FloridaShalimar, FloridaShalimar is a town in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. The population was 718 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 738...
; navigator 1st Lt. Milton Rose, Fort Walton, Florida; engineer Master Sgt. Michele Aulicino, Mary Esther, FloridaMary Esther, FloridaMary Esther is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. The population was 4,055 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 4,115...
; scanner Staff Sgt. Hugh T. Mulholland of Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
; scanner Cpl. Ashley W. Odom, McBee, South CarolinaMcBee, South CarolinaMcBee is a town in Chesterfield County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 867 at the 2010 census. McBee is located at 34°28'7.14"N 80°15'22.02"W, approximately 36 miles to Florence and approximately 62 miles to Columbia.-About Bunch McBee:...
; and scanner Pfc. Donald D. Crawford from Fort Worth, TexasFort Worth, TexasFort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
. Injured were scanner S/Sgt. Jeremiah W. Conlon of Worthington, KentuckyWorthington, KentuckyAs of the census of 2000, there were 1,673 people, 663 households, and 519 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,427.1 people per square mile . There were 698 housing units at an average density of 595.4 per square mile...
, admitted to the Eglin hospital with abrasions of the face and head, and ankle injuries; and radio operator S/Sgt. Lloyd D. Farris of Pensacola, FloridaPensacola, FloridaPensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
, with minor injuries but admitted for observation. The Superfortress apparently failed to gain much altitude before coming down, said Capt. Robert Gaughan, base public relations officer. - 16 September 1947 – A pilot assigned to Eglin Field, Florida, is killed while flying (KWF) during an attempted emergency landing in a Lockheed P-80A-1-LO Shooting Star, 44-85305, of the 611th Base Unit, at that base on Tuesday afternoon. Capt. Lawson L. Lipscomb, of Houston, TexasHouston, TexasHouston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, radioed that he was having difficulty with the jet and was returning to the Eglin main base where emergency preparations had been made on the runways, but the fighter came down just west of the airfield. - 9 April 1948 – A six-month fatality-free period at Eglin AFB, Florida, (the longest since the base opened) ends when Capt. William Robbins, 26, is killed in the crash of a P-51D-30-NA MustangP-51 MustangThe North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
, 44-74913, in a wooded area N of Crestview, FloridaCrestview, FloridaCrestview is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. Crestview’s name was chosen because of its location on the peak of a long woodland range between the Yellow and Shoal rivers which flow almost parallel on the east and west side of the City....
. The pilot in the Friday morning accident was father of three and was well-known for his involvement with the Boy Scouts of AmericaBoy Scouts of AmericaThe Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
. A resident of Cinco Bayou, FloridaCinco Bayou, FloridaCinco Bayou is a town in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. The population was 377 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Fort Walton Beach–Crestview–Destin Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, Robbins is buried in his hometown of Tampa, FloridaTampa, FloridaTampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
on 11 April. - 10 April 1948 – Eglin AFB, Florida, suffers second accident in two days when TA-26C InvaderA-26 InvaderThe Douglas A-26 Invader was a United States twin-engined light attack bomber built by the Douglas Aircraft Co. during World War II that also saw service during several of the Cold War's major conflicts...
, 44-35446, of the 1st Target Towing Squadron, Biggs AFB, El Paso, TexasEl Paso, TexasEl Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
, goes down in the Gulf of MexicoGulf of MexicoThe Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
2 miles S of Destin, FloridaDestin, FloridaDestin is a city located in Okaloosa County, Florida. It is a principal city of the Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.Located on Florida's Emerald Coast, Destin is known for its white beaches and emerald green waters...
. Two of three crew survive by parachuting from stricken bomber, TDY here for firing exercises over the Gulf. First Lieutenant John Kubo and T/Sgt. Joseph A. Riley (ages, hometowns not given) are rescued by Eglin crash boats. KWF is T/Sgt. John E. Brizendine, officially listed as missing. - 11 May 1948 – Maj. Simon H. Johnson, Jr., deputy commanding officer of the Eglin AFB, Florida, fighter section, is killed when his Republic P-84 ThunderjetF-84 ThunderjetThe Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 flew in 1946...
disintegrates during an air demonstration at Range 52 on the Eglin reservation, in front of some 600 witnesses. The public information officer at Eglin stated that the pilot was "engaged in operational tests on the plane" when the accident occurred. Maj. Johnson, a resident of Shalimar, FloridaShalimar, FloridaShalimar is a town in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. The population was 718 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 738...
, was originally from Houston, TexasHouston, TexasHouston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. He had served a year in Italy flying 50 missions in P-51s with the 31st Fighter Group, earning the Distinguished Flying CrossDistinguished Flying Cross (United States)The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...
and the Air MedalAir MedalThe Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:...
with five clusters. He had attended the University of Texas and graduated from the U.S. Army flying school in 1940. Johnson was also serving as the acting commanding officer, operations officer, and test pilot for the Eglin fighter section at the time of his death. Johnson Hall, home of Headquarters Air Proving Ground Center, is named for him on 15 December 1949. - 11 October 1948 – The body of Maj. John Earl Shedaker, Jr., U.S. Marine Corps aviator (7 May 1918 - 11 October 1948), was found late Tuesday, 12 October, in about 100 feet of water in Choctawhatchee BayChoctawhatchee BayChoctawhatchee Bay is a bay in the Emerald Coast region of the Florida Panhandle. The bay, located within Okaloosa and Walton counties, has a surface area of 129 mi2...
near Destin, FloridaDestin, FloridaDestin is a city located in Okaloosa County, Florida. It is a principal city of the Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.Located on Florida's Emerald Coast, Destin is known for its white beaches and emerald green waters...
, according to the public information office of Naval Air Station Barin Field, Foley, AlabamaFoley, AlabamaFoley is a city in Baldwin County, Alabama, United States.The 2000 census lists the population of the city as 7,590.Foley is a principal city of the Daphne–Fairhope–Foley Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Baldwin County....
. Navy divers recovered the body located a short distance from the wreckage of the plane, after it was spotted from the air. Indications were that the plane, a CorsairF4U CorsairThe Vought F4U Corsair was a carrier-capable fighter aircraft that saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Demand for the aircraft soon overwhelmed Vought's manufacturing capability, resulting in production by Goodyear and Brewster: Goodyear-built Corsairs were designated FG and...
, had caught fire in the air and spun down. Major Shedaker was flying one of two Corsairs which were on a routine training flight over Eglin when the lead plane developed a fuel line failure and the pilot made an emergency landing with a dead engine. He reported that he lost sight of the other plane which failed to return to Barin Field. Major Shedaker was survived by a wife and three children who were living in Pensacola, FloridaPensacola, FloridaPensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
, temporarily during the assignment of the air group to Operation Combine III. He was serving as operations officer of VMF-212 of Marine Air Group 14 during the operation centered at Eglin Air Force Base. Maj. Shedaker had been awarded his aviator wings on 27 May 1948 at NAS Jacksonville, Florida. Maj. Shedaker is interred at Fort Rosecrans National CemeteryFort Rosecrans National CemeteryFort Rosecrans National Cemetery is situated in the city of San Diego, California, on the Fort Rosecrans Military Reservation. The cemetery is located approximately 10 miles west of downtown San Diego, overlooking the bay and the city...
, San Diego County, California, on 13 October 1948. - 5 November 1948 – A DB-17G Flying Fortress, 44-83678, returning to Eglin AFB, Florida from Fort Wayne, IndianaFort Wayne, IndianaFort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
, crashes in woods SE of Auxiliary Field 2, Pierce Field due to pilot error, crashing and burning NE of the runway at Eglin main base early Friday. All five on board are KWF, including Lt. Col. Frederick W. Eley, 43, of Shalimar, FloridaShalimar, FloridaShalimar is a town in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. The population was 718 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 738...
, staff judge advocate at Eglin for nearly three years – he was returning from his grandmother's funeral in Portland, Indiana; Maj. Bydie J. Nettles, 29, who lived in Shalimar, FloridaShalimar, FloridaShalimar is a town in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. The population was 718 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 738...
but was originally from Pensacola, FloridaPensacola, FloridaPensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
, group adjutant for the 3203rd Maintenance and Supply section; Capt. Robert LeMar, 31, Ben's Lake, Eglin AFB, test pilot with the 3203rd; crew chief M/Sgt. Carl LeMieux, 31, of Milton, FloridaMilton, FloridaMilton , or Milltown, because Milton had the largest mill around) is a city in Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States. The city was incorporated in 1844 and is home to Naval Air Station Whiting Field. The population was 7,045 at the 2000 census. In 2004, the population recorded by the U.S...
; and Sgt. William E. Bazer, 36, assistant engineer, Destin, FloridaDestin, FloridaDestin is a city located in Okaloosa County, Florida. It is a principal city of the Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.Located on Florida's Emerald Coast, Destin is known for its white beaches and emerald green waters...
. Bazer's wife was the Eglin base librarian. - 7 November 1948 – Second prototype RepublicRepublic Aviation CompanyThe Republic Aviation Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer based in Farmingdale, Long Island, New York. Originally known as the Seversky Aircraft Company, the company was responsible for the design and production of many important military aircraft, including the P-47 Thunderbolt, F-84...
XR-12A-RE RainbowXF-12 RainbowThe Republic XF-12 Rainbow was an American four-engine, all-metal prototype reconnaissance aircraft designed by the Republic Aviation Company in the late 1940s. Like most large aircraft of the era, it used radial engines—in this case, the Pratt & Whitney R-4360 "Wasp Major." The aircraft was...
, 44-91003, crashes at 1300 hrs. while returning to Eglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 3 miles southwest of Valparaiso, Florida in Okaloosa County....
, Florida. The number 2 (port inner) engine exploded as the aircraft was returning from a photographic suitability test flight. The pilot was unable to maintain control due to violent buffeting, and he ordered the crew to bail out. Five of the seven crew escaped safely, including pilot Lynn Hendrix, rescued by Eglin crash boats and helicopters. Airframe impacts two miles S of the base, in the Choctawhatchee BayChoctawhatchee BayChoctawhatchee Bay is a bay in the Emerald Coast region of the Florida Panhandle. The bay, located within Okaloosa and Walton counties, has a surface area of 129 mi2...
. Sgt. Vernon B. Palmer, 20, and M/Sgt. Victor C. Riberdy, 30, who lived at Auxiliary Field 5, but was from Hartford, Connecticut, are KWF. - 9 March 1949 – First Lieutenant Arnold E. Adams of Newton, IowaNewton, IowaNewton is a city in and the county seat of Jasper County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 15,254. It is the home of Maytag Dairy Farms and was formerly home to the Maytag Corporation's corporate headquarters until the Whirlpool Corporation acquired it in 2006...
, was killed when the F-80 Shooting StarP-80 Shooting StarThe Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star was the first jet fighter used operationally by the United States Army Air Forces. Designed in 1943 as a response to the German Messerschmitt Me-262 jet fighter, and delivered in just 143 days from the start of the design process, production models were flying but...
jet fighter that he piloted crashed in Choctawhatchee BayChoctawhatchee BayChoctawhatchee Bay is a bay in the Emerald Coast region of the Florida Panhandle. The bay, located within Okaloosa and Walton counties, has a surface area of 129 mi2...
. Lieutenant Adams, a resident of Eglin Air Force Base, was 26. He was on a routine service testing flight. He was survived by his wife. - 4 May 1949 – An U.S. Navy aircraft, type unidentified, crashes in Destin, FloridaDestin, FloridaDestin is a city located in Okaloosa County, Florida. It is a principal city of the Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.Located on Florida's Emerald Coast, Destin is known for its white beaches and emerald green waters...
near the home of Reddin Brunson. The pilot bails out and parachutes into a small lake near the Destin post office, landing unhurt. Assisted by near-by residents, he is rowed out to three responding Eglin base crash boats by Lt. Cdr. Ross Marler, USNR, and conveyed across the Choctawhatchee BayChoctawhatchee BayChoctawhatchee Bay is a bay in the Emerald Coast region of the Florida Panhandle. The bay, located within Okaloosa and Walton counties, has a surface area of 129 mi2...
to Eglin Air Force Base.
1950s
- 5 January 1950 – A B-50A-10-BO SuperfortressB-50 SuperfortressThe Boeing B-50 Superfortress strategic bomber was a post-World War II revision of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, fitted with more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-4360 radial engines, stronger structure, a taller fin, and other improvements. It was the last piston-engined bomber designed by Boeing for...
, 46-021, c/n 15741, of the 3200th Proof Test Group, crashlands in the Choctawhatchee BayChoctawhatchee BayChoctawhatchee Bay is a bay in the Emerald Coast region of the Florida Panhandle. The bay, located within Okaloosa and Walton counties, has a surface area of 129 mi2...
, two miles NNE of Destin, FloridaDestin, FloridaDestin is a city located in Okaloosa County, Florida. It is a principal city of the Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.Located on Florida's Emerald Coast, Destin is known for its white beaches and emerald green waters...
, killing two of the 11 crew. Nine escape from the downed aircraft following the forced landing. The airframe settles in eight to ten feed of mud at a depth of 38 feet. Divers recover the body of flight engineer M/Sgt. Claude Dorman, 27, of Kingston, New HampshireKingston, New HampshireKingston is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population at the 2010 census was 6,025.- History :Kingston was the fifth town to be established in New Hampshire. Originally, it was a part of Hampton, New Hampshire...
, from the nose of the bomber on Monday, 8 January. He is survived by his wife, Gladys, and two sons, Theodore Earl and Michael, his father, Walter Lewis, and a brother, Theodore Richard. The body of S/Sgt. William Thomas Bell, 21, aerial photographer, who lived in Mayo, FloridaMayo, FloridaMayo is a town and the only municipality in Lafayette County, Florida, United States. The population was 988 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 1,009...
, is recovered on Tuesday, 9 January, outside the plane from beneath the tail. He is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Bell, a brother, Robert, and a sister, Martha. The Eglin base public informations officer identified the surviving crew as 1st Lt. Park R. Bidwell, instructor pilot; 1st Lt. Vere Short, pilot; 1st Lt. James S. Wigg, co-pilot; Maj. William C. McLaughlin, bombardier; and S/Sgt. Clifford J. Gallipo, M/Sgt. Alton Howard, M/Sgt. William J. Almand, T/Sgt. Samuel G. Broke, and Cpl. William F. Fitzpatrick, crewmen. One source gives crash date as 6 January. - 14 January 1950 - F-84E-1-RE ThunderjetF-84 ThunderjetThe Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 flew in 1946...
, 49-2106, of the 307th Fighter Squadron307th Fighter SquadronThe 307th Fighter Squadron is part of the 414th Fighter Group and stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina.-Mission:...
, 31st Fighter Group, out of Turner AFB, Georgia, piloted by William C. McClure, crashes in the Gulf of Mexico, 10 miles SW of Fort Walton, Florida. - 24 March 1950 - Lockheed RF-80A-5-LO Shooting Star, 44-85479, c/n 080-1502, of the 3200th Fighter Test Squadron, 3200th Fighter Test Group, Eglin AFB, flown by Fred W. Belue, suffers damage in landing accident due to mechanical failure.
- 16 October 1950 - A QB-17G Flying Fortress, 44-83565, of the 3200th Drone Squadron, piloted by Emerson N. Hixson, is involved in a ground accident at Eglin AFB due to weather, receiving moderate damage.
- 25 January 1951 - A B-26C-55-DT Invader, 44-35938, c/n 29217, of the Headquarters Squadron, 3201st Air Base Group, Eglin AFB, piloted by Carl A. Ousley, is moderately damaged in a landing accident at Bolling AFB, Washington, D.C. Repaired.
- 31 January 1951 – A Royal Air ForceRoyal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
exchange officer is killed in the crash of his F-86A-5-NA SabreF-86 SabreThe North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War...
, 49-1136, when it goes down in a wooded area near Auxiliary Field No. 2 shortly before 1000 hrs. while on a rocket-firing test mission. Flt. Lt. Ralph C. Williams, 28, was assigned to the air proving ground's 3200th Fighter Test Squadron for ~ a year, and was from Bournemouth, Hampshire, England. He is survived by his wife. - 5 April 1951 - Two F-51D Mustangs, of the 165th Fighter-Bomber Squadron165th Airlift SquadronThe 165th Airlift Squadron flies the C-130H Hercules. It is a unit of the Kentucky Air National Guard. Its parent unit is the 123rd Airlift Wing.-History:...
, 123d Fighter-Bomber Wing, Godman AFB, Kentucky, collide in a taxiing accident at Auxiliary Field 2, killing one pilot. F-51D-25-NA, 44-73548, piloted by Maj. Woodford W. (Jock) Sutherland, 34, and F-51D-25-NA, 44-73669, piloted by James L. Mehne, strike one another, killing Sutherland. Tragically, on 8 April, a C-47 SkytrainC-47 SkytrainThe Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
carrying 22 Godman AFB personnel to Charleston, West Virginia, for Sutherland's funeral, clips a hilltop ~8 miles NE of Kanawha Airport in poor weather, killing 19. - 7 July 1951 – RB-45C TornadoB-45 TornadoThe North American B-45 Tornado was the United States Air Force's first operational jet bomber, and the first jet aircraft to be refueled in the air. The B-45 was an important part of the United States's nuclear deterrent for several years in the early 1950s, but was rapidly succeeded by the Boeing...
, 48-018, of the 3200 AMS/3200 ANG, damaged in ground fire at Eglin AFB this date. - 20 September 1951 - B-47B-1-BW StratojetB-47 StratojetThe Boeing Model 450 B-47 Stratojet was a long-range, six-engined, jet-powered medium bomber built to fly at high subsonic speeds and at high altitudes. It was primarily designed to drop nuclear bombs on the Soviet Union...
, 49-2645, c/n 450014, of the Air Proving Ground Command burned at Eielson AFB, Alaska, during refuelling and destroyed. - 6 November 1951 - Lockheed F-94B-1-LO, 50-0810, c/n 780-7116, of the 3200th Fighter Test Squadron, 3200th Proof Test Group, Air Proving Ground Command, piloted by Glen E. Jackson, is forced down 12 miles SE of Milton, FloridaMilton, FloridaMilton , or Milltown, because Milton had the largest mill around) is a city in Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States. The city was incorporated in 1844 and is home to Naval Air Station Whiting Field. The population was 7,045 at the 2000 census. In 2004, the population recorded by the U.S...
when it suffers fuel exhaustion. - 3 December 1951 - B-47B-10-BW StratojetB-47 StratojetThe Boeing Model 450 B-47 Stratojet was a long-range, six-engined, jet-powered medium bomber built to fly at high subsonic speeds and at high altitudes. It was primarily designed to drop nuclear bombs on the Soviet Union...
, 50-0019, c/n 450034, of the Air Proving Ground Command, piloted by David A. Himes, suffers moderate damage in structural failure at Boeing-Wichita, Wichita AFBMcConnell Air Force BaseMcConnell Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located four miles southeast of the central business district of Wichita, a city in Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States. The base was named in honor of Wichita brothers Fred and Thomas McConnell, both Air Force pilots and World War II...
, Kansas. Repaired. - 7 December 1951 - B-26C-55-DT Invader, 44-35938, c/n 29217, of Headquarters Squadron, 3201st Air Base Group, Air Proving Ground Command, piloted by Warney L. Crosby, suffers moderate damage in a landing accident caused by mechanical failure, its second mishap of the year. Repaired.
- 25 August 1952 - Building 100 on the flightline is named the Audette Airborne Systems Building. A dedication plaque at the front entrance reads: "In memory of Lieutenant Colonel Leo R. Audette, United States Air Force - in recognition of his contribution in the development of airborne electronics systems - who on 25 August 1952, while a member of this command, gave his life while participating in operations which advanced the development of these systems." His aircraft was F-86D-1-NA SabreF-86 SabreThe North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War...
, 50-469. - 13 January 1953 – "An Eglin (AFB) F-86 Saber [sic] jet crash landed on Range 51 here today left pilot Capt. Robert G. Loomis alive but injured. The airman is in the Eglin hospital with a back injury and undetermined internal injuries." Airframe was F-86F-30-NA SabreF-86 SabreThe North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War...
, 52-4306, c/n 191-2. - 21 June 1953 – Two crew of the 3200th Fighter Test Squadron, Air Proving Ground Command, Eglin AFB, Florida, are KWF in a LockheedLockheed CorporationThe Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company. Lockheed was founded in 1912 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995.-Origins:...
F-94C-1-LO Starfire, 50-969 when it crashes at Fairfax FieldFairfax AirportFairfax Airport was an airport in Kansas City, Kansas from 1921 until it closed in 1985. It is most famously associated with the construction of most of the B-25 Mitchell bombers....
, Kansas City, KansasKansas City, KansasKansas City is the third-largest city in the state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the third largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city is part of a consolidated city-county government known as the "Unified...
. Fighter had departed the airfield on a routine training mission for a flight to Scott AFB, Illinois, when the pilot Capt. William C. Sharp, 34, from Cleveland, Ohio, attempted to return shortly after the 1330 hrs. CST take-off. Fighter struck a dike short of the runway, hitting ~10 feet below the top, and caromed onto the runway. Radar operator 1st Lt. Ray P. Tucker, 32, of Tipton, Indiana, was killed on impact and the pilot died later of injuries. Tucker had seen combat in the Asiatic-Pacific Theatre in World War II, and Sharp had 25 combat missions in P-40 and P-51 fighters in the China-Burma-India Theatre. - 17 October 1953 – Capt. Richard R. Galt, 29, is killed in the crash of an F-84F-1-RE ThunderstreakF-84F ThunderstreakThe Republic F-84F Thunderstreak was an American-built swept-wing turbojet fighter-bomber. While an evolutionary development of the straight-wing F-84 Thunderjet, the F-84F was a new design. The RF-84F Thunderflash was a photo reconnaissance version....
, 51-1354, at Eglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 3 miles southwest of Valparaiso, Florida in Okaloosa County....
, Florida in a Saturday accident this date. Memorial services are held for the pilot at an Eglin AFB Chapel on 21 October. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Marjorie Galt; two daughters, Susan, 5, and Margaret, 3; and his parents, Dr. and Mrs. Russell Galt of Susquehanna UniversitySusquehanna UniversitySusquehanna University is a liberal arts college in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, United States, north of the state capital, Harrisburg.-Academics:...
, Selins Grove, Pennsylvania. - 11 November 1953 – An Air Force fighter pilot from Turner Air Force Base, Georgia, was critically injured at 3:30 p.m. when his F-84G Thunderjet crashed in a landing attempt at Eglin Field No. 2. The pilot, Maj. A.D. Simmons, suffered a fractured spine, fractures of both legs and facial cuts.
- 22 December 1953 – The Eglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 3 miles southwest of Valparaiso, Florida in Okaloosa County....
public information office reported Tuesday that Lt. Frank T. Robinson crash-landed an F-84 ThunderjetF-84 ThunderjetThe Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 flew in 1946...
at Lee, FloridaLee, FloridaLee is a town in Madison County, Florida, United States. The population was 352 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S...
, around 1500 hrs. The pilot, attached to the Air Force Operational Test Center at Eglin, was reported safe by officials at Maxwell Air Force BaseMaxwell Air Force BaseMaxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force installation under the Air Education and Training Command . The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, US. It was named in honor of Second Lieutenant William C...
, Alabama. The news release stated that the pilot was on a routine training mission. - 24 August 1954 – The pilot of an F-84G ThunderjetF-84 ThunderjetThe Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 flew in 1946...
dies at the Eglin AFB, Florida base hospital at ~1130 hrs. of injuries sustained earlier in the day when he was ejected from the cockpit of the fighter-bomber as it rolled to a stop after landing at Eglin Auxiliary Field 6, Biancur Field. The pilot, identified as Maj. Robert A. Krug, 32, of the 307th Strategic Fighter Squadron307th Fighter SquadronThe 307th Fighter Squadron is part of the 414th Fighter Group and stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina.-Mission:...
, 31st Strategic Fighter Wing31st Fighter WingThe 31st Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe Third Air Force. It is stationed at Aviano Air Base, Italy where it is also the host unit....
, Turner Air Force BaseTurner Air Force BaseTurner Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base whose site is located within the current city limits of Albany, Georgia. Following its closure as a USAF installation in the late 1960s, it was transferred to the U.S. Navy and renamed Naval Air Station Albany...
at Albany, GeorgiaAlbany, GeorgiaAlbany is a city in and the county seat of Dougherty County, Georgia, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. It is the principal city of the Albany, Georgia metropolitan area and the southwest part of the state. The population was 77,434 at the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the...
, resided in Albany but was originally from Reading, PennsylvaniaReading, PennsylvaniaReading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...
. He is survived by his wife, Delores, and two sons, Lee, 1, and Robin, 3. The Thunderjet was on a routine training mission. A board of qualified Air Force officers have been appointed to determine the cause of the accident. - 22 September 1954 – A USAF North American EF-86D-5-NA SabreF-86 SabreThe North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War...
, 50-516, crashes and burns on take-off from Eglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 3 miles southwest of Valparaiso, Florida in Okaloosa County....
, Florida in a 1038 hrs. accident that kills Maj. Lyle R. King, 32, assistant chief of weapons and missiles branch directorate of test operations of the Air Force Armament Center at Eglin. After briefly becoming airborne, the all-weather fighter settles back onto the runway's end, continues off the overrun area and comes to rest in a marshy stream bed ~1,000 feet to the north. King, who was on a routine flying mission, has been stationed at the base since June 1951, a senior pilot with 3,044 total flying hours, 1,483 of them in jets, 225 in various Sabre models. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Virginia King; a daughter, Mikel Mae, and an infant son, of 25 N. Okaloosa Road, Fort Walton Beach, FloridaFort Walton Beach, FloridaFort Walton Beach is a city in southern Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. As of 2005, the population estimate for Fort Walton Beach was 19,992, and as of 2010, the population estimate for Fort Walton Beach is 19,507 recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau...
; and his mother, Mrs. Ollie Emiley King, of 360 W. 68th Street, Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. A board of qualified Air Force officers have been appointed to determine the cause of the crash. A new large hangar built in 1955 was named King Hangar in his honor. - 12 October 1954 – A U.S. Navy P2V Neptune undergoing test cycles by the Air Force Operational Test Center at Eglin AFB suffers a structural failure on landing at Auxiliary Field Number 8, Baldsiefen Field, which causes the starboard engine to break loose and burn in a Tuesday morning accident. The crew of two escapes injury. The Eglin Public Information Office said that the two pilots, Stanley A. Beltz, Lockheed Aircraft Corporation test pilot, and Maj. John J. New, of the Air Proving Ground Test Requirement Division, brought the patrol bomber to a halt and left it through an escape hatch without suffering harm.
- 8 November 1954 – Royal Air ForceRoyal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Air CommodoreAir CommodoreAir commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Geoffrey D. StephensonGeoffrey D. StephensonGeoffrey Dalton Stephenson, was a Royal Air Force Air Commodore, and former commandant of the Royal Air Force Central Fighter Establishment, who was killed in an air crash on 8 November 1954 while on a tour of the United States.-Background:...
, former commandant of the Royal Air Force Central Fighter Establishment, is killed in the crash of a USAF F-100A-10-NA Super SabreF-100 Super SabreThe North American F-100 Super Sabre was a supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard until 1979. The first of the Century Series collection of USAF jet fighters, it was the first USAF fighter capable of...
, 53-1534, near Auxiliary Field 2 of Eglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 3 miles southwest of Valparaiso, Florida in Okaloosa County....
, Florida. Commodore Stephenson, on a tour of the U.S., is flying at 13,000 feet as he joins formation with another F-100, flown by Capt. Lonnie R. Moore, jet aceFlying aceA flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
of the Korean campaign, when his fighter drops into a steep spiral, impacting at ~1414 hrs. in a pine forest on the Eglin Reservation, one mile NE of the runway of Pierce Field, Auxiliary Fld. 2. The 44-year-old pilot had flown several thousand hours in fighter aircraft, both conventional and jet, during his 20-year RAF career. He had piloted virtually every type of British jet fighter including MeteorsGloster MeteorThe Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. It first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force...
, VenomsDe Havilland VenomThe de Havilland DH 112 Venom was a British postwar single-engined jet aircraft developed from the de Havilland Vampire. It served with the Royal Air Force as a single-seat fighter-bomber and two-seat night fighter....
, HuntersHawker HunterThe Hawker Hunter is a subsonic British jet aircraft developed in the 1950s. The single-seat Hunter entered service as a manoeuvrable fighter aircraft, and later operated in fighter-bomber and reconnaissance roles in numerous conflicts. Two-seat variants remained in use for training and secondary...
and SwiftsSupermarine SwiftThe Supermarine Swift was a British single-seat jet fighter of the Royal Air Force , built by Supermarine during the 1950s. After a protracted development period, the Swift entered service as an interceptor, but, due to a spate of accidents, its service life was short...
, as well as USAF F-86sF-86 SabreThe North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War...
. He was considered one of the most experienced and capable fighter pilots in the RAF. Commodore Stephenson was married and father of three children. Air Commodore Stephenson headed a six-man team from the central fighter establishment, RAF, whose headquarters are at West Raynham-Near-Fakenham. Memorial services are held at 0900 hrs. at the Eglin Base chapel on 10 November, conducted by the Rev. Johnson H. Pace of St. Simons on the Sound church, Fort Walton Beach, FloridaFort Walton Beach, FloridaFort Walton Beach is a city in southern Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. As of 2005, the population estimate for Fort Walton Beach was 19,992, and as of 2010, the population estimate for Fort Walton Beach is 19,507 recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau...
, and attended by Air Vice Marshall R. L. R. AtcherleyRichard AtcherleyAir Marshal Sir Richard Llewellyn Roger Atcherley KBE, CB, AFC & Bar was a senior commander in the RAF who also served as chief of Air Staff for the Royal Pakistan Air Force.-Early life:...
, chief of the Chief Joint British Services Mission to the United States, who arrived from Washington on the night of 9 November; Major General Patrick W TimberlakePatrick W TimberlakePatrick W Timberlake was a General in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II, serving in both the Mediterranean and Pacific theaters of operation....
, commander of the Air Proving Ground Command; Brig. Gen. Daniel S. Campbell, deputy commander of the APGC; six Royal Air Force officers who were touring the U.S. with the commodore; and key staff officers of the APGC. At 1200 hrs., the party of Air Commodore Stephenson, accompanied by 30 RAF and USAF officers, fly to Maxwell Air Force BaseMaxwell Air Force BaseMaxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force installation under the Air Education and Training Command . The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, US. It was named in honor of Second Lieutenant William C...
, Montgomery, AlabamaMontgomery, AlabamaMontgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
, for interment at the Royal Air Force plot there. British armed forces traditionally bury their dead where they fall. There has been an RAF squad at Maxwell since World War II. - 16 August 1955 – An F-86K SabreF-86 SabreThe North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War...
jet fighter, crashed in an open field northwest of Holt, FloridaHolt, FloridaHolt is a community located in Okaloosa County, Florida. Its area calling code is 850 and its ZIP code is 32564.*...
, at 1445 hrs. According to Capt. John J. Knight, an Air Force Armament Center test pilot who successfully bailed out of the disabled aircraft, the fighter developed engine trouble indicated by an explosion at 30,000 feet. When smoke was seen coming from the tail section, he bailed out. The altitude was then about 12,000 feet. The pilot was picked up by a 48th Air Rescue Squadron48th Rescue SquadronThe 48th Rescue Squadron is part of the 563d Rescue Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. PJs/CROs primarily fly onboard HH-60 Pave Hawk aircraft while conducting search and rescue missions.-Mission:...
helicopter and returned to Eglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 3 miles southwest of Valparaiso, Florida in Okaloosa County....
where the flight had originated. - 10 January 1956 – Double jet aceFlying aceA flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
Maj. Lonnie R. Moore, 35, is killed in the 0914 hrs. take-off crash of an F-101A-15-MC VoodooF-101 VoodooThe McDonnell F-101 Voodoo was a supersonic military jet fighter which served the United States Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force...
, 53-2443, from Eglin AFB. Moore was making his first flight in the new fighter design but the jet crashes in the center of the airfield just after becoming airborne, appearing to explode on impact. Although the crash site is only 200 yards from the fire station, and the blaze extinguished within three minutes, the pilot has no chance to escape and is killed. Moore was the Air Force Operational Test Center's chief project officer for operational suitability tests of the Air Force's first supersonic jet fighter, the F-100 Super SabreF-100 Super SabreThe North American F-100 Super Sabre was a supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard until 1979. The first of the Century Series collection of USAF jet fighters, it was the first USAF fighter capable of...
and had more than 1,500 hours in single-engine jet aircraft and 3,570 total flight hours. At the time of his death, he was being checked out in the latest fighter that the AFOTC had received for testing. As a project officer for the Air Proving Ground Command during the Korean WarKorean WarThe Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, the then-Captain Moore deployed TDY to Korea to perform a test under combat conditions in the modified F-86F-2 SabreF-86 SabreThe North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War...
, upgunned with the M39 cannon. During the test mission he downed two MiG-15s with the new weapon. Remaining in Korea after the test was completed, he flew 100 combat missions, destroying ten MiGMig-Industry:*MiG, now Mikoyan, a Russian aircraft corporation, formerly the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau*Metal inert gas welding or MIG welding, a type of welding using an electric arc and a shielding gas-Business and finance:...
s, plus one probable. He is survived by his widow, the former Billie Geneeva Hall, of Dallas, TexasDallas, TexasDallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, and four children, Robert Lester, 16; Barbara W., 13; Lonnie Jr., 8; and Tina Gale, 4. - 27 January 1956 – Royal Air ForceRoyal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Squadron LeaderSquadron LeaderSquadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
Peter G. P. Henson, an exchange pilot assigned to the Eglin Air Force Armament Center, is KWF when his F-84F ThunderstreakF-84F ThunderstreakThe Republic F-84F Thunderstreak was an American-built swept-wing turbojet fighter-bomber. While an evolutionary development of the straight-wing F-84 Thunderjet, the F-84F was a new design. The RF-84F Thunderflash was a photo reconnaissance version....
crashes into the Gulf of MexicoGulf of MexicoThe Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
three miles off Destin, FloridaDestin, FloridaDestin is a city located in Okaloosa County, Florida. It is a principal city of the Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.Located on Florida's Emerald Coast, Destin is known for its white beaches and emerald green waters...
at 1055 hrs. this date. Charles K. Windes, a Santa Rosa carpenter working in the vicinity, reported that he saw the pilot parachute into the water. Search crews are unable to locate the lost pilot, however. Three crash boats from the 3201st Boat Squadron, search aircraft of the 48th Air Rescue Squadron48th Rescue SquadronThe 48th Rescue Squadron is part of the 563d Rescue Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. PJs/CROs primarily fly onboard HH-60 Pave Hawk aircraft while conducting search and rescue missions.-Mission:...
and the Base Flight Squadron, as well as volunteers from the community participate in the search. An oil slick is sighted and the pilot's crash helmet, flight suit and aircraft parts are found, but the search is suspended on Tuesday, 31 January. He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Winifred Henson, and two children, Christine, 7, and Pamela, 6, of 2504A Ben's Lake, Eglin AFB, and his mother, Mrs. K. M. Henson, of 30 Hatton Park Road, Wellingborough North Hants., England. - 15 February 1956 – A USAF F-84F ThunderstreakF-84F ThunderstreakThe Republic F-84F Thunderstreak was an American-built swept-wing turbojet fighter-bomber. While an evolutionary development of the straight-wing F-84 Thunderjet, the F-84F was a new design. The RF-84F Thunderflash was a photo reconnaissance version....
crashes in a wooded area NE of Niceville, FloridaNiceville, FloridaNiceville is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States, located close to Eglin Air Force Base. It originally began with the name Valparaiso, then to separate itself from the neighboring town took the unofficial name of Boggy. Upon incorporation as an official city, the name was changed to...
at 1745 hrs. killing pilot 2nd Lt. Gary R. Brown, 21, of Seleh, Washington. The fighter was one of two based at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, that was making an instrument approach to land at Eglin AFB, the Office of Information Services reported. Florida State Troopers discovered the downed aircraft ~10 minutes after the crash occurred on Swift Creek near the Ruckel airstrip. A ground search party of paramedics from the 48th Air Rescue Squadron48th Rescue SquadronThe 48th Rescue Squadron is part of the 563d Rescue Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. PJs/CROs primarily fly onboard HH-60 Pave Hawk aircraft while conducting search and rescue missions.-Mission:...
at Eglin and base crash crewmen arrived at the scene a short time later. Lt. Brown is survived by his wife of Hampton, VirginiaHampton, VirginiaHampton is an independent city that is not part of any county in Southeast Virginia. Its population is 137,436. As one of the seven major cities that compose the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, it is on the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula. Located on the Hampton Roads Beltway, it hosts...
and was the son of Mr. and Mrs. R. A. Brown, Route 1, Seleh, Washington. - Week prior to 14 March 1956 – Capt. Roy W. Konvolinka ejects from his disabled F-100A Super SabreF-100 Super SabreThe North American F-100 Super Sabre was a supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard until 1979. The first of the Century Series collection of USAF jet fighters, it was the first USAF fighter capable of...
and parachutes into the Choctawhatchee BayChoctawhatchee BayChoctawhatchee Bay is a bay in the Emerald Coast region of the Florida Panhandle. The bay, located within Okaloosa and Walton counties, has a surface area of 129 mi2...
, coming down ~1/2 mile from shore. He is rescued by a helicopter (type unspecified, but probably a Sikorsky H-19) piloted by Lt. Col. Walter A. Rosenfield, Jr., director of maintenance for the 3243rd Fighter Test Group at Eglin, and Capt. Carl J. Swanson, who acts as an impromptu rescue jumper. Konvolinka suffers only a broken finger on his left hand from grabbing for the winch hook. Konvolinka had experienced a training accident on 4 April 1944 in PT-17, 41-25408, at Paradise Valley Airport, Arizona.
- 25 March 1956 – First prototype Martin XB-51Martin XB-51|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Andrade, John M. U.S. Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909. Earl Shilton, Leicester, UK: Midland Counties Publications, 1979. ISBN 0-904597-22-9....
, 46-0685, crashes in sand dunes near Biggs AFB, El PasoEl Paso, TexasEl Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
, Texas, killing both crew. Pilot was Maj. James O. Rudolph, 36, who was dragged from the crash site with severe burns and conveyed to Brook Army Hospital at San Antonio where he succumbed to his injuries 16 April 1956. The flight engineer was S/Sgt. Wilbur R. Savage, 28, of Rte. 3, Dawsonville, GeorgiaDawsonville, GeorgiaDawsonville is a city in Dawson County, Georgia, United States. The population was 619 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Dawson County...
. The aircraft was staging to Eglin AFB, Florida at the time of its crash for filming of scenes for the motion picture Toward the UnknownToward the UnknownToward the Unknown is a 1956 movie about the dawn of supersonic flight filmed on location at Edwards Air Force Base. Starring William Holden, Lloyd Nolan and Virginia Leith, the film features the screen debut of James Garner. It was directed by Mervyn LeRoy and written by Beirne Lay, Jr...
. After stopping for refuelling, the bomber began its take-off run at 1030 hrs., but smashed through the fence at the end of the southwest runway and then began to disintegrate, spreading wreckage along a 250-yard trail. There was some initial confusion about the aircraft type as rescuers found the "Gilbert XF-120" name applied to the airframe for the film on the wreckage. - 4 April 1957 - An RB-57A-MA CanberraB-57 CanberraThe Martin B-57 Canberra was a United States-built, twin jet engine light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft, which entered service with the United States Air Force in 1953. The B-57 was initially a version of the English Electric Canberra built under license. However, the Glenn L...
, 52-1434, crashes 15 miles N of Vancleave, MississippiVancleave, MississippiVancleave is a census-designated place in Jackson County, Mississippi, United States. It is part of the Pascagoula, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, due to engine failure. Pilot Capt. Forrest Adolph Dalton, 33, a resident of Fort Walton Beach, FloridaFort Walton Beach, FloridaFort Walton Beach is a city in southern Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. As of 2005, the population estimate for Fort Walton Beach was 19,992, and as of 2010, the population estimate for Fort Walton Beach is 19,507 recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau...
, is killed. The B-57 displayed at the Air Force Armament MuseumAir Force Armament MuseumThe Air Force Armament Museum, adjacent to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the only facility in the U.S. dedicated to the display of Air Force armament...
at Eglin AFB carries his name. - 11 April 1957 – An RB-66 DestroyerB-66 Destroyer|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Baugher, Joe. USAAC/USAAF/USAF Bomber Aircraft: Third Series of USAAC/USAAF/USAF Bombers, 2001. Retrieved: 27 July 2006....
twin jet reconnaissance bomber from Shaw Air Force BaseShaw Air Force BaseShaw Air Force Base is a United States Military facility located approximately west-northwest of Sumter, South Carolina. It is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command...
, Sumter, South CarolinaSumter, South Carolina-Demographics:, there were 59,180 people, 34,717 households, and 4,049 families living in the city. The population density was 4,469.5 people per square mile . There were 416,032 housing units at an average density of 603.0 per square mile...
, crashed off the north end of the main runway at Eglin Air Force Base. The plane, from the 43d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Night Photo-Jet43d Electronic Combat SquadronThe 43d Electronic Combat Squadron is a component of the United States Air Force 355th Operations Group, stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona.-Overview:...
of the 432nd Tactical Reconnaissance Group432d WingThe 432d Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Combat Command, stationed at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada. The group operates unmanned reconnaissance aircraft which provide real-time reconnaissance, surveillance, and precision attack against fixed and time-critical targets...
, was on a routine training mission to Eglin. The RB-66 landed at Eglin in heavy rain on a wet runway. The pilot deployed the drag chute, used to aid in braking, but the connection pin sheared and the chute fell away. The plane then ran off the runway, across the over-run and plunged over the edge of a 50 foot bluff. The plane landed flat in the valley below, although the impact demolished it and broke it in half. The two crew members, Capt. John T. McLaine, pilot, and Capt. F. Duncan, observer-navigator, escaped serious injury. This was the first accident that the 432nd had had in ten months of flying the RB-66. - 18 April 1957 – First Lieutenant Richard L. Corbetta, 25, was killed when his T-33T-33 Shooting StarThe Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star is an American-built jet trainer aircraft. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948, piloted by Tony LeVier. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 starting as TP-80C/TF-80C in development, then designated T-33A. It was used by the...
jet trainer crashed in a wooded area about 4 miles northeast of the base just off Florida State Road 85Florida State Road 85State Road 85, or SR 85, is a north–south state highway that runs from US 98 in Fort Walton Beach, Florida north to State Route 55 at the Florida/Alabama state line.-Route description:...
. The Eglin office of information services said the crash occurred as the plane was preparing to land. The pilot had been on a routine test flight. Corbetta graduated from the University of Colorado with a bachelor of science degree in 1954. He entered active service in the Air Force in March 1955 and completed his pilot's training in April 1956. He was survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Corbetta, of Denver, ColoradoDenver, ColoradoThe City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
. - 2 October 1957 – First Lieutenant Richard A. Inglehart, 28, 3241st Test Group, Air Force Operational Test Center, was killed in a crash of a North American F-100 Super SabreF-100 Super SabreThe North American F-100 Super Sabre was a supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard until 1979. The first of the Century Series collection of USAF jet fighters, it was the first USAF fighter capable of...
at Range 52. The airplane crashed into the ground after the pilot performed a toss-bombing maneuver. He was survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis D. Inglehart of Brunswick, MissouriBrunswick, MissouriBrunswick is a rural city in Carroll County, Missouri, United States. The population was 925 at the 2000 census. The Missouri Farmers Association was founded here in 1914. Today the city is considered the Pecan Capital of Missouri...
. - 3 October 1957 – Test pilots Maj. John W. Farrow, 32, of Hq. Tactical Air Command, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, and Capt. Gerald King, 29, of the 3241st Test Group, Eglin Air Force Base, died in the crash of an F-100F Super Sabre. Major Farrow was a liaison officer assigned to the Air Proving Ground Command from the Tactical Air Command. Major Farrow of Strong, MaineStrong, MaineStrong is a town in Franklin County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,259 at the 2000 census. Strong is home to the annual Sandy River Festival.-History:...
, was survived by his wife Beverly and three children of Fort Walton Beach, FloridaFort Walton Beach, FloridaFort Walton Beach is a city in southern Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. As of 2005, the population estimate for Fort Walton Beach was 19,992, and as of 2010, the population estimate for Fort Walton Beach is 19,507 recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau...
, and his mother, Mrs. Mary W. Farrow, of Augusta, MaineAugusta, MaineAugusta is the capital of the US state of Maine, county seat of Kennebec County, and center of population for Maine. The city's population was 19,136 at the 2010 census, making it the third-smallest state capital after Montpelier, Vermont and Pierre, South Dakota...
. Capt. King of Silverton, OregonSilverton, OregonSilverton is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States, along the 45th parallel. The population was 7,414 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, was survived by his wife Elizabeth and two children of Eglin Air Force Base and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Delbert King of Silverton. - 17 March 1958 – A North American F-100F Super Sabre crashed about nine miles north of Mossy Head, Florida, shortly after taking off from Eglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 3 miles southwest of Valparaiso, Florida in Okaloosa County....
. Both pilots parachuted to safety and were reported to be uninjured. Lieutenant Colonel Frank D. Henderson and Lieutenant Colonel Walter A. Rosefield, both assigned to the Air Proving Ground Center, took off from Eglin Main Base enroute to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, when they encountered a flame-out of their engine shortly after takeoff. They headed back to Eglin and bailed out at 10,000 feet when several attempts to accomplish a restart were unsuccessful. The aircraft crashed and burned in a field southwest of Liberty. - 2 May 1958 – F-105B-1-RE Thunderchief, 54-0101, the second B-model, of the Air Proving Ground Command, suffers an explosion and fire during training mission. During an aerial demonstration the pilot, Capt. Howard Westley Leaf, heard a muffled explosion, and then experienced limited flight controls. He ejected at 300 feet at 500 KIAS. He was beat up flailing in the chute, but survived. This was the first F-105 ejection. Pilot eventually retired as a Lieutenant General. Subsequently, it had been reported that persons in the area had taken as souvenirs parts of the plane that crashed near Wright, FloridaWright, FloridaWright is a census-designated place in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. The population was 21,697 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Fort Walton Beach–Crestview–Destin Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. The missing parts were urgently needed to help investigators pinpoint the cause of the accident. In particular, a drag parachute had not been located. - 29 August 1959 - F-105B-15-RE Thunderchief, 57-5799, of the 335th Tactical Fighter Squadron335th Fighter SquadronThe 335th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 4th Operations Group and stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina....
, explodes on start up on the parking ramp during a cartridge start, pilot Maj. James Ellis Bean survives.
1960s
- 18 March 1960 - Republic F-105B-15-RE ThunderchiefF-105 ThunderchiefThe Republic F-105 Thunderchief, was a supersonic fighter-bomber used by the United States Air Force. The Mach 2 capable F-105 conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Vietnam War; it has the dubious distinction of being the only US aircraft to have been...
, 57-5794, of the 335th Tactical Fighter Squadron335th Fighter SquadronThe 335th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 4th Operations Group and stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina....
crashes in the Gulf of Mexico after the port undercarriage leg would not extend. Pilot Capt. Bingham J. Lawrence ejects safely at 10,000 feet after being advised that his gear won't extend. Rescued. - Week prior to 31 March 1960 – A T-33 Shooting StarT-33 Shooting StarThe Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star is an American-built jet trainer aircraft. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948, piloted by Tony LeVier. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 starting as TP-80C/TF-80C in development, then designated T-33A. It was used by the...
, in flight at 15,000 feet, piloted by Lt. Col. Edward L. Rathbun, Director of Operations, 4751st Air Defense Wing, experiences engine difficulties, flames out at 8,000 feet, fails to relight. Upon making a dead-stick approach to Hurlburt FieldHurlburt FieldHurlburt Field is a U.S. Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the Town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation, and is home to Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command , the 1st Special Operations Wing , the...
, Eglin Auxiliary Field 9, the trainer's undercarriageUndercarriageThe undercarriage or landing gear in aviation, is the structure that supports an aircraft on the ground and allows it to taxi, takeoff and land...
refuses to deploy. Control tower operator T/Sgt. Clyde Martin, of the 1920-1 AACS Detachment, seeing the aircraft on approach, deploys the runway barrier control as the T-bird bellies in on the south end of the Hurlburt runway, snagging the jet by its tail and bringing it to a halt with only minor damage, pilot uninjured. - 23 August 1960 - Republic F-105B-20-RE Thunderchief, 57-5804, damaged during landing at Eglin AFB, due to drag chute failure.
- 6 September 1960 – A GAM-77 Hound Dog missile launched from a B-52 StratofortressB-52 StratofortressThe Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...
over the Eglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 3 miles southwest of Valparaiso, Florida in Okaloosa County....
, Florida test range at ~1400 hrs. this date goes astray, coming down on a farm near Samson, AlabamaSamson, AlabamaSamson is a city in Geneva County, Alabama, United States. It is part of the Dothan, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2000 census the population was 2,071.-Geography:Samson is located at .According to the U.S...
. Lt. Col. Gerry Garner, Eglin Air Force Base public information director, stated that an investigation is underway into the errant missile's failure. - 26 September 1960 - Republic F-105D-1-RE Thunderchief, 58-1146, the first D-model, experiences fire warning light on takeoff - aborted - on main runway at Eglin Main. Pilot Mr. Henry Crescibene (of Republic Aviation?) survives.
- 11 January 1961 - Republic F-105D-5-RE Thunderchief, 59-1730, crashes near Eglin during a training mission due to undetermined causes, pilot Jack B. Mayo KWF. Wreckage presumably comes down in the Gulf of Mexico as neither the pilot nor airframe are recovered.
- 18 January 1961 - Wreckage from a T-33T-33T-33 may refer to:*T-33 Shooting Star a U.S. jet trainer*T-33 Light Amphibious Tank a Soviet light tankSimilar designations:*Alfa Romeo Tipo 33*London Buses route T33*Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T33...
found floating in Choctawhatchee BayChoctawhatchee BayChoctawhatchee Bay is a bay in the Emerald Coast region of the Florida Panhandle. The bay, located within Okaloosa and Walton counties, has a surface area of 129 mi2...
, was positively identified as part of an overdue plane that was en route to Eglin from McCoy Air Force BaseMcCoy Air Force BaseWith McCoy's closure as an active air force installation in 1975, the site was redeveloped and is known today as Orlando International Airport, which carries the airport code MCO .- History :...
, Florida. The plane was practicing instrument approaches when approach control lost contact shortly before 2300 hrs. The pilot was identified as Maj. John M. Simmons, a test pilot with the Air Proving Ground Center. Two days of searching yielded only a few pieces of aircraft wreckage, but that along with the plane's flight log positively identified them as belonging to the missing plane. - 17 June 1961 - Republic F-105B-20-RE Thunderchief, 57-5832, of the 334th Tactical Fighter Squadron334th Fighter SquadronThe 334th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 4th Operations Group and stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina....
, Seymour-Johnson AFB, North Carolina, suffers flameout during training mission, makes hard landing at Eglin Auxiliary Field 2, main gear strut comes up through the wing. Pilot Capt. Samuel Henderson Martin III survives. - 17 March 1962 – Republic F-105D-1-RE ThunderchiefF-105 ThunderchiefThe Republic F-105 Thunderchief, was a supersonic fighter-bomber used by the United States Air Force. The Mach 2 capable F-105 conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Vietnam War; it has the dubious distinction of being the only US aircraft to have been...
, 58-1148, written off in an accident at Eglin Air Force Base this date. This was the third D-model built. During a training mission, aircraft suffers an explosion and fire at 3999 ft. altitude in a climbing right turn. Pilot Capt. Joseph V. Cobislero ejects at 350 knots IAS, aircraft crashes 8 miles N of Fort Walton Beach, FloridaFort Walton Beach, FloridaFort Walton Beach is a city in southern Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. As of 2005, the population estimate for Fort Walton Beach was 19,992, and as of 2010, the population estimate for Fort Walton Beach is 19,507 recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau...
on the Eglin Range. Pilot survives. - 16 April 1962 - Republic F-105D-5-RE ThunderchiefF-105 ThunderchiefThe Republic F-105 Thunderchief, was a supersonic fighter-bomber used by the United States Air Force. The Mach 2 capable F-105 conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Vietnam War; it has the dubious distinction of being the only US aircraft to have been...
, 58-1166, of the 335th Tactical Fighter Squadron335th Fighter SquadronThe 335th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 4th Operations Group and stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina....
, Seymour-Johnson AFB, North Carolina, on a training mission over an Eglin Range, begins a low level toss bomb run. Pilot Charles Glenn Lamb, Jr. is at MachMachMach may refer to:* Mach , a lunar crater* Mach disk, diamond pattern seen in rocket exhaust* Mach number, a measure of speed* Gillette Mach3, a manual razor with three blades* Mach bands, an optical illusion...
1.1 at 700 KIAS as he begins his pull-up when the aircraft is observed exploding into 3 major pieces in a huge fireball. The pilot is killed. - 8 January 1963 - F-104B-1-LO StarfighterF-104 StarfighterThe Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is a single-engine, high-performance, supersonic interceptor aircraft originally developed for the United States Air Force by Lockheed. One of the Century Series of aircraft, it served with the USAF from 1958 until 1969, and continued with Air National Guard units...
, 56‑3720, c/n 283-5001, crashes on an Eglin range - several air starts were initiated which resulted in power loss, sound of tailing air‑conditioning turbine was mistaken for engine failure. Pilot ejects. - 7 February 1963 - Republic F-105D-25-RE ThunderchiefF-105 ThunderchiefThe Republic F-105 Thunderchief, was a supersonic fighter-bomber used by the United States Air Force. The Mach 2 capable F-105 conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Vietnam War; it has the dubious distinction of being the only US aircraft to have been...
, 61-0216 of the 4525th Combat Crew Training Wing, Nellis AFB, Nevada, and F-100F Super SabreF-100 Super SabreThe North American F-100 Super Sabre was a supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard until 1979. The first of the Century Series collection of USAF jet fighters, it was the first USAF fighter capable of...
flying in close formation, are hit by shrapnel from a defective BLU-14 bomb dropped from the F-105 while on a run over an Eglin Range. F-105 pilot Maj. Frederick C. Kyler, and pilot and photographer in F-100 all successfully eject. - 19 August 1963 – A USAF QB-47E StratojetB-47 StratojetThe Boeing Model 450 B-47 Stratojet was a long-range, six-engined, jet-powered medium bomber built to fly at high subsonic speeds and at high altitudes. It was primarily designed to drop nuclear bombs on the Soviet Union...
, of the 3205th Drone Director Group, veers off course on touchdown at Eglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 3 miles southwest of Valparaiso, Florida in Okaloosa County....
, FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, crashing onto Eglin Parkway parallel to the runway. Two cars were crushed by the Stratojet, killing two occupants, Robert W. Glass and Dr. Robert Bundy, and injuring a third, Dorothy Phillips. Mr. Glass and Dr. Bundy both worked for the Minnesota Honeywell Corporation at the time, a firm which had just completed flight tests on an inertia guidance sub-system for the X-20 Dyna-SoarX-20 Dyna-SoarThe X-20 Dyna-Soar was a United States Air Force program to develop a spaceplane that could be used for a variety of military missions, including reconnaissance, bombing, space rescue, satellite maintenance, and sabotage of enemy satellites...
project at the base utilizing an NF-101B VoodooF-101 VoodooThe McDonnell F-101 Voodoo was a supersonic military jet fighter which served the United States Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force...
. Mrs. Phillips was the wife of Master SergeantMaster SergeantA master sergeant is the military rank for a senior non-commissioned officer in some armed forces.-Israel Defense Forces:Rav samal rishoninsignia IDF...
James Phillips, a crew chief at the base. Mrs. Phillips was treated for moderate injuries and released later that day. Both vehicles were destroyed by fire. Four firefighters were treated for smoke inhalation while fighting the blaze which reignited several times. Fire crews had to lay over a mile of hose to reach the crash from the nearest hydrant, as well. The QB-47 was used for Bomarc Missile ProgramBomarc Missile ProgramThe CIM-10 Bomarc was the only surface-to-air missile ever deployed by the United States Air Force. All other U.S. land-based SAMs were and are under the control of the United States Army....
tests, which normally operated from Auxiliary Field Three (Duke FieldDuke FieldDuke Field , also known as Eglin AFB Auxiliary Field #3, is a military airport located three miles south of the central business district of Crestview, in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States-Units:...
), approximately 15 miles from the main base, but was diverted to Eglin Main after thunderstorms built up over Duke. - 30 October 1963 - An F-105D-6-RE ThunderchiefF-105 ThunderchiefThe Republic F-105 Thunderchief, was a supersonic fighter-bomber used by the United States Air Force. The Mach 2 capable F-105 conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Vietnam War; it has the dubious distinction of being the only US aircraft to have been...
, 60-419, of the 3214th OMS, Eglin AFB, piloted by Capt. Robert L. Jondahl, crashes two miles E of Niceville, Florida. While making supersonic passes on Eglin Ranges. pilot felt the engine fail. Pilot received red lights and lost flight controls. Ejected safely. Joe BaugherJoe BaugherJoseph F. Baugher is a retired physicist, software engineer, and author, who has also written articles on aviation.He graduated from Gettysburg College in 1963 and studied physics under Philip J. Bray at Brown University, receiving a Ph.D...
cites crash date of 23 October. - 22 January 1964 – A USAF F-104B-10-LO StarfighterF-104 StarfighterThe Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is a single-engine, high-performance, supersonic interceptor aircraft originally developed for the United States Air Force by Lockheed. One of the Century Series of aircraft, it served with the USAF from 1958 until 1969, and continued with Air National Guard units...
, 57‑1306, c/n 283-5019, of the 319th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, Air Defense Command, Homestead Air Force Base, Florida, crashes at ~1330 hrs. on Santa Rosa IslandSanta Rosa Island, FloridaSanta Rosa Island[p] is a 40-mile barrier island located in the U.S. state of Florida, thirty miles east of the Alabama state border...
, ~one mile E of Fort Walton Beach, FloridaFort Walton Beach, FloridaFort Walton Beach is a city in southern Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. As of 2005, the population estimate for Fort Walton Beach was 19,992, and as of 2010, the population estimate for Fort Walton Beach is 19,507 recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau...
, shortly after departure from Eglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 3 miles southwest of Valparaiso, Florida in Okaloosa County....
, Florida, to return to Homestead. The pilot, Capt. Lucius O. Evans, ejects safely just before the fighter impacts in sand dunes just short of the Coronado Motor Hotel, parachuting into the Choctawhatchee BayChoctawhatchee BayChoctawhatchee Bay is a bay in the Emerald Coast region of the Florida Panhandle. The bay, located within Okaloosa and Walton counties, has a surface area of 129 mi2...
. He is then transported to the Eglin base hospital by Assistant Police Chief Jack McSwain, where he is reported to have sustained no injuries. Over sixty occupants at the hotel are not injured although flaming wreckage sprays an area close to the business. Eyewitness Andrew Christiansen, of Chester, Connecticut, reported that the aircraft was on fire as it descended and observed Capt. Evans' ejection from the Starfighter. A secondary explosion after the impact further scatters the burning wreckage. - 11 February 1964 – During an evening airpower demonstration, an B-26 Invader on a strafing pass over Range 52 at Eglin AFB, Florida, loses a wing as it pulls up at ~1945 hrs., with the loss of two crew, both assigned to the 1st Air Commando Wing1st Special Operations WingThe 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida is one of two United States Air Force active duty Special Operations wings and falls under the Air Force Special Operations Command ....
, Hurlburt FieldHurlburt FieldHurlburt Field is a U.S. Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the Town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation, and is home to Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command , the 1st Special Operations Wing , the...
. KWF are pilot Capt. Herman S. Moore, 34, of 28 Palmetto Drive, Mary Esther, FloridaMary Esther, FloridaMary Esther is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. The population was 4,055 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 4,115...
, and navigator Capt. Lawrence L. Lively, 31, of 19 Azalea Drive, Mary Esther, FloridaMary Esther, FloridaMary Esther is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. The population was 4,055 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 4,115...
. Moore, originally of Livingston, MontanaLivingston, Montana-Geography:Livingston is located at , at an altitude of 4.501 feet .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and 0.38% is waters.-Climate:-Demographics:...
is survived by his widow, Nancy Lee Moore, and a stepson, John H. Duckworth, 9, and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. William N. Moore, 117 South 10th Street, Livingston. Mrs. Moore is a teacher in the Okaloosa County School system. Lively is survived by his widow, Joan R. Lively. The Invader was participating in a demonstration of the Special Air Warfare Center's counter insurgency capabilities, an activity that had been presented on average of twice each month for the past 21 months. This was the first such accident for SAWC during that period. The USAF subsequently grounds all combat B-26s as the stress of operations now exceed the airframes' abilities. On Mark Engineering Company remanufactures 41 old airframes as one YB-26K and forty B-26Ks with new spars, larger engines and rudders, and new 1964 fiscal year serial numbers which see use in Southeast Asia, and which will be redesignated A-26As for political reasons. - 15 June 1965 – Due to an unfortunate oversight in inspecting F-105 ThunderchiefF-105 ThunderchiefThe Republic F-105 Thunderchief, was a supersonic fighter-bomber used by the United States Air Force. The Mach 2 capable F-105 conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Vietnam War; it has the dubious distinction of being the only US aircraft to have been...
s following the fatal crash of a ThunderbirdsU.S. Air Force ThunderbirdsThe Thunderbirds are the air demonstration squadron of the U.S. Air Force , based at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, Nevada. The squadron tours the United States and much of the world, performing aerobatic formation and solo flying in specially marked USAF jet aircraft...
air demonstration team F-105B at Hamilton Air Force BaseHamilton Air Force BaseHamilton Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base located along the western shore of San Pablo Bay, south of Novato, California.-History:...
, California on 9 May 1964, one was missed and it subsequently crashed this date at Eglin Air Force Base. Early-production JF-105D-5-RE, 58-1149, the fourth D-model built, and first Block 5 airframe, flown by Republic Aviation test pilot Carlton B. Ardery, Jr., broke apart during a 7.33 G pull-up during a test mission when the same weak backbone plate failed that caused the Thunderbirds fatal accident, stated a Fairchild Hiller Accident Report. The pilot was killed. Aircraft crashes 39 miles SE of Eglin AFB. - 24 June 1965 - The mid-air collision of two A-1Es over the small community of Children's Home in north Okaloosa County, FloridaOkaloosa County, FloridaOkaloosa County is a county located in the state of Florida. Located in northwest Florida, it extends from the Gulf of Mexico to the Alabama state line. As of the 2000 census, the population was 170,498. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 182,172. The 2009 estimate for the...
, resulted in the deaths of four Hurlburt FieldHurlburt FieldHurlburt Field is a U.S. Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the Town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation, and is home to Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command , the 1st Special Operations Wing , the...
pilots: Maj. Robert W. Robinson, Capt. James J. Jines, Jr., Capt. Edward P. Doyle and Maj. Donald L. Lumadue. The collision occurred while the planes were flying formation during a routine training mission. Eyewitnesses saw one man bail out and apparently maneuver his parachute. However, his body was found some hours later in a wooded area some distance from the wreckage of the two planes. - 24 June 1965 – While flying mock air combat with his wingman in an F-5A Freedom FighterF-5 Freedom FighterThe Northrop F-5A/B Freedom Fighter and the F-5E/F Tiger II are part of a family of widely-used light supersonic fighter aircraft, designed and built by Northrop...
under the "Sparrow Hawk" program, Capt. Jerry A. Shockley flies into the ground. USAF Accident/Incident Report 65-6-24-2, dated 19 July 1965, attributes crash to "operator error". "Sparrow Hawk" was the preliminary evaluation of the F-5A prior to its deployment to South Vietnam under the combat evaluation known as "Skoshi Tiger". Capt. Shockley had flown Slot with the 1964 ThunderbirdsU.S. Air Force ThunderbirdsThe Thunderbirds are the air demonstration squadron of the U.S. Air Force , based at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, Nevada. The squadron tours the United States and much of the world, performing aerobatic formation and solo flying in specially marked USAF jet aircraft...
air demonstration team. - 20 November 1965 - A Nike missile went out of control and landed in a wooded area off U.S. 98. This rocket was launched at 0730 hrs. from the aerospace launch facility at Santa Rosa Island. It was one of a series and programmed to fly over the gulf to measure changes in the atmosphere. But a malfunction forced it to go out of control and to land one mile east of Hurlburt FieldHurlburt FieldHurlburt Field is a U.S. Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the Town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation, and is home to Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command , the 1st Special Operations Wing , the...
. A 17-foot section of this rocket plunged to the ground about 100 yards from the home of retired Vice Adm. L.A. Moebus. - 17 January 1966 - Two crew of an F-105F-1-RE ThunderchiefF-105 ThunderchiefThe Republic F-105 Thunderchief, was a supersonic fighter-bomber used by the United States Air Force. The Mach 2 capable F-105 conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Vietnam War; it has the dubious distinction of being the only US aircraft to have been...
, 62-4412, c/n F1, the first F-105F, of a test squadron based at Eglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 3 miles southwest of Valparaiso, Florida in Okaloosa County....
, Florida, escape injury when the engine of the fighter-bomber in which they are engaged in a photo-chase mission catches fire while on high final, forcing them to eject. The airframe impacts in East Bay, 5 miles N of Tyndall AFB, Florida at 1008 hrs. Pilot Capt. James D. Clendenen and photographer S/Sgt. Jack G. Cain are recovered from the water by a Tyndall base helicopter. - 17 January 1966 - A Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star on a night mission crashes and burns in a wooded area 11 miles NW of Eglin AFB, killing both crew. According to the base information officer, the wreckage was located in a densely-wooded area which made made approach of rescue vehicles difficult. KWF were Capt. Robert D. Freeman, 30, of Lindsey, Oklahoma, and 2nd Lt. Roger A. Carr, 26, of Ames, IowaAmes, IowaAmes is a city located in the central part of the U.S. state of Iowa in Story County, and approximately north of Des Moines. The U.S. Census Bureau designates that Ames, Iowa metropolitan statistical area as encompassing all of Story County, and which, when combined with the Boone, Iowa...
. Both were residents of Fort Walton Beach, FloridaFort Walton Beach, FloridaFort Walton Beach is a city in southern Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. As of 2005, the population estimate for Fort Walton Beach was 19,992, and as of 2010, the population estimate for Fort Walton Beach is 19,507 recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau...
and were assigned to the Air Proving Ground Center. Capt. Freeman is survived by his widow, Faith, and three children, Donna, 7, Robert L., 5, and Alison C., 18 months; and his parents Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Freeman, of Lindsey. Lt. Carr is survived by his widow, Karen, and a five-month-old son, Craig; and by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Herbert W. Carr, of Ames. - 25 February 1966 - Two crew are KWF in F-4C-23-MC Phantom IIF-4 Phantom IIThe McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
, 64-0808, of the 4th Tactical Fighter Squadron4th Fighter SquadronThe 4th Fighter Squadron is part of the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting air superiority missions.-History:...
, 33d Tactical Fighter Wing, Eglin AFB, when the fighter goes down in the Gulf of MexicoGulf of MexicoThe Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
58 miles SSE of the base at 0759 hrs. The body of 1st Lt. Robert M. Gibbs, 27, of York, PennsylvaniaYork, PennsylvaniaYork, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in York County, Pennsylvania, United States which is in the South Central region of the state. The population within the city limits was 43,718 at the 2010 census, which was a 7.0% increase from the 2000 count of 40,862...
, is recovered several hours after the crash. He is survived by his wife Aleda, of Eldridge Road, Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Funeral services are held for Gibbs on 1 March 1966 at York, Pennsylvania, with interment at Gettysburg National Cemetery. The U.S. Coast Guard officially abandons the search for the body of Capt. Stanley R. Pyne, 35, of Bromigs, Oregon, on Saturday night, 26 February, officially listed as killed. He leaves his widow, Valerie, a native of Great Britain, a daughter, Colleen, 4, and a son, David, three weeks old, of 29B Boatner Drive, Eglin AFB. Memorial services are held for Capt. Pyne at Chapel 3, Eglin AFB, on Monday, 28 February. - 5 April 1966 - A Hurlburt FieldHurlburt FieldHurlburt Field is a U.S. Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the Town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation, and is home to Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command , the 1st Special Operations Wing , the...
-based T-28 TrojanT-28 TrojanThe North American Aviation T-28 Trojan is a piston-engined military trainer aircraft used by the United States Air Force and United States Navy beginning in the 1950s...
makes a forced landing, but suffers little damage and the two crew are unhurt. - 6 April 1966 - Two Hurlburt FieldHurlburt FieldHurlburt Field is a U.S. Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the Town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation, and is home to Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command , the 1st Special Operations Wing , the...
pilots are killed shortly before 1200 hrs. when their T-28 TrojanT-28 TrojanThe North American Aviation T-28 Trojan is a piston-engined military trainer aircraft used by the United States Air Force and United States Navy beginning in the 1950s...
fails to pull out of a dive during a routine dive-bombing and gunnery-training mission on Range 77, about eight miles from the field. The wreckage is located in such a remotely wooded area that it takes more than an hour before news of the accident can be released that it had taken place. KWF are pilot Capt. Dennis L. Anderson, 30, of Guernsey, WyomingGuernsey, WyomingGuernsey is a town in Platte County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 1,147 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Guernsey is located at ....
from the 3646th Pilot Training Wing47th Flying Training WingThe 47th Flying Training Wing is a United States Air Force pilot training wing based at Laughlin Air Force Base, near Del Rio, Texas...
, and co-pilot Capt. Hubert L. "Buddy" Blake, 28, of Garland, TexasGarland, Texas-Climate:* The average warmest month is July.* The highest recorded temperature was in 2000.* On average, the coolest month is January.* The lowest recorded temperature was in 1989.* The maximum average precipitation occurs in May....
from 3651st Pilot Training Squadron. Both were TDY to the 4410th Combat Crew Training Wing. Cause of the crash is investigated, and in the meantime, all Tactical Air Warfare Center T-28s are grounded as a precautionary measure. The official cause of the crash was metal fatigue. Capt. Blake was a member of the Air Force ROTC 845th Group Staff at Texas Christian UniversityTexas Christian UniversityTexas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ...
and earned the B.A. in history in 1960. - 29 April 1966 - Republic F-105D-10-RE ThunderchiefF-105 ThunderchiefThe Republic F-105 Thunderchief, was a supersonic fighter-bomber used by the United States Air Force. The Mach 2 capable F-105 conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Vietnam War; it has the dubious distinction of being the only US aircraft to have been...
, 60-0457, of the 3214th OMS, Eglin AFB, piloted by Capt. John S. Hardy, suffers flameout during training mission, touches down 287 feet short of the runway at an auxiliary field (which one?), hard on the tail and main gear. The aircraft bounced, nose gear sheared, and the plane stopped 4000 feet down Runway 36. Pilot evacuated unhurt. - 25 November 1966 – A Hurlburt FieldHurlburt FieldHurlburt Field is a U.S. Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the Town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation, and is home to Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command , the 1st Special Operations Wing , the...
pilot, First Lieutenant James O. Barbre, 24, of Carol City, FloridaCarol City, FloridaCarol City is a former census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 59,443 at the 2000 census.Originally called "Coral City" by developers, pressure from the city of Coral Gables forced a name change to Carol City...
, died when his Cessna O-1E Bird Dog forward air controller liaison aircraft collided with a Douglas A-1E Skyraider fighter-bomber and crashed on Eglin's Range 77. The two aircraft were engaged in a routine Southeast AsiaSoutheast AsiaSoutheast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
ordnance training mission. The A-1E was only slightly damaged and landed safely at Hurlburt 14 minutes after the collision. - 14 October 1966 - Republic F-105F-1-RE ThunderchiefF-105 ThunderchiefThe Republic F-105 Thunderchief, was a supersonic fighter-bomber used by the United States Air Force. The Mach 2 capable F-105 conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Vietnam War; it has the dubious distinction of being the only US aircraft to have been...
, 62-4421, c/n F10, of the 3214th OMS, Eglin AFB, piloted by Maj. Kenneth H. Coffee, enters uncontrollable roll, pilot ejects successfully at 2000 feet and is rescued, aircraft crashes 17 miles S of Tyndall AFB, Florida, in the Gulf of Mexico. Rear seat of fighter-bomber was unoccupied.
- 5 January 1967 – Martin TGM-13 MaceMGM-13 Mace-See also:-External links:* * * * * * *...
, launched from Site A-15, Santa Rosa IslandSanta Rosa Island, FloridaSanta Rosa Island[p] is a 40-mile barrier island located in the U.S. state of Florida, thirty miles east of the Alabama state border...
, Hurlburt FieldHurlburt FieldHurlburt Field is a U.S. Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the Town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation, and is home to Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command , the 1st Special Operations Wing , the...
, Florida, by the 4751st Air Defense Missile Squadron at ~1021 hrs., fails to circle over Gulf of MexicoGulf of MexicoThe Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
for test mission with two Eglin AFB F-4sF-4 Phantom IIThe McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
, but heads south for CubaCubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. Third F-4 overtakes it, fires two test AAMsAir-to-air missileAn air-to-air missile is a missile fired from an aircraft for the purpose of destroying another aircraft. AAMs are typically powered by one or more rocket motors, usually solid fuelled but sometimes liquid fuelled...
with limited success, then damages unarmed drone with cannon fire. MaceMGM-13 Mace-See also:-External links:* * * * * * *...
overflies western tip of CubaCubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
before crashing in Caribbean 100 miles south of the island. International incident narrowly avoided. To forestall the possibility, the United States State Department asks the Swiss Ambassador in HavanaHavanaHavana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
to explain the circumstances of the wayward drone to the Cuban government. The Mace had been equipped with an "improved guidance system known as 'ASTRAN' which is considered unjammable." (This was apparently a typo for ATRAN – Automatic Terrain Recognition And Navigation terrain-matching radar navigation.) - 14 November 1967 - A Hurlburt Field-based C-123 ProviderC-123 ProviderThe C-123 Provider was an American military transport aircraft designed by Chase Aircraft and subsequently built by Fairchild Aircraft for the United States Air Force...
crashes at Crestview, FloridaCrestview, FloridaCrestview is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. Crestview’s name was chosen because of its location on the peak of a long woodland range between the Yellow and Shoal rivers which flow almost parallel on the east and west side of the City....
, killing one crew, all others injured. - 25 January 1968 - A Hurlburt FieldHurlburt FieldHurlburt Field is a U.S. Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the Town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation, and is home to Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command , the 1st Special Operations Wing , the...
-based C-123K ProviderC-123 ProviderThe C-123 Provider was an American military transport aircraft designed by Chase Aircraft and subsequently built by Fairchild Aircraft for the United States Air Force...
, 55-4518, c/n 20179, crashes on approach to Duke FieldDuke FieldDuke Field , also known as Eglin AFB Auxiliary Field #3, is a military airport located three miles south of the central business district of Crestview, in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States-Units:...
. All 3 onboard killed. - 19 March 1968 – Two Eglin men were killed when their F-4 Phantom IIF-4 Phantom IIThe McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
fighter bomber crashed and burned over Test Area 52. The men were identified as Maj. Charles M. Dray, 36, the aircraft commander from TampaTâmpaTâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...
, and First Lieutenant Charles V. Townsend, Jr., 27, of Guthrie, OklahomaGuthrie, OklahomaGuthrie is a city in and the county seat of Logan County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City Metroplex. The population was 9,925 at the 2000 census.Guthrie was the territorial and later the first state capital for Oklahoma...
, the pilot. The plane was on a routine training mission at the time of the accident about 25 miles northeast of Eglin. The cause of the crash was unknown and was under investigation. Both officers lived on Eglin Air Force Base. Maj. Dray was survived by his wife, Helen H. and Lt. Townsend was survived by his parents. - 16 April 1968 - A Hurlburt FieldHurlburt FieldHurlburt Field is a U.S. Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the Town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation, and is home to Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command , the 1st Special Operations Wing , the...
-based C-123K ProviderC-123 ProviderThe C-123 Provider was an American military transport aircraft designed by Chase Aircraft and subsequently built by Fairchild Aircraft for the United States Air Force...
, 54-602, c/n 20051, crashes near Panama City, FloridaPanama City, Florida-Personal income:The median income for a household in the city was $31,572, and the median income for a family was $40,890. Males had a median income of $30,401 versus $21,431 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,830...
while on a training mission. The aircraft departed Hurlburt at 0800 hrs. CST as lead of three C-123s for a practice SEA spray mission at a point 25 nm NW of Panama City, arriving there at 0835 hrs. After several simulated defoliation runs, the aircraft took up the number three position in a right echelon formation at 0850 hrs. for another pass. After the run a right 270 degree turn was ordered and while making it the number three aircraft struck the ground left wing-low, and cartwheeled, caught fire and was destroyed. The instructor pilot, two student pilots, and the flight engineer all KWF. - 31 May 1968 – JQF-104A StarfighterF-104 StarfighterThe Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is a single-engine, high-performance, supersonic interceptor aircraft originally developed for the United States Air Force by Lockheed. One of the Century Series of aircraft, it served with the USAF from 1958 until 1969, and continued with Air National Guard units...
drone, 56-0733, 'QFG-733', (so modified and designated on November 29, 1961), of the 3205th Drone Squadron, suffers a severe class A landing accident at Eglin AFB, Florida. Repaired. This airframe preserved at the Historic Aviation Memorial Museum (HAMM) in Tyler near Arlington, Texas by April 2005. - 24 January 1969 - An EC-121R Batcat, 67-21476, call sign Homey 92, of the 553d Reconnaissance Wing, Otis AFB, Massachusetts, departs Duke FieldDuke FieldDuke Field , also known as Eglin AFB Auxiliary Field #3, is a military airport located three miles south of the central business district of Crestview, in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States-Units:...
, Florida, at 0730 hrs EST. on a local range mission, lands at Eglin AFB for equipment offload, then proceeds to Otis AFB for termination of flight. Makes three approaches due to poor weather conditions, and on third attempt at 1814 hrs. EST, contacts the ground 4,060 feet from Precision Approach Radar touchdown point. Airframe enters area covered with small pine trees, left main gear and nose gear collapse during roll-out over unimproved terrain, coming to a stop after travelling 2,560 feet, 1,810 feet from NW approach end of runway 14. Crew of 12 makes orderly evacuation from plane, which does not burn, remaining largely intact. One crewman breaks a leg while evacuating the rear of the fuselage. Aircraft commander was Maj. David F. Collett. - 13 November 1969 - T-39A-1-NA SabrelinerT-39 SabrelinerThe North American Sabreliner is a mid-sized business jet developed by North American Aviation. It was offered to the U.S. Air Force in response to their Utility Trainer Experimental program...
, 59-2871, c/n 265-4, crashed into waters of the Choctawhatchee BayChoctawhatchee BayChoctawhatchee Bay is a bay in the Emerald Coast region of the Florida Panhandle. The bay, located within Okaloosa and Walton counties, has a surface area of 129 mi2...
, 2.5 miles (4 km) while on approach to Eglin in foggy weather, no fatalities of two on board. The aircraft was fitted with radiological test equipment for Project "Have DoughnutHave DoughnutHave Doughnut was the name of a Defense Intelligence Agency project whose purpose was to evaluate and exploit a MiG-21 "Fishbed-E" that the United States Air Force acquired in 1967 from Israel. Israel acquired the aircraft on August 16, 1966, when Iraqi Air Force pilot Capt...
".
1970s
- 10 May 1972 - A Fairchild AU-23A PeacemakerPilatus PC-6|-See also:-References:* Lambert, Mark. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1993–1994. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Data Division, 1993. ISBN 0 7106 1066 1.* Taylor, John W. R. Janes's All The World's Aircraft 1965–66. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, 1965....
, 72-1309, being tested under Credible Chase by the 4400th Special Operations Squadron (Provisional), crashed after an in-flight engine failure. The pilot was not hurt, but all AU-23As were grounded until 22 May, during the accident investigation. - 18 June 1972 - General Dynamics F-111AGeneral Dynamics F-111The General Dynamics F-111 "Aardvark" was a medium-range interdictor and tactical strike aircraft that also filled the roles of strategic bomber, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare in its various versions. Developed in the 1960s by General Dynamics, it first entered service in 1967 with the...
, 67-0082, crashes near Eglin AFB shortly after takeoff. Lost control after an external fuel fire and explosion. Unsuccessful ejection, crew killed. - 4 March 1974 – A USAFUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
CIM-10 Bomarc missile of the 4751st ADMS, Hurlburt FieldHurlburt FieldHurlburt Field is a U.S. Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the Town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation, and is home to Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command , the 1st Special Operations Wing , the...
, Florida, explodes on Santa Rosa IslandSanta Rosa Island, FloridaSanta Rosa Island[p] is a 40-mile barrier island located in the U.S. state of Florida, thirty miles east of the Alabama state border...
due to a malfunction shortly after launch from Site A-15, impacting on government property adjacent to the launchsite. Eglin AFB authorities confirmed that there were no personnel injuries, and local law enforcement agencies had received no damage reports. - 29 April 1974 – A USAFUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
MartinGlenn L. Martin CompanyThe Glenn L. Martin Company was an American aircraft and aerospace manufacturing company that was founded by the aviation pioneer Glenn L. Martin. The Martin Company produced many important aircraft for the defense of the United States and its allies, especially during World War II and the Cold War...
MGM-13 MaceMGM-13 Mace-See also:-External links:* * * * * * *...
of the 4751st ADMS, crashed in a wooded area of Eglin AFB, Florida, approximately ~1.5 miles north of Auxiliary Field 4 after launch from Eglin Site A-10 on Santa Rosa IslandSanta Rosa Island, FloridaSanta Rosa Island[p] is a 40-mile barrier island located in the U.S. state of Florida, thirty miles east of the Alabama state border...
about 1200 hrs. for a routine Air National GuardAir National GuardThe Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
training mission. There were no injuries or property damage although a small brushfire was ignited, quickly extinguished. The okay to launch the nine remaining Maces during June for air-to-air missile tests was given on 29 May 1974. "Officials noted that 154 mace [sic] target missiles had been fired prior to this failure, with none failing due to a similar problem." - 26 August 1975 – A-7D-12-CV Corsair IIA-7 Corsair IIThe Ling-Temco-Vought A-7 Corsair II is a carrier-based subsonic light attack aircraft introduced to replace the United States Navy's Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, initially entering service during the Vietnam War...
, 72-0172, of the 76th Tactical Fighter Squadron76th Fighter SquadronThe 76th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force Reserve unit. It is assigned to the 476th Fighter Group and stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia....
, 23rd Tactical Fighter Wing23d WingThe 23d Wing is a front-line United States Air Force Air Combat Command wing currently assigned to Moody Air Force Base, Georgia.-Mission:The mission of the 23d Wing is to organize, train and employ combat-ready A-10, HC-130 and HH-60, as well as pararescuemen and force protection assets...
, England AFB, Louisiana, crashes on a test range during night training mission. Pilot killed. - 23 December 1975 – Ling-Temco-VoughtLing-Temco-VoughtLing-Temco-Vought was a large U.S. conglomerate which existed from 1969 to 2000. At its peak, its component parts were involved in the aerospace industry, electronics, steel manufacturing, sporting goods, the airline industry, meat packing, car rentals and pharmaceuticals, among other...
A-7D Corsair IIA-7 Corsair IIThe Ling-Temco-Vought A-7 Corsair II is a carrier-based subsonic light attack aircraft introduced to replace the United States Navy's Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, initially entering service during the Vietnam War...
, 67-14586, c/n D.005, while assigned to Eglin AFB, Florida's 3246th Test Wing, Air Development and Test Center for mission support, suffers engine failure on take-off from Tallahassee Municipal AirportTallahassee Regional AirportTallahassee Regional Airport is a city-owned public-use airport located four nautical miles southwest of the central business district of Tallahassee, a city in Leon County, Florida, United States.- History :...
, Florida and makes forced landing, coming down largely intact. Pilot ejects. Airframe is hauled back to Eglin AFB on a truck, where it is either scrapped or becomes a target hulk. - 27 October 1976 – General DynamicsGeneral DynamicsGeneral Dynamics Corporation is a U.S. defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest defense contractor in the world. Its headquarters are in West Falls Church , unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Falls Church area.The company has...
F-111E-CF, 67-0116, c/n A1-161 / E-2, of the 3246th Test Wing, Armament Development and Test Center, one of two assigned to the base, crashes at Eglin AFB, FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, upon return from a test mission and burns. Crew, pilot Capt. Douglas A. Joyce, and Capt. Richard Mullane, deploy crew escape module safely and are uninjured. - 25 April 1977 - An F-4 Phantom IIF-4 Phantom IIThe McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
crashes on an Eglin AFB Range. A 20th Special Operations Squadron20th Special Operations SquadronThe 20th Special Operations Squadron is part of the 27th Special Operations Wing at Cannon AFB, New Mexico. It operates CV-22 Osprey aircraft in support of special operations.-Mission:...
UH-1N crew is diverted from a training mission over the Eglin Range to perform search and rescue duty for an F-4 crew. The Huey crew successfully located the downed crew and went in for the recovery as ordnance exploded from burning wreckage of the F-4 nearby. Staff Sergeant James T. Carter won the Cheney Award for his part in the rescue. - 13 August 1979 - A Sikorsky CH-3E of the 20th Special Operations Squadron20th Special Operations SquadronThe 20th Special Operations Squadron is part of the 27th Special Operations Wing at Cannon AFB, New Mexico. It operates CV-22 Osprey aircraft in support of special operations.-Mission:...
, Hurlburt FieldHurlburt FieldHurlburt Field is a U.S. Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the Town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation, and is home to Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command , the 1st Special Operations Wing , the...
, is forced to make an emergency landing in the Choctawhatchee BayChoctawhatchee BayChoctawhatchee Bay is a bay in the Emerald Coast region of the Florida Panhandle. The bay, located within Okaloosa and Walton counties, has a surface area of 129 mi2...
near Eglin AFB after an engine failure and fire. The aircraft is recovered safely and towed back to Eglin for repairs. The tow operation takes six hours.
1980s
- 29 October 1980 – A USAFUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
YMC-130HC-130 HerculesThe Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
, 74-1683, c/n 4658, outfitted with experimental JATOJATOJATO is an acronym for jet-fuel assisted take off. It is a system for helping overloaded aircraft into the air by providing additional thrust in the form of small rockets....
rocketRocketA rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
s for Operation Credible SportOperation Credible SportOperation Credible Sport was a joint project of the United States military in the second half of 1980 to prepare for a second rescue attempt of the hostages held in Iran using a Lockheed C-130 Hercules airlifter modified with rocket engines...
, a planned second attempt to rescue American hostages held by IranIran hostage crisisThe Iran hostage crisis was a diplomatic crisis between Iran and the United States where 52 Americans were held hostage for 444 days from November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981, after a group of Islamist students and militants took over the American Embassy in Tehran in support of the Iranian...
, is destroyed when the rockets misfire during a test landing at Wagner FieldWagner FieldWagner Field, Eglin Air Force Base Auxiliary Field #1, is a satellite airfield located northeast of the Main Base in Walton County, Florida. The site is notable as the training location for the Doolittle Raiders, and the test location for the Credible Sport YMC-130H STOL hostage rescue...
, Eglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 3 miles southwest of Valparaiso, Florida in Okaloosa County....
, Florida, USA. All crew members survive, but the rescue operation is deemed excessively risky and is cancelled. - 15 April 1981 - An Air ForceAir forceAn air force, also known in some countries as an air army, is in the broadest sense, the national military organization that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army, navy or...
pilot mistakenly shot down an F-4 Phantom IIF-4 Phantom IIThe McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
during a training mission over the Gulf of MexicoGulf of MexicoThe Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
. The two-man crew ejected from the burning F-4 and was rescued quickly. The jets were about 40 minutes into their flight. The Air Force blamed the mishap on inadequate briefing, a failure on behalf of the crews to follow procedures and the fact that the F-4 and the target plane looked similar. - 2 November 1981 – F-15A-14-MC EagleF-15 EagleThe McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
. 75-0051, c/n 0152/A131, of the 59th TFS, 33d TFW33d Fighter WingThe 33d Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command's Nineteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida where it is a tenant unit....
, based at Eglin AFB, crashes near Panama City, FloridaPanama City, Florida-Personal income:The median income for a household in the city was $31,572, and the median income for a family was $40,890. Males had a median income of $30,401 versus $21,431 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,830...
, after mid-air collision with F-15A-16-MC EagleF-15 EagleThe McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
, 76-0048, c/n 0231/A200, during night refuelling. Pilot killed. Second F-15 lands okay. An accident investigation report indicated that one jet slammed into the bottom of the other at an altitude of 20,000 feet. Maj. John Clifton Booker Jr., of the 33d Tactical Fighter Wing, was thought to have been killed instantly. The cockpit area of his F-15 took the brunt of the crash. His body was never found. A horizontal stabilizer and fuel-soaked insulation thought to have come from Booker's plane were the only wreckage recovered. - 11 March 1982 – A-10A Thunderbolt II, 73-1668, c/n A10-0005, of the Armament Development and Test Center, crashes on an Eglin range this date.
- 23 March 1982 - An Eglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 3 miles southwest of Valparaiso, Florida in Okaloosa County....
F-16B Block 5 Fighting Falcon, 78-0112, of the 4485th Test Squadron, crashed into a green at Rocky Bayou Country Club, near Niceville, FloridaNiceville, FloridaNiceville is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States, located close to Eglin Air Force Base. It originally began with the name Valparaiso, then to separate itself from the neighboring town took the unofficial name of Boggy. Upon incorporation as an official city, the name was changed to...
. The pilot had just finished a test bombing run over Eglin's Range 52 and lost power in the engine. The pilot was able to get the aircraft to an altitude of about 3,000 feet and a speed of between 285 mph and 345 mph before the engine gave out. The pilot, and a weapons officer decided to eject, expecting the F-16 to continue north and crash into a wooded area of the Eglin reservation. According to officer in charge of Eglin's safety office, the dual ejection caused the plane to roll to the right and slam into the golf course's sixth green, narrowly missing several homes. The two airmen landed on the 18th green and didn't suffer any major injuries. Air Force investigators were able to later watch the entire crash because a chase plane that had been photographing the test mission caught the crash on film. When F-16 experts recreated the accident they discovered a sequence of control switch moves that would restart an F-16 engine. The procedures were added to F-16 instruction manuals. - 13 July 1982 - One of two F-15C Eagles from Eglin's 33d Tactical Fighter Wing33d Fighter WingThe 33d Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command's Nineteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida where it is a tenant unit....
crashed into the Gulf of MexicoGulf of MexicoThe Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
about 90 miles south of Eglin. Midway through the first of three planned dogfights, the two jets appeared in danger of colliding. One pilot attempted an evasive maneuver called a "quarter plane," designed to keep a pilot from closing in on another too quickly. He pulled the throttles to idle and deployed the speed brake, and it was at that time he went into a spin from which he was unable to recover. The flight leader called for the pilot to eject, which he did at about 3500 feet. He was taken from the water by rescuers about an hour later. - 4 February 1983 – F-15A-16-MC EagleF-15 EagleThe McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
. 76-0081, c/n 0271/A233, of the 59th TFS, 33d TFW33d Fighter WingThe 33d Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command's Nineteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida where it is a tenant unit....
, based at Eglin AFB, goes into an unrecoverable roll ("autoroll"); crashes into the Gulf of MexicoGulf of MexicoThe Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
near Tyndall AFB, Florida, pilot ejects safely. - 16 December 1985 – F-15D-37-MC EagleF-15 EagleThe McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
, 84-0042, c/n 0909/D050, of the 3246th Test Wing, Armament Development and Test Center, Eglin AFB, crashes in the Gulf of MexicoGulf of MexicoThe Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
, 53 miles SE of Eglin. - 12 February 1986 – A USAF F-16A Block 5 Fighting FalconF-16 Fighting FalconThe General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force . Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since...
, 78-0055, c/n 61-51, flown by a pilot of the 3247th Test Squadron, disappears from Eglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 3 miles southwest of Valparaiso, Florida in Okaloosa County....
's radar tracking screens at 1230 hrs., crashing in the Gulf of MexicoGulf of MexicoThe Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
~30 miles S of Okaloosa IslandOkaloosa IslandOkaloosa Island is a regionally used term for a small section of larger Santa Rosa Island located in Okaloosa County, Florida. Okaloosa Island is home to hundreds of residential homes, high rise condominiums and major hotels and motels. The area is unincorporated and uses Fort Walton Beach as a...
. The body of the pilot, Capt. Lawrence E. Lee, 31, of Kokomo, IndianaKokomo, IndianaKokomo is a city in and the county seat of Howard County, Indiana, United States, Indiana's 13th largest city. It is the principal city of the Kokomo, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Howard and Tipton counties....
, is retrieved from the water by two rescue jumpers from a UH-60 Blackhawk at 1350 hrs., said Eglin public affairs officer Lt. Col. Bill Campbell. A parachute is found floating nearby. The pilot is thought to have drowned after ejecting from the fighter. "There were no radio transmissions ... nothing to indicate there were any problems," said Campbell. "We found no wreckage, so we can't be sure at this time what caused the crash. I don't know if we'll ever know for sure." HypothermiaHypothermiaHypothermia is a condition in which core temperature drops below the required temperature for normal metabolism and body functions which is defined as . Body temperature is usually maintained near a constant level of through biologic homeostasis or thermoregulation...
may have been a factor in the pilot's death. The Gulf's water temperature averaged between 55 and 58 degrees FahrenheitFahrenheitFahrenheit is the temperature scale proposed in 1724 by, and named after, the German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit . Within this scale, the freezing of water into ice is defined at 32 degrees, while the boiling point of water is defined to be 212 degrees...
on Wednesday. Lee was performing what was to have been the aircraft's last test flight before it was returned to the Tactical Air CommandTactical Air CommandTactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
. The F-16 had been modified for use in weapons tests by Eglin's Armament Division, then restored to its original condition. Campbell stated that he expects the Air Force will try to recover the wreckage to examine it for clues into the accident, although he acknowledged that such an crash "doesn't always leave much evidence." Lee is survived by his wife, Maj. Terri Lee, assigned to Eglin's 33rd Tactical Fighter Wing. - 14 January 1987 – A Learjet C-21A, 84-0121, c/n 35-567, from Detachment 4 of Eglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 3 miles southwest of Valparaiso, Florida in Okaloosa County....
's 1402nd Military Airlift Squadron crashed in a field 1.75 miles east of Montgomery, AlabamaMontgomery, AlabamaMontgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
's, Dannelly Field where it had been conducting touch-and-goes on an airport runway. The men killed in the crash were identified as Maj. Charles Edward Sullivan III, 42, of Alexandria, VirginiaAlexandria, VirginiaAlexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
, and 2nd Lt. Vincent Lowell Michael, 23, of San Antonio, TexasSan Antonio, TexasSan Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
. The lone survivor, 2nd. Lt. William Edward Kelley, 26, was pulled from the wreckage by a passer-by. The twin-engine jet, which had flown to Maxwell Air Force BaseMaxwell Air Force BaseMaxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force installation under the Air Education and Training Command . The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, US. It was named in honor of Second Lieutenant William C...
near Montgomery to pick up parts and was on its way back to Eglin when it crashed. - 14 July 1987 – An F-4E Phantom IIF-4 Phantom IIThe McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
assigned to Eglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 3 miles southwest of Valparaiso, Florida in Okaloosa County....
's Tactical Air Warfare Center (TAWC) crashed into the Gulf of MexicoGulf of MexicoThe Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
~five miles S of Destin, FloridaDestin, FloridaDestin is a city located in Okaloosa County, Florida. It is a principal city of the Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.Located on Florida's Emerald Coast, Destin is known for its white beaches and emerald green waters...
, about 1900 hrs. during a routine training mission. An exhaustive search of the area failed to turn up anything but bits of debris. The jet, accompanied by a second F-4 from Eglin, had been on its way home from Moody Air Force BaseMoody Air Force BaseMoody Air Force Base is a United States Air Force installation located in Lowndes County and Lanier County, about northeast of Valdosta, Georgia, United States.Moody Air Force Base is home to the 23d Wing...
near Valdosta, GeorgiaValdosta, GeorgiaValdosta is the county seat of Lowndes County, Georgia, United States. It is the principal city of the Valdosta Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of 54,518. The Valdosta metropolitan area, according to the 2010 estimate, has a population of 139,588...
. The second aircraft landed safely. A spokesperson for Eglin's Tactical Air Warfare Center announced that the Coast GuardCoast guardA coast guard or coastguard is a national organization responsible for various services at sea. However the term implies widely different responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to being a volunteer organization tasked with...
had actively suspended the search pending further developments on 16 July. Crewmembers were Maj. Thomas A. Perrot, 37, a pilot from Evergreen Park, Illinois, and Capt. Steven J. Puls, 30, a weapons systems operator from Willow Brook, Illinois. - 20 February 1989 – LockheedLockheed CorporationThe Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company. Lockheed was founded in 1912 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995.-Origins:...
C-141B Starlifter, 66-0150, c/n 300-6176, of the 63d Military Airlift Wing, Norton Air Force BaseNorton Air Force BaseNorton Air Force Base is a former front-line United States Air Force facility located east of downtown San Bernardino, California in San Bernardino County.-Overview:...
, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, crashes in stormy weather four miles N of Hurlburt FieldHurlburt FieldHurlburt Field is a U.S. Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the Town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation, and is home to Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command , the 1st Special Operations Wing , the...
, FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
while trying to land, killing seven crew and one military retiree. - 6 July 1989 – One of two F-15 EagleF-15 EagleThe McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
s of the 33d TFW33d Fighter WingThe 33d Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command's Nineteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida where it is a tenant unit....
, Eglin AFB, Florida, engaged in 2V2 (two versus two) aerial combat maneuvers with two F-16 Fighting FalconF-16 Fighting FalconThe General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force . Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since...
s of the Alabama Air National GuardAlabama Air National GuardThe Alabama Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Alabama. It is, along with the Alabama Army National Guard, an element of the Alabama National Guard...
, crashes at 1456 hrs. near Lamison, AlabamaLamison, AlabamaLamison is an unincorporated community in Wilcox County, Alabama. It is located on Alabama State Route 5.-Geography:Lamison is located at and has an elevation of ....
, a small community ~80 miles SW of MontgomeryMontgomery, AlabamaMontgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
, the pilot, Capt. Leo Moore of the 58th Tactical Fighter Squadron, ejecting safely. Moore, unhurt, is rescued less than an hour later, said Sandy Mau, a Selma Times-Journal reporter, by an Air National Guard helicopter vectored to him from Dannelly Field by the F-16 pilots who were flying close enough to Moore to pinpoint his location, said S/Sgt. Dave Beaulieu, 33d TFW spokesman. Tim Henderson, of nearby Millers FerryMillers Ferry, AlabamaMillers Ferry is an unincorporated community in Wilcox County, Alabama, United States. The Millers Ferry Lock and Dam is located near the community on the Alabama River.-Geography:Millers Ferry is located at and its elevation is .-Tornadoes:...
, said that he saw Moore's jet flying low across his pasture minutes before the crash. "It was flying maybe a little over the treetops, very low," Henderson said. "He wasn't flying very fast to be flying so low, and it kind of sounded like the engine was cutting out." The fighter impacted on a ridge in a rural, virtually inaccessible area and Air Force investigators were having difficulty reaching the site, said Mau. The F-15C-40-MCF-15 EagleThe McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
, 85-0109, c/n 0963/C351, was completely destroyed. "It just burned up," said Beaulieu. The two F-15s had departed from Eglin at ~1410 hrs. to rendezvous with the F-16s. Moore's fighter was carrying an inert infrared-guided SidewinderAIM-9 SidewinderThe AIM-9 Sidewinder is a heat-seeking, short-range, air-to-air missile carried mostly by fighter aircraft and recently, certain gunship helicopters. The missile entered service with United States Air Force in the early 1950s, and variants and upgrades remain in active service with many air forces...
, Beaulieu said. He didn't know how much training the airmen got in before the crash, which occurred ~120 miles NE of Eglin. The pilot underwent a medical check at Eglin regional Hospital and then was sent home, said Beaulieu. "He's fine. He's pretty shaken up, but doing well." - 19 Oct 1989 - A twin-engine Cessna 414A Chancellor, owned by the Eglin Aero Club, crashed at 10:17 a.m. about a mile north of a runway at Kelly Air Force BaseKelly Air Force BaseKelly Field Annex and is a former United States Air Force facility located in San Antonio, Texas. In 2001, the runway and land west of the runway became "Kelly Field Annex" and control of it was transferred to the adjacent Lackland Air Force Base, part of Joint Base San Antonio...
, near San Antonio, TexasSan Antonio, TexasSan Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
. Six people were returning to Eglin following an awards banquet at Kelly. The crash occurred about four minutes after the aircraft left the runway. It crashed in a vacant lot between two homes in a densely populated neighborhood. Without drawing any conclusions, a National Transportation Safety BoardNational Transportation Safety BoardThe National Transportation Safety Board is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine...
report pointed to engine problems: The right engine was found to have an 8-inch crack in an exhaust system weld,a steel-braided oil supply line linked to a propeller mechanism was worn from chaffing and had been improperly installed and another hose, which was properly installed, was also worn from chaffing. Both engines had been rebuilt in April 1985. - 28 December 1989 – F-15C-41-MC EagleF-15 EagleThe McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
. 86-0153, c/n 1000/C381 , of the 59th TFS, 33d TFW33d Fighter WingThe 33d Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command's Nineteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida where it is a tenant unit....
, based at Eglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 3 miles southwest of Valparaiso, Florida in Okaloosa County....
, Florida, crashed in the Gulf of MexicoGulf of MexicoThe Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
, 40 miles SE of Apalachicola, FloridaApalachicola, FloridaApalachicola is a city in Franklin County, Florida, on US 98 about southwest of Tallahassee. The population was 2,334 at the 2000 census. The 2005 census estimated the city's population at 2,340...
, pilot killed. The pilot was identified as Capt. Bartle M. Jackson, 31, Towson, MarylandTowson, MarylandTowson is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 55,197 at the 2010 census...
. At the time of the crash, Jackson and three other pilots - a second F-15 pilot from Eglin and two F-16 pilots from Moody Air Force BaseMoody Air Force BaseMoody Air Force Base is a United States Air Force installation located in Lowndes County and Lanier County, about northeast of Valdosta, Georgia, United States.Moody Air Force Base is home to the 23d Wing...
, Georgia, were taking part in a training mission the Air Force calls a 2v2 which pits two F-15s against two F-16s in a mock dogfight. It was not know whether the pilot had been able to bail out over the Gulf. Other pilots in the area had not seen a parachute.
1990s
- 6 Jul 1990 - A QF-106A drone aircraft, a modified F-106A Delta Dart, crashed into the Gulf of MexicoGulf of MexicoThe Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
. A civilian pilot was in control of the aircraft when it went down at 9:40 a.m., about 12 miles west of Tyndall Air Force BaseTyndall Air Force BaseTyndall Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base located east of Panama City, Florida. The base was named in honor of World War I pilot 1st Lt Frank Benjamin Tyndall...
. The drone was still "man-rated," it had not been stripped of its on-board controls, ejection seat or life-support system. The drone, flown out of Tyndall, was being tested by Weststar Corp. of Albuquerque, New MexicoAlbuquerque, New MexicoAlbuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
, as part of a development contract let by the Munitions Systems Division at Eglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 3 miles southwest of Valparaiso, Florida in Okaloosa County....
. An Eglin spokesman said that the pilot was in control of the aircraft and had deliberately flown back over the Gulf after he ran into trouble making a planned landing at Tyndall. The pilot was rescued by the crew of a local fishing boat. A report released by the Air Force Inspection and Safety Center at Norton Air Force Base, California, found no fault with the pilot, a retired Air Force major. Salvage crews recovered pieces of the plane's landing gear from 90 feet of water. Investigators and metallurgists determined that a cylinder had failed, causing a critical strut to break and bottom out. The pilot was helping train ground controllers to pilot drones by remote control. The controllers, in a van on the ground, were maneuvering the drone into touch-and-go landings on a Tyndall runway. After one such landing, which appeared normal, the report said that the drone's main landing gear crumpled. - 28 May 1991 – An MH-60G Pave HawkHH-60 Pave HawkThe Sikorsky MH-60G/HH-60G Pave Hawk is a twin turboshaft engine helicopter in service with the United States Air Force. It is a derivative of the UH-60 Black Hawk and incorporates the US Air Force PAVE electronic systems program...
based at Eglin AFB, Florida, crashes off AntiguaAntiguaAntigua , also known as Waladli, is an island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region, the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua means "ancient" in Spanish and was named by Christopher Columbus after an icon in Seville Cathedral, Santa Maria de la...
in the CaribbeanCaribbeanThe Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, injuring six of eight aboard, but no fatalities. Although initially reported to have been on a training mission, an accident report obtained by the Northwest Florida Daily NewsNorthwest Florida Daily NewsThe Northwest Florida Daily News is a daily newspaper published in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. It was founded in 1946 and is one of 65 newspapers owned by Freedom Communications...
, Fort Walton Beach, FloridaFort Walton Beach, FloridaFort Walton Beach is a city in southern Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. As of 2005, the population estimate for Fort Walton Beach was 19,992, and as of 2010, the population estimate for Fort Walton Beach is 19,507 recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau...
, in August, revealed that the crew was sightseeing, taking pictures over beachside hotels and harbors, when the accident occurred. - 13 July 1992 – F-15C-40-MC EagleF-15 EagleThe McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
. 85-0116, c/n 0972/C358, of the 60th Fighter Squadron60th Fighter SquadronThe 60th Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force squadron. It was last assigned to the 33d Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida...
, 33d Fighter Wing33d Fighter WingThe 33d Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command's Nineteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida where it is a tenant unit....
, based at Eglin AFB, crashes at 0900 hrs. in the Gulf of MexicoGulf of MexicoThe Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
, 90 miles S of Eglin. Capt. Darren S. Ruhnau, 27, of Niceville, FloridaNiceville, FloridaNiceville is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States, located close to Eglin Air Force Base. It originally began with the name Valparaiso, then to separate itself from the neighboring town took the unofficial name of Boggy. Upon incorporation as an official city, the name was changed to...
, assigned to the 60th Fighter Squadron, ejects safely. He and another F-15 had departed Eglin at 0835 hrs. for a training mission. "I'm just glad the ACES IIACES IIACES II is an ejection seat system manufactured by the Goodrich Corporation. ACES is an acronym for Advanced Concept Ejection Seat. It is used in the A-10, F-15, F-16, F-117A, B-1B, and B-2 aircraft....
ejection system worked as advertised," Ruhnau said in a statement, "and that the search-and-rescue guys were there to do the job." "He was picked up by an oil freighter," said Capt. Susan Brown, a spokeswoman for the 33rd, but the helicopter crew "couldn't get him off there. So they transferred him to a Coast Guard cutter, but they couldn't get him off there either. He was in such good shape, they dropped him back in the water, and picked him up from there." A U.S. Navy helicopter of HC-16 from the USS Forrestal, which is based in PensacolaPensacola, FloridaPensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
, plucked him from the Gulf at ~1000 hrs. and transported him to Eglin Regional Hospital where he was checked out and released at ~1330 hrs. Ruhnau has been flying F-15s since May 1989 and assigned at Eglin since September of that year. In an unrelated incident, another 33d Fighter Wing F-15 makes a rough landing, overshoots the runway at Eglin and comes to a stop in the grass. The pilot, assigned to the 59th Fighter Squadron, does not eject and is uninjured, the fighter sustains less than $10,000 damage, said Brown. The USS EdentonUSS EdentonUSS Edenton has been the name of three ships in the United States Navy., was a cargo ship that served from 1918 until 1919., a submarine chaser. was initially used by the Navy until 1997 when she was transferred to the Coast Guard and renamed USCGC Alex Haley ....
, a Navy salvage ship, arrived at the crash site on 30 July and began working 12-hour days searching for the wreckage of the F-15. A remote-control submarine was used because the wreckage was located at a depth of 1,400 feet. Yards of electronic wiring, battred electronic devices, pieces of carbon fiber from the fuselage and the ejection seat were located. - 13 July 1992 - At 0950 hrs. as an unidentified pilot from Eglin Air Force Base's 33d Fighter Wing33d Fighter WingThe 33d Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command's Nineteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida where it is a tenant unit....
brought his F-15F-15 EagleThe McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
in for a landing at Eglin, the jet went off the runway into the grass, causing less than $10,000 worth of damage. The incident was described as "very minor" and the pilot did not have to eject from the cockpit. - 20 July 1992 - An MV-22 OspreyV-22 OspreyThe Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is an American multi-mission, military, tiltrotor aircraft with both a vertical takeoff and landing , and short takeoff and landing capability...
prototype, BuNo 163914, c/n D0004, arriving from Eglin AFB, Florida, catches fire and falls into the Potomac RiverPotomac RiverThe Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
at MCAS Quantico, Virginia, USA, killing 5 crew members in front of an audience of high-ranking US government officials; this is the first of a series of fatal accidents involving the controversial tiltrotorTiltrotorA tiltrotor is an aircraft which uses a pair or more of powered rotors mounted on rotating shafts or nacelles at the end of a fixed wing for lift and propulsion, and combines the vertical lift capability of a helicopter with the speed and range of a conventional fixed-wing aircraft...
aircraft. This airframe had just completed four months of tests in the McKinley Climatic LaboratoryMcKinley Climatic LaboratoryThe McKinley Climatic Laboratory is a both an active laboratory and a historic site located in Building 440 on Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The laboratory is part of the 46th Test Wing. In addition to Air Force testing, it can be used by other US government agencies and private industry.On...
. A U.S. Navy Court of Inquiry (COI) concluded that the aircraft "experienced multiple emergencies upon entering the downwind" and that "the primary cause of the mishap was a flammable [sic] fluid leak which was ingested by the right engine." The report also said "There was tremendous pressure on [the pilot] to get the aircraft to Quantico at the proper time on Monday 20 July. The pressure was evident on Sunday afternoon in his mannerisms [to a coworker]. The scheduling of personnel also lent credence to the perceived pressure, since most Boeing personnel were scheduled to depart on the weekend with wives and families. In addition, there were banners at Marine Corps Headquarters announcing the arrival of the Osprey at Quantico at 1430 local time on 20 July." The aircraft left Eglin at 0955 and crashed at 1242. Minutes prior to launch from Eglin, one of the flight test mechanics said that the V-22 seemed "to be pushing a lot of hydraulic fluid out of the Number Two side." Auxiliary Power UnitAuxiliary power unitAn auxiliary power unit is a device on a vehicle that provides energy for functions other than propulsion. They are commonly found on large aircraft, as well as some large land vehicles.-Function:...
problems were also encountered on launch. A planned fuel stop at Charlotte, North Carolina, was also dropped by the pilot in his attempt to achieve Quantico on schedule. - 29 October 1992 - An MH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter assigned to Eglin's 55th Special Operations Squadron55th Special Operations SquadronThe 55th Special Operations Squadron most recently was part of the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida. It operated MH-60G Pave Hawk aircraft in support of special operations.-History:...
, carrying a crew of three and 10 passengers, crashed in the Great Salt LakeGreat Salt LakeThe Great Salt Lake, located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Utah, is the largest salt water lake in the western hemisphere, the fourth-largest terminal lake in the world. In an average year the lake covers an area of around , but the lake's size fluctuates substantially due to its...
in UtahUtahUtah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, killing 12 of the 13 people onboard. The helicopter, a participant in a joint Army-Air Force training exercise,was flying to a test range in the desert near Hill Air Force Base, Utah, when the accident occurred. It went down at 9:15 p.m. MST, slamming into the lake about 100 yards east of Antelope IslandAntelope IslandAntelope Island, with an area of , is the largest island of 10 islands located within the Great Salt Lake, Utah, United States. The island lies in the southeastern portion of the lake, near Salt Lake City and Davis County, and becomes a peninsula when the lake is at extremely low levels. Antelope...
. Sources said the helicopter broke into pieces and submerged on impact. Rescuers were hampered by the weather and the remoteness. There was one survivor. - 18 June 1996 - General Dynamics F-111AGeneral Dynamics F-111The General Dynamics F-111 "Aardvark" was a medium-range interdictor and tactical strike aircraft that also filled the roles of strategic bomber, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare in its various versions. Developed in the 1960s by General Dynamics, it first entered service in 1967 with the...
, 66-0047, converted to EF-111A Raven (EF-15). Used as testbed for System Improvement Program at Eglin AFB. Involved in some sort of accident this date with the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron85th Test and Evaluation SquadronThe 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron is part of the 53d Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. It conducts testing and evaluation for the F-15C, F-15E, and F-16CG/CJ airframes.-Mission:...
, written off and used as maintenance trainer and for aircraft battle damage repair training. Sat derelict at Cannon AFB, New Mexico in bad shape. Was sitting in a lot near the Mojave, CaliforniaMojave, CaliforniaMojave is a census-designated place in Kern County, California, United States. Mojave is located east of Bakersfield, at an elevation of 2762 feet...
airport. In 2011 was at Silver Springs, NevadaSilver Springs, NevadaSilver Springs is a census-designated place in Lyon County, Nevada, United States at the intersection of U.S. 50 and U.S. 95A. The population was 4,708 at the 2000 census. Lahontan Reservoir, Lahontan State Recreation Area and historic Fort Churchill State Historic Park are all located nearby...
airportSilver Springs AirportSilver Springs Airport is a public use airport located southwest of the central business district of Silver Springs, in Lyon County, Nevada, United States. It is owned by Lyon County and leased to Silver Springs Airport, LLC.Although most U.S...
, according to Joe BaugherJoe BaugherJoseph F. Baugher is a retired physicist, software engineer, and author, who has also written articles on aviation.He graduated from Gettysburg College in 1963 and studied physics under Philip J. Bray at Brown University, receiving a Ph.D...
. - 10 January 1997 – F-15C-39-MC EagleF-15 EagleThe McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
. 85-0099, c/n 0952/C341, of the 58th Fighter Squadron58th Fighter SquadronThe 58th Fighter Squadron is part of the 33d Fighter Wing, a joint graduate flying and maintenance training wing for the F-35A, B, and C, organized under Air Education and Training Command's 19th Air Force, at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida...
, 33d Fighter Wing33d Fighter WingThe 33d Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command's Nineteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida where it is a tenant unit....
, based at Eglin AFB, catches fire on take-off from Eglin. Pilot returns for an immediate landing and egresses safely on the ground. Aircraft completely destroyed by fire. This aircraft credited with MiG-25 kill by AIM-7M on 19 January 1991 during Operation Desert Storm while flown by Capt. Lawrence E. Pitts. - 22 August 1997 - The crew of an Eglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 3 miles southwest of Valparaiso, Florida in Okaloosa County....
F-16B Block 15L Fighting FalconF-16 Fighting FalconThe General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force . Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since...
, 82-1037, ejected over the Gulf of MexicoGulf of MexicoThe Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
after their jet apparently failed about seven miles south of Destin, FloridaDestin, FloridaDestin is a city located in Okaloosa County, Florida. It is a principal city of the Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.Located on Florida's Emerald Coast, Destin is known for its white beaches and emerald green waters...
. The airmen were rescued by the crew and passengers of Top Gun, a charter fishing boat out of Destin, who saw the crash. The airmen were members of the Eglin's Development Test Center's 39th Flight Test Squadron. The plane was returning to Eglin after flying as a chase plane in a mission with an Air Force F-15F-15 EagleThe McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
. Divers located the jet in 70 feet of water a week following the accident. A barge carried the wreckage to a hangar at Eglin where investigators hoped to find clues as to what caused the crash. Cause was failure of engine fourth stage at speeds past Mach. - 28 January 1999 – F-15C-30-MC EagleF-15 EagleThe McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
. 82-0020, c/n 834/C251, of the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron85th Test and Evaluation SquadronThe 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron is part of the 53d Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. It conducts testing and evaluation for the F-15C, F-15E, and F-16CG/CJ airframes.-Mission:...
, 53d Wing53d WingThe 53d Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.-Mission:The 53d Wing serves as the focal point for the Combat Air Forces in electronic warfare, armament and avionics, chemical defense, reconnaissance, and aircrew training devices...
, piloted by Joe "Corn" Hruska, has mid-air collision at 35,000 feet over the Gulf of MexicoGulf of MexicoThe Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
with F-15C-37-MC EagleF-15 EagleThe McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
. 84-0011, c/n 0920/C314, of the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron, 53rd Wing, 80 miles S of Eglin over Eglin water range during a 2 versus 3 Dissimilar Air Combat Training (DACT). Both pilots eject, pilot of 82–0020 slightly injured. Pilots rescued after 45 minutes in the water by MH-53, call sign "COWBOY 22", on instrument check-flight out of Hurlburt FieldHurlburt FieldHurlburt Field is a U.S. Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the Town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation, and is home to Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command , the 1st Special Operations Wing , the...
. - 5 November 1999 - An Eglin AFB security policeman, Airman Raymone Sydnor, of the 96th Security Forces Squadron, patrolling the flight line, drops his personal cell phone and while reaching down to retrieve it, drives his vehicle into an F-15C-28-MC EagleF-15 EagleThe McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
, 80-0024, of the 58th Fighter Squadron58th Fighter SquadronThe 58th Fighter Squadron is part of the 33d Fighter Wing, a joint graduate flying and maintenance training wing for the F-35A, B, and C, organized under Air Education and Training Command's 19th Air Force, at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida...
, 33d Fighter Wing33d Fighter WingThe 33d Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command's Nineteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida where it is a tenant unit....
, striking it from the rear and causing more than $62,000 in damage to the F-15's landing gear, according to an Air Force report released Wednesday. The report did not say how fast the car was going. The Chevrolet LuminaChevrolet LuminaThe North American Chevrolet Lumina sedan , coupe and minivan were first introduced in 1989 for the 1990 model year as a new range of vehicles from the Chevrolet brand of General Motors to replace the Chevrolet Camaro, Chevrolet Celebrity sedan, and the Monte Carlo coupe. The Lumina was an answer...
's roof and door had to be cut off to extract Sydnor, who suffered a concussion. He received an undisclosed punishment. As a result of the accident, the Air Force said, security personnel have been ordered to get out of their cars every half-hour for a 10-minute break "to combat boredom and oxygenate blood flow." Aircraft was repaired and returned to service with the 65th Aggressor Squadron65th Aggressor SquadronThe 65th Aggressor Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 57th Adversary Tactics Group and stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.-Overview:...
.
2000s
- 3 March 2001 - An Army National GuardArmy National GuardEstablished under Title 10 and Title 32 of the U.S. Code, the Army National Guard is part of the National Guard and is divided up into subordinate units stationed in each of the 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia operating under their respective governors...
Short C-23B+ Sherpa (Shorts 360Shorts 360The Short 360 is a commuter aircraft built by Short Brothers. The Short 360 seats up to 36-39 passengers and was introduced into service in 1981. It is a larger version of the Short 330.-Development:...
), 93-1336, of the Florida Army National GuardFlorida Army National GuardThe Florida Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization...
's Det. 1 H/171st AVN, based at Lakeland Linder Regional AirportLakeland Linder Regional AirportLakeland Linder Regional Airport is a public airport located four miles southwest of the central business district of Lakeland, a city in Polk County, Florida, United States...
, crashes during heavy rainstorm around 1100 hrs. in UnadillaUnadilla, GeorgiaUnadilla is a city in Dooly County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,772 at the 2000 census. The name is a native term for "gathering place."-History:The community was incorporated in 1891....
, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
in the United States. All 21 people on board are killed. Aircraft was en route from Hurlburt FieldHurlburt FieldHurlburt Field is a U.S. Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the Town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation, and is home to Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command , the 1st Special Operations Wing , the...
, FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
to NAS Oceana, VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
with Virginia Beach-based Virginia Air National GuardVirginia Air National GuardThe Virginia Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Virginia. It is, along with the Virginia Army National Guard, an element of the Virginia National Guard...
RED HORSERed HorseRed Horse may refer to:*Red Horse , an album and folk group formed by Eliza Gilkyson, John Gorka, and Lucy Kaplansky*The Red Horse, a novel by Eugenio Corti*Red Horse Beer, a beer brewed in the Philippines...
detachment on board who had been training at Hurlburt Field. - 30 April 2002 – An F-15C-27-MC EagleF-15 EagleThe McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
, 80-0022, c/n 0665/C171, of the 40th Flight Test Squadron40th Flight Test SquadronThe 40th Flight Test Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 46th Operations Group, based at Eglin AFB, Florida.-Lineage:...
, 46th Test Wing46th Test WingThe 46th Test Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The wing operates as tenant unit at Holloman AFB, NM.-Mission:...
, based at Eglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 3 miles southwest of Valparaiso, Florida in Okaloosa County....
, Florida, crashes in the Gulf of MexicoGulf of MexicoThe Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
~60 miles S of Panama City, FloridaPanama City, Florida-Personal income:The median income for a household in the city was $31,572, and the median income for a family was $40,890. Males had a median income of $30,401 versus $21,431 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,830...
, while on a captive flight development test of a new air-to-air missile, killing test pilot Maj. James A. Duricy, assigned to the 40th Test Squadron, 46th Test Wing. His body is never recovered. An Accident Investigation Board determines that the crash was caused by the structural failure of the honeycomb material supporting the leading edge of the port vertical stabilizer during a high-speed test dive. A section of the leading edge, approximately 6 X 3 feet, broke away. A static display F-15 formerly assigned to the 46th Test Wing, was dedicated to Major Duricy at Arnold Air Force BaseArnold Air Force BaseArnold Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Coffee and Franklin counties, Tennessee, adjacent to the city of Tullahoma. It is named for General Henry "Hap" Arnold, the father of the U.S. Air Force....
, Tennessee, on 9 August 2007. - 8 March 2003 - A T-38 TalonT-38 TalonThe Northrop T-38 Talon is a twin-engine supersonic jet trainer. It was the world's first supersonic trainer and is also the most produced. The T-38 remains in service as of 2011 in air forces throughout the world....
of the 7th Combat Training Squadron at Holloman AFB, N.M crashed on final approach to Eglin AFB in Valparaiso, FL. According to the Air Combat CommandAir Combat CommandAir Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....
accident investigation report, the cause of the mishap was the pilot's failure to adequately monitor his airspeed during the final approach to landing. On final approach to Eglin AFB, the flight leader directed the wingmanWingmanA wingman is a pilot who supports another in a potentially dangerous flying environment. Wingman was originally a term referring to the plane flying beside and slightly behind the lead plane in an aircraft formation....
, the mishap pilot, to slow to final approach airspeedAirspeedAirspeed is the speed of an aircraft relative to the air. Among the common conventions for qualifying airspeed are: indicated airspeed , calibrated airspeed , true airspeed , equivalent airspeed and density airspeed....
while he flew at a higher airspeed to obtain the required spacing between aircraft for landing. The mishap pilot then permitted his airspeed to decrease to the point that the aircraft stalled and crashed short of the runway. The pilot ejected from the aircraft and sustained minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed in the crash. Two houses were also substantially damaged. There were no injuries to anyone on the ground. - 7 September 2007 – A SikorskySikorsky AircraftThe Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation is an American aircraft manufacturer based in Stratford, Connecticut. Its parent company is United Technologies Corporation.-History:...
MH-53M Pave Low IVMH-53 Pave LowThe Sikorsky MH-53 Pave Low series is a long-range combat search and rescue helicopter for the United States Air Force. The series was upgraded from the HH-53B/C, variants of the Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion. The HH-53 "Super Jolly Green Giant" was initially developed to replace the HH-3 "Jolly...
, 69-05794, callsign Cowboy 21, of the 20th Special Operations Squadron20th Special Operations SquadronThe 20th Special Operations Squadron is part of the 27th Special Operations Wing at Cannon AFB, New Mexico. It operates CV-22 Osprey aircraft in support of special operations.-Mission:...
, 1st Special Operations Wing1st Special Operations WingThe 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida is one of two United States Air Force active duty Special Operations wings and falls under the Air Force Special Operations Command ....
, Hurlburt FieldHurlburt FieldHurlburt Field is a U.S. Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the Town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation, and is home to Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command , the 1st Special Operations Wing , the...
, crashes in the southeast portion of LZ X-ray, approximately 5 miles south of the town of Crestview, FloridaCrestview, FloridaCrestview is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. Crestview’s name was chosen because of its location on the peak of a long woodland range between the Yellow and Shoal rivers which flow almost parallel on the east and west side of the City....
, and approximately 4 miles west of Duke FieldDuke FieldDuke Field , also known as Eglin AFB Auxiliary Field #3, is a military airport located three miles south of the central business district of Crestview, in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States-Units:...
, Eglin Auxiliary Field 3, at 2349 hrs. when it suffers tail rotor gear box failure while in a hover. The helicopter was practicing a rescue extraction near a landing zone, an oval shaped clearing roughly 180 feet X 212 feet, surrounded by trees more than 90 feet tall, and had just been brought into a hover at 150 feet and was beginning to lower the rescue apparatus when the aircrew felt a shudder. Aircraft commander Lt. Col. Eugene Becker realizes that the tail rotor gears are failing, takes control of the aircraft and prepares to land. Once out of hover, it takes about 45 seconds to return to the LZ, and due to the confined space, Becker drops the chopper vertically but the shuddering worsens. "We knew something was very, very wrong," stated Becker. "all of the gear boxes were surging up and down and making quite a bit of racket." When the MH-53 is 20 feet above the ground Becker pushes what is left of the rotor's power to the maximum in order to cushion the landing. As soon as the Pave Low hits the ground, the tail rotor fails and the chopper starts spinning and rolls to port, but the sponson fuel tanks keep it from rolling over. Of the seven crew, only two are injured: Col. William Nelson, a flight surgeon from the Air Force Special Operations Command Surgeon General's Office, receives a head injury but walks away from the accident; MH-53 aerial gunner A1C Bradley Jordan suffers a leg fracture. Both men are released from hospital the following day. Lt. Col. Becker is awarded the Koren Kolligian Jr. trophy, one of the Air Force's top safety awards, in July 2008. According to the award nomination, a landing any more forceful could have been fatal to the crew. An accident investigation board determined the failure of the mounting nuts and studs that secured the intermediate gearbox to the tail pylon of the helicopter as the cause of the crash. The report, released 10 July 2008, said that the material failure of the nuts and studs allowed the intermediate gear box to become loose. The gears became loosely meshed, perhaps unengaged, as they pushed apart, and may have begun to slip in flight. This caused an abnormal oscillation in the speed of one or both engines, forcing the crew to make an emergency landing. The aircraft received approximately $8.6 million in damage. The accident investigation board was led by Col. Scott Greene, vice commander of the 623rd Air Operations Center at Hurlburt. The AIB is composed of helicopter systems experts, medial, legal and aircrew advisors. - 20 February 2008 – Two F-15C EaglesF-15 EagleThe McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
of the 58th Fighter Squadron58th Fighter SquadronThe 58th Fighter Squadron is part of the 33d Fighter Wing, a joint graduate flying and maintenance training wing for the F-35A, B, and C, organized under Air Education and Training Command's 19th Air Force, at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida...
, 33d Fighter Wing33d Fighter WingThe 33d Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command's Nineteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida where it is a tenant unit....
, Eglin AFB, Florida, collide over the Gulf of MexicoGulf of MexicoThe Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
~50 miles S of Tyndall AFB, Florida, killing 1st Lt. Ali Jivanjee. Capt. Tucker Hamilton ejected from the other fighter and survived. Airframes involved were F-15C-26-MC, 79-0075, c/n 0624/C144, and F-15C-32-MC, 81-0043, c/n 0793/C226. Both pilots ejected and one was rescued from the Gulf by the fishing boat Niña, owned by Bart Niquet of Lynn Haven, FloridaLynn Haven, FloridaLynn Haven is a city in Bay County, Florida, United States, north of Panama City. The population was 18,493 at the 2010 census. It has the smaller population of the two principal cities of the Panama City, Florida - Lynn Haven, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population...
, which was guided to the pilot by an HC-144A Ocean Sentry aircraft. A 1st SOW AC-130H and an CV-22 Osprey were also diverted to the scene to help search as were five Coast GuardCoast guardA coast guard or coastguard is a national organization responsible for various services at sea. However the term implies widely different responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to being a volunteer organization tasked with...
aircraft and two vessels. An HH-60J JayhawkHH-60 JayhawkThe Sikorsky HH-60J Jayhawk is a multi-mission, twin-engine, medium-range helicopter operated by the United States Coast Guard for search and rescue, law enforcement, military readiness and marine environmental protection missions...
from Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile lifted the pilot from the fishing boat and evacuated him to the Eglin Hospital. The second pilot was rescued from the Gulf by an HH-60J JayhawkHH-60 JayhawkThe Sikorsky HH-60J Jayhawk is a multi-mission, twin-engine, medium-range helicopter operated by the United States Coast Guard for search and rescue, law enforcement, military readiness and marine environmental protection missions...
from CGAS Clearwater and also taken to the Eglin Hospital. An accident investigation released 25 August 2008 found that the accident was the result of pilot error and not mechanical failure. Both pilots failed to clear their flight paths and anticipate their impending high-aspect, midair impact, according to Brig. Gen. Joseph Reynes, Jr., Air Combat Command's inspector general who led the investigation. This was the first crash involving an Eglin F-15 since a fatal crash on 30 April 2002. The USNS Grasp, out of Naval Amphibious Base Little CreekNaval Amphibious Base Little CreekThe Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek is the major operating base for the Amphibious Forces in the United States Navy's Atlantic Fleet. The base comprises four locations in three states, including almost 12,000 acres of real estate. Its Little Creek location in Virginia Beach, Virginia totals...
, Virginia, recovers one aircraft on 12 March from a depth of 177 feet, and the second on 22 March from a depth of 185 feet. More than half of each aircraft was salvaged including their engines, data collecting devices (flight recorders) and main computers. These items are vital to the Air Force's investigation to determine the cause of the crash. This turns out to be the last fatal accident involving 33d FW Eagles before the unit converts to the F-35 Lightning IIF-35 Lightning IIThe Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a family of single-seat, single-engine, fifth generation multirole fighters under development to perform ground attack, reconnaissance, and air defense missions with stealth capability...
training mission. - 8 July 2008 – Three Airmen of the 319th Special Operations Squadron319th Special Operations SquadronThe 319th Special Operations Squadron was first formed on August 9, 1944 as the 319th Troop Carrier Squadron and served in the China-Burma-India Theater during World War II...
, 1st Special Operations Wing1st Special Operations WingThe 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida is one of two United States Air Force active duty Special Operations wings and falls under the Air Force Special Operations Command ....
, avoid serious injury when the leased Pilatus PC-12Pilatus PC-12The Pilatus PC-12 is a single-engine turboprop passenger and cargo aircraft manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland. The main market for the aircraft is corporate transport and regional airliner operators.-Design and development:...
, 04-0602, N901TR, they are training in crashes at the end of the runway at Hurlburt FieldHurlburt FieldHurlburt Field is a U.S. Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the Town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation, and is home to Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command , the 1st Special Operations Wing , the...
, Florida, Eglin Auxiliary Field 9, at ~2330 hrs. as they attempt a landing. The initial investigation finds that the turboprop encountered wake turbulenceWake turbulenceWake turbulence is turbulence that forms behind an aircraft as it passes through the air. This turbulence includes various components, the most important of which are wing vorticies and jetwash. Jetwash refers simply to the rapidly moving gases expelled from a jet engine; it is extremely turbulent,...
from another aircraft that had landed shortly before the accident. As a precaution, the three crew were taken to the Eglin hospital and released the same afternoon. Hurlburt leases the PC-12 to train Airmen for the UC-28A, the Air Force's version of the single-engine utility aircraft, used in combat for intra-theatre support for the special operations forces. Damage to the plane was set at $3.8 million, making it a Class-A mishap. Onboard were civilian instructor pilot Robert M. Howard III, Capt. Peter McWilliam and Capt. Michael Ellis. As the plane approached Hurlburt’s runway at 2335 hrs. and about 100 feet high from the south, the aircraft suddenly rolled to the left. The single-engine, propeller-drive plane was beginning to turn upside down, when Howard stopped the roll. But before he could get the plane upright, the PC-12’s left wing struck the ground, sending the plane skidding 669 feet across a field before stopping on a paved overrun. The board concluded that Howard didn’t wait for the turbulence from the gunship to subside. As he tried to the land the PC-12, the 47-foot-long plane was caught by the AC-130U’s wake. Air Force rules require at least a two-minute separation between slow-moving heavy planes, like the AC-130U, and small, light planes, the investigation noted. The PC-12 trailed the gunship by about 40 seconds. The board also found that air traffic controllers had not issued any wake turbulence advisories even though Air Force rules required to them do so. The controllers told investigators they assumed that since both aircraft and crews were from Hurlburt, the crews were aware of potential turbulence dangers. The PC-12 that crashed had been used as a trainer and leased by the Sierra Nevada Corp., for the Air Force’s use. Versions of the PC-12 flown on operational missions are owned by the Air Force and designated as UC-28s. - 9 February 2009 – A leased Pilatus UC-28A, 06–0692, with three personnel of the 319th Special Operations Squadron319th Special Operations SquadronThe 319th Special Operations Squadron was first formed on August 9, 1944 as the 319th Troop Carrier Squadron and served in the China-Burma-India Theater during World War II...
, 1st Special Operations Wing1st Special Operations WingThe 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida is one of two United States Air Force active duty Special Operations wings and falls under the Air Force Special Operations Command ....
on board, based at Hurlburt FieldHurlburt FieldHurlburt Field is a U.S. Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the Town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation, and is home to Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command , the 1st Special Operations Wing , the...
, Florida, makes a gear-up landing at Craig Field (Alabama)Craig Field (Alabama)Craig Field is a public-use airport located four nautical miles southeast of the central business district of Selma, a city in Dallas County, Alabama, United States. The airport is owned by Craig Field Airport & Industrial Authority...
at Selma, AlabamaSelma, AlabamaSelma is a city in and the county seat of Dallas County, Alabama, United States, located on the banks of the Alabama River. The population was 20,512 at the 2000 census....
(formerly Craig Air Force BaseCraig Air Force BaseCraig Air Force Base near Selma, Alabama, was a U.S. Air Force Undergraduate Pilot Training base that closed in 1977. As an active air force base, Craig had two parallel runways, a large aircraft parking ramp and several large maintenance hangars....
), whilst performing simulated engine failure approach, breaking off nosewheel and causing severe damage to nosewheel strut assembly, propeller and main undercarriage doors. A board of officers will investigate the 1415 hrs. incident in which there were no injuries. This accident has been classified as a Class A accident, indicating that fairly substantial damage was incurred. Aircraft repaired and reported flying again by 29 April 2009.
2010s
- 23 June 2011 - Two civilians are killed in the 0430 hrs. crash of a Beechcraft C24R SierraBeechcraft MusketeerThe Beechcraft Musketeer is a family of single-engine, low-wing, light aircraft that was produced by Beechcraft. The line includes the Model 19 Musketeer Sport, the Model 23 Musketeer, Custom and Sundowner, the Model 23-24 Musketeer Super III the retractable gear Model 24-R Sierra and the military...
, N38029, c/n MC-746, belonging to the Eglin Aero Club, on a grassy area next to the 46th Test Wing's side of the runway at Eglin Air Force Base. The four-seat cabin aircraft had been airborne for about 30 minutes prior to the accident, said Col. Michael T. Brewer, commander of the 46th Test Wing, during a press conference Thursday at the Aero Club. Passengers on the earliest flights at Northwest Florida Regional Airport experienced about a 15-minute delay Thursday morning because of the crash, said Bill Potter, the operations manager for the airport. The victims were identified as David A. Miles, of ShalimarShalimar, FloridaShalimar is a town in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. The population was 718 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 738...
and Thomas E. Lewis, of ApalachicolaApalachicola, FloridaApalachicola is a city in Franklin County, Florida, on US 98 about southwest of Tallahassee. The population was 2,334 at the 2000 census. The 2005 census estimated the city's population at 2,340...
, according to a press release from Eglin Air Force Base. Exactly who was in control of the plane at the time of the crash remains under investigation, but Miles was acting as a pilot instructor for Lewis during the training exercises this morning, said Andy Bourland, the director of Eglin's public affairs division. Miles was a retired colonel in the Air Force.