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Narrative: Written off 29 January1997 when crashed on the Barry M. Goldwater range near Gila Bend, Arizona. The pilot, Captain Robert Churchill, ejected safely.
Per the following extract from the summary of the official USAF report into the incident:
"On 29 January 1997, an upgrading pilot (ORCA 2), his instructor pilot (ORCA 1A), and a Quality Air Force Assessment (QAFA) observer (ORCA 1 B) were scheduled for a two ship Surface Attack Tactics (SAT) mission for the upgrading pilot. ORCA 1B was observing a typical student training sortie in conjunction with an ongoing QAFA.
Their call sign was ORCA 1, and their mission was to take off from Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, and fly a low level route (VR-241) to the East Tactical (TAC) Range of the Barry M. Goldwater Range complex, which is located approximately 50 miles south-west of Phoenix, Arizona.
Ground operations, take off, and low level ingress to the target area were uneventful. While egressing the target area after the planned attack, ORCA 2 felt a thump and experienced heavy aircraft vibrations and subsequent engine failure. ORCA 2 initiated a climbing turn toward the nearest emergency airfield and attempted an unsuccessful air start.
ORCA 2 then initiated a controlled ejection and landed safely via parachute. The aircraft impacted the ground on government property approximately 2.5 miles southeast of Gila Bend AFAF, Az at Coordinates 32 degrees 50.0 minutes north, 112 degrees 42.4 minutes west), on 29 Jan 97, 1510:45 MST, at 180 Knots IAS, in a right bank, with a shallow descent. No structures were nearby and there was no private property damaged. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact."