cornfield bomber...only in america

[dunlopdangler]

I thought I'd pass this interesting bit on about a Fighter jet in cornfield...1970, while assigned to the 21st FIS at MalmstromAFB, Montana,

 

its pilot ejected during an in-flight emergency.

 

The pilot somehow got himself into a flat spin -- considered generallyunrecoverable in an F-106 and he did what the flight handbook said to do --get out of it, i.e., eject.

 

After the pilot did just that, 58-0787 recovered itself from this "unrecoverable" situation. In a vain attempt to break the spin, the pilothad lowered half flaps, rolled in takeoff trim, and throttled the engineback to an approach power setting.

 

After the ejection, the aircraft recovered from the spin on its own, andestablished a wings level low rate descent under reduced power to theground. Ground effect broke its rate of descent, and it settled into anear-perfect gentle belly landing in a farmer's snow-covered cornfield.

 

When the local sheriff came upon the scene, the engine was still running.The aircraft was situated on a slight incline, and was creeping forwardslowly under the thrust of its still-running engine, as the snow compressedto ice under it. Concerned about where it might be headed, the sheriffdidn't think he could wait for the recovery team to get there from Malstromwhich was about 50 miles away; so he got himself connected to the aircraft'ssquadron for engine shut down instructions before he entered the cockpit tosecure the engine.

 

The attached photos show pretty much what the sheriff beheld on that fatefulday. A depot team from McClellan AFB recovered the aircraft and it waseventually returned to service. When the 71st FIS was disbanded in 1971,58-0787, now famously known as the "Cornfield Bomber?, was transferred tothe 49th FIS, where it finished out its operational service life.

 

Pilots of the 49th FIS would occasionally run into ex-71st FIS guys at William Tell and rag them unmercifully about the "emergency" so dire that the plane landed itself.

 

58-0787 is now on permanent display in its 49th FIS markings at the USAF Museum at Wright Patterson AFB , where its story is told in the exhibit.

 

While the 49th FIS Eagle jocks are reportedly glad to see their squadron immortalized in this way for millions to see, they would prefer to see it made more clear that it was the 71st, and not one of theirs, who jumped outof this perfectly good aircraft.

 

This Is Further indication that the Air Force has a perfect record....

 

They Have Never Left One Up There.:big_grin:

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

That's a pretty interesting story DD, and certainly a different end to most of them. I can see it happening with the aircraft set up properly, and with the delta wing and all..With the weight of the seat and pilot gone it would have been flying a little nose high I would imagine ................................................................maj...

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Amazing! I always assumed military jets stayed up there due to brute force. Perhaps there is some finesse in the way they fly.

 

A similar case:

 

http://www.faa.gov/pilots/safety/pilotsafetybrochures/media/CObroforweb.pdf

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

A Delta wing really doesn't stall as such. They set up a high AOA and a steady rate of descent. I would imagine this aircraft descended to the ground in that state, and just slid in gently on it's belly....amazing that the aircraft was returned to service !!......................Maj

 

 

[dunlopdangler]

Amazing! I always assumed military jets stayed up there due to brute force. Perhaps there is some finesse in the way they fly.A similar case:

 

http://www.faa.gov/pilots/safety/pilotsafetybrochures/media/CObroforweb.pdf

Thanks for posting this link O.K. as I reckon it is quite a timely thing to remind us all of this danger. As recreational flyers get the nod to fly up to 10,000ft, and we are approaching that cold time of the year, we should be all reminded of the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning from poorly maintained/faulty heating systems and also hypoxaemia.

 

For those that pursue the habit of smoking, hypoxia can start having an affect on the body as low as 6,000ft depending on the individual. There was a case (again in America) where a well known (heavy smoking) actor who was flying his twin ended up making an emergency landing on a highway.

 

This topic probably deserves a thread of its own..

 

 

[dazza 38]

Thanks for posting this link O.K. as I reckon it is quite a timely thing to remind us all of this danger. As recreational flyers get the nod to fly up to 10,000ft, and we are approaching that cold time of the year, we should be all reminded of the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning from poorly maintained/faulty heating systems and also hypoxaemia. For those that pursue the habit of smoking, hypoxia can start having an affect on the body as low as 6,000ft depending on the individual. There was a case (again in America) where a well known (heavy smoking) actor who was flying his twin ended up making an emergency landing on a highway.

This topic probably deserves a thread of its own..

He was a Two pack a day man.