ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 137312
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| Date: | Thursday 17 September 1992 |
| Time: | 16:20 |
| Type: |  General Dynamics F-111E |
| Owner/operator: | 55th TFS, 20th TFS USAF |
| Registration: | 68-0052 |
| MSN: | A1-221/E-62 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | 1/2 mile from RAF Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire (UHF/EGUA) |
| RAF Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire (UHF/EGUA) | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Crashed and destroyed 17 September 1992. Crashed on landing RAF Upper Heyford Runway 09. Unsuccessful ejection attempted after ground impact 1720 feet short of the threshold of runway 09. The module had been damaged in the initial ground impact, and subsequently did not achieve sufficient altitude to permit proper parachute deployment. Crew: Captain Jerry C. Lindh and Major D. Michael McGuire did not survive. According to an eyewitness report:
"I was there-- we were having my going-away luncheon at the Three Horseshoes when the planes were coming in that day. Being a communicator, I'm not up to speed on all of the aviator terms, but I'll do my best to describe what I witnessed that afternoon.
The pub, which you know sits at the west end of Camp Road, is within rock-throwing distance of the runway, though we preferred to throw rocks at the peace campers. A few of us were outside and away from the main group recounting my "war" stories when the planes were coming in for the day.
It was a typical day in the armpit of USAFE. A couple of pints, rattled teeth, and an F111 enhanced hangover headache. At least until the last plane came in on approach-- my supervisor remarked, "that doesn't sound healthy!"
Our attention was focused a little north of the village proper (Upper Heyford) on the plane coming in about 200 feet off of the ground. The jet was making a horrible sputtering noise and looked to barely be in control-- I can only describe it as a wobbly wing-flapping with the wing tips alternatively going +/- 25-30 degrees with the right wing dipping furthest.
Just after clearing the road that skirts the village (Somerset Road, I think), and about 100 feet in the air, the plane rolled almost 150 degrees to the right going almost fully inverted. There was a small explosion less than 2 seconds before the plane went in just over the perimeter fence and impacted in a field just south of the runway. It appeared to us that the crew ejection capsule had shot straight into the ground.
We were later told by a friend in the RAPCON that the pilot reported a total hydraulic failure during the approach pattern. Upon their capsule's impact; one of the men died on impact, the other died a few hours later in the base hospital.
Then A1C Darren Bahr, 2168th CS, RAF Upper Heyford
10 Oct 90 - 12 Oct 92"
Sources:
1. http://web.archive.org/web/20170921070650/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk:80/Aircraft_by_Type/F_111/F-111.htm
2. http://htka.hu/static/cikkek/F-111/acftdata.pdf
3. http://www.f-111.net/t_no_E.htm
4. http://www.raf-upper-heyford.org/Mishaps/Mishap_Report_68-052.jpg
5. http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/9925479.Villagers_to_honour_US_pilots_who_died_steering_stricken_plane_away_from_homes/
6. https://www.pprune.org/aviation-history-nostalgia/309673-f-111-loss-upper-heyford-1992-a.html
7. http://web.archive.org/web/20130224001419/http://www.501csw.usafe.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123318371
8. http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/9925479.Villagers_to_honour_US_pilots_who_died_steering_stricken_plane_away_from_homes/
Images:
RAF Upper Heyford (EGUA). Oxfordshire, UK - 19th June 1971
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 07-Jul-2011 11:19 | Anon. | Added |
| 08-Jul-2011 04:47 | Anon. | Updated [Aircraft type] |
| 11-Oct-2012 14:27 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Cn, Operator, Other fatalities, Location, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 21-Jan-2013 10:14 | TB | Updated [Operator, Narrative] |
| 03-Feb-2013 13:28 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Operator, Embed code] |
| 04-Feb-2013 15:56 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 15-Nov-2014 00:15 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Embed code] |
| 05-May-2016 14:29 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 14-Mar-2018 21:37 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source] |
| 13-Nov-2019 14:04 | Anon. | Updated [Narrative] |
| 03-Aug-2020 12:45 | Peter Clarke | Updated [Photo] |
| 09-Jul-2023 22:02 | Nepa | Updated [[Photo]] |
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