The F-86 was doing a solo low pass @ 200AGL & 400kts. Airshow pyro blew the
very big bomb immediately in front of him. The 86 went through the fireball.
Upon exiting the fireball, show boss called the pilot to say parts were falling
off. The pilot pulled up while in the fireball and upon exiting the engine
flamed out. All annunciator lights were on and he was about to eject, when the
engine restarted suddenly. He diverted to the Pratt & Whitney test airport,
where the F-16 for the demo launched to give him a damage report and to guide
him in if needed. The F-16 saw the nose gear door missing, the nose gear
hanging, hydraulic fluid streaming from the nose gear bay, the main gear doors
missing and a large one foot diameter hole punched in the side of the fuselage
one the left side below the pilot seat. The F-16 guided the 86 in to an
uneventful landing. He stopped using accumulator pressure for the brakes and
used 4000' rollout.
VL