Tom

Another unusual true story.

I was in a F-94C Squadron and we launched a bird with just the pilot
(no RO) in it as a target for radar intercept practice.

During the flight the bird had a mid air with a F-80 over Sacramento
that had just come out of overhaul and was on its test flight. F-80
lost 3-4 feet of wing and tip tank and pilot landed safely.

Radar which was running the training intercepts, called us in Ops and
said that they had lost radio contact with our aircraft and it had
started squawking emergency. They later advised us there had been a
mid air.

We went out on the elevated porch where we could observe the R/W and
listen to the Radar Site radio. They tracked our bird returning to
Hamilton AFB and we finally saw it way out on a straight in approach.
Landed close to end or R/W (thought he was going to be short and in
the Bay) and as it went by us could see the tail flexing up and down
3-4 feet.

Jumped in our line transportation and went out to bird which stopped
on R/W. When we got there we saw the whole afterburner unit was
missing along with the bottom 2/3 of the fuselage from tail to engine
and tail was sagging down 15-20 inches due to weight of tail.. You
could walk under the tail and right up to the turbine wheel which only
had a 3 inch flange behind it where the A/B fastened on. Not much
thrust with no tail pipe or A/B assembly.

Debriefing the Pilot, he said that he had full throttle and full up
elevator and bird sank down to about 1200 feet (from 20K) where he
could hold altitude and where he flew thru a pass in the hills west of
Travis AFB and back to field. On approach he controlled his altitude
with the throttle as he was holding full up elevator (and tail was
flexing down).

We ordered a new tail and A/B and checked bird and it was flying
again if a few weeks.

We always said that by the Grace of God and a few rivets from Lockheed
he survived. One lucky son of a bitch.

Big John


Regarding the mid air. It was day VFR (see and be seen) and Radar was
mission tasked to provide clearance between the Air Defense Birds and
all other traffic so both pilots and Radar had to eat their share of
blame.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~

On Sun, 02 May 2004 17:50:01 GMT, "Thomas J. Paladino Jr."
wrote:


"Pepperoni" wrote in message
...
Photos and story he
http://www.f-16.net/library/stories/midair.html

I love that story! Very inspirational.

It really shows what a good pilot can do even in the most difficult
situations.



"EDR" wrote in message
...
The History Channel had a program on the F-15 last night
(Friday,040430).
Included was an interview with the Israeli pilot and footage of the
aircraft inbound, on approach and landing.
No other word for it, ... just incredible!