Date:	Friday 16 October 1964
Time:	day
Type:	McDonnell Douglas F-4B Phantom II
Owner/operator:	VF-101, US Navy
Registration:	148261
MSN:	33
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	NAS Key West, Boca Chica Key, 4 miles east of Key West, Florida -   United States of America
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	NAS Key West, Florida (NQX/KNQX)
Destination airport:	NAS Key West, Florida (NQX/KNQX)
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
McDonnell Douglas F-4B Phantom II Bu No 148261/'AD-108'. First flown December 14 1960. Delivered to the US Navy March 22 1961. Written off (damaged beyond repair) October 16 1964 at NAS Key West, Florida, USA, while with VF 101, Nose gear collapsed during landing, aircraft caught fire. Both crew did not eject, and survived with minor injuries

Damaged airframe restored to static display standards, and preserved at NAS Oceana, Virginia, USA; seen since September 1983, over the years wearing different serials and markings. Was falsely serialled as 152310 with VF-171 markings between 1983 and 1985. In Oct 1989, the correct serial was given back. Since 1990 was wearing VF-41 markings with fake serial 2689/101. In 2002 it showed a different scheme on each side.

1. http://forgottenjets.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/F-4.html
2. http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_serials/thirdseries18.html
3. https://web.archive.org/web/20171115212455/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk:80/Aircraft_by_Type/F-4_PHANTOM_USA/f4_phantom_US_1959-1965.htm
4. https://aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=5925

A U.S. Navy Douglas A3D-2 Skywarrior (BuNo 142650) from Heavy Attack Squadron VAH-9 Hoot Owls refueling a McDonnell F4H-1F Phantom II (BuNo 148261) from Fighter Squadron VF-101 Det. A Grim Reapers during the "Project LANA Bendix Trophy Race" in 1961. To cap off the Phantom´s successful speed and altitude efforts, the U.S. Navy initiated "Project LANA", a transcontinental flight by five F4H-1F (after 1962 F-4A). The Roman letter "L" means "50", "ANA" stood for the "(50th) Anniversary of Naval Aviation". Refueling problems of BuNo 148261 handed the Bendix Trophy Race contest on 24 May 1961 to the F4H-1F BuNo 148270, which flew from Ontario, California (USA), to Floyd Bennett Field, New York (USA), at an average of speed of 1399.66 kph.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
23-Jun-2022 23:07	Dr. John Smith	Added