Last updated: 20 January 2021
| Status: | Final |
| Date: | Tuesday 16 April 1968 |
| Time: | 09:00 |
| Type: |  Fairchild C-123K Provider |
| Operator: | United States Air Force - USAF |
| Registration: | 54-602 |
| C/n / msn: | 20051 |
| First flight: | |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Damaged beyond repair |
| Location: | 46 km (28.8 mls) NW of Panama City, FL ( United States of America)
|
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Hurlburt Field, FL (KHRT), United States of America |
| Hurlburt Field, FL (KHRT), United States of America |
On 16 April 1968, 08:00 CST, C-123K, sn 54-0602 (Call sign MOOSE 09) departed Hurlburt Field, FL, as lead aircraft in a flight of three C-123's. The assigned mission was a routine SEA serial spray training flight. The formation proceeded to a point 25 nm northwest of Panama City, Florida (the designated spray training area), arriving there at 08:35 CST.
At this time a series of simulated defoliation runs were conducted over an open field. At approximately 08:50 CST Aircraft 54-0602 assumed the number three position in a right echelon formation for practice defoliation runs along a series of roads. At the completion of the first run the lead aircraft gave a command to place the aircraft in a "piggy back" formation, then climbed from 150 feet AGL to approximately 300 feet AGL and executed a 270 degree turn to the right. While in this turn the Number Three aircraft contacted the ground in a left wing low position, cartwheeled, immediately caught fire and was destroyed. The instructor pilot, two student pilots, and the flight engineer sustained fatal injuries.
Sources:
» USAF accident/incident report dated 8 May 1968» E-mail Kevin Woolterton 14-3-2008
» St. Petersburg Times 17 April 1968, p2A
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