Thunderbird accidents

wrote:

I am looking for information on the following Thunderbird accidents. Any
information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

F-100D breakup at Laughlin AFB in 1967

Pilot: Capt. Merrill McPeak
Problem: Wings came off during high-G pullup.
Pilot ejected safely.

(McPeak became Chief of Staff of the USAF in 1990, a position he held
until his retirement in 1994.)

Accident a Hill AFB in May (?) 1981

The only 1981 accident I can find is September 8, 1981 in Cleveland.
Post-show, flight leader Col. D.L. Smith was killed when his T-38
ingested several birds on takeoff. He and his crew chief ejected, but
his parachute did not open. (The crew chief survived.)

There was an F-16 crash at Hill AFB in August of '81, but the
Thunderbirds weren't yet flying F-16s.

Diamond crash at Indian Springs in 1982

What's to say? It was determined that the leader's (Maj. Norm Lowry)
aircraft sustained a mechanical malfunction that caused it to crash
(failure to pull up after completing a loop), and the three other
members of the diamond (Capt. Willie Mays, Capt. Joseph "Pete" Peterson,
and Capt. Mark Melancon), being focused on the leader, followed him in.
I seem to recall that there might have been a loose bolt in Major
Lowry's stick that had caused the stick to jam at just the wrong time.

At any rate, that was the end of the Thunderbirds flying T-38s - they
transitioned to F-16s for the 1983 season.

-Marc

--
Marc Reeve
actual email address after removal of 4s & spaces is
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