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Date: | Friday 23 April 1971 |
Time: | |
Type: | General Dynamics F-111E |
Owner/operator: | United States Air Force (USAF) |
Registration: | 67-0117 |
MSN: | A1-162/E-3 |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Location: | Mojave Desert 12 miles S of Death Valley National Monument, CA -
United States of America
|
Phase: | En route |
Nature: | Military |
Departure airport: | Edwards AFB, CA (EDW/KEDW) |
Destination airport: | |
Confidence Rating: | Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Narrative:Destroyed on test flight out of Edwards AFB, CA. Crashed into a rocky area of Mojave Desert 12 miles South of Death Valley, National Monument, Califronia. Cause of accident described as "aircraft departed controlled flight during a gun firing flight test wind up turn".
Major James W. Hurt III (pilot) and Major Robert J. Furman (WSO) were killed. They were both found still inside the escape capsule
Aircraft experienced trouble at 6,000 feet. This was the 18th crash of the type since entering service and the second fatal accident of 1971 when the module chute failed to properly deploy. All F-111s were grounded on Thursday April 30, 1971 after it was determined that the recovery chute compartment door failed to separate making crew escape impossible. This was the sixth grounding order for the F-111 since it entered operation. Grounding order lifted June 8, 1971 during which time the panel that failed in this accident was replaced.
Sources:
Redlands, California: "Air crash under probe", United Press International, Redlands Daily Facts, Monday 26 April 1971, page 1, column 3.
http://www.f-111.net/t_no_E.htm http://web.archive.org/web/20170921070650/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk:80/Aircraft_by_Type/F_111/F-111.htm https://airforce.togetherweserved.com/usaf/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=PersonAircraftExt&ID=61871 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_accidents_and_incidents_involving_military_aircraft_(1960%E2%80%931974)#1971
Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
28-Jan-2013 13:53 |
Dr. John Smith |
Added |
20-Apr-2015 15:29 |
TB |
Updated [Operator, Location, Source, Narrative] |
15-Feb-2016 21:26 |
Dr.John Smith |
Updated [Location, Departure airport, Narrative] |