ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 254891
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| Date: | Tuesday 24 August 1976 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: |  McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II |
| Owner/operator: | 494th TFS, 48th TFW, USAF |
| Registration: | 66-7480 |
| MSN: | 1989 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Thetford Forest, near Brandon, Breckland, Suffolk -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Lakenheath, Brandon, Suffolk (EGUL) |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II, 66-7480, 494th TFS, 48th TFW, USAF: Crashed in Thetford Forest near Brandon, Suffolk, UK on 24 August 1976, shortly after takeoff from RAF Lakenheath. The pilot is listed as Capt. M. Krenek, USAF. Aircraft took off from runway 06, crossed road, flew over an ice cream van and its attendant queue! Then the crew punched out and drifted to land on a nearby golf course. The jet crashed down the forest track beloved of photographers near some houses. The fire was "enhanced" due to the long hot summer of 1976 causing a drought, and leaving the forest "tinder dry". According to eyewitness reports (see link #5):
"Crashed into Thetford Forest on take-off from Lakenheath 24 August, 1976. I was on Swing Shift at that time and I remember seeing the black smoke at the end of the runway when I got to work. If I would have shown up half an hour early, perhaps I would have seen it crash, (both crew ejected safely). They laid all of the broken / burned parts out in Hanger 6 for the accident investigation, and attempted to reassemble the pieces as much as possible. Seems like it sat there for a long time"
Also, according to another eyewitness:
"I was a slick sleeve straight out of tech school and had been at Lakenheath about a month. Was driving around the end of the runway but had to stop for aircraft landing and taking off. I watched the whole thing from the end of the runway burners light up, aircraft started takeoff roll, nose came up, gear up everything was looking great. Then the canopies came off seats ejected chutes opened the jet rolled over hit the ground and exploded. I was totally shocked by what I just saw. Put a whole new light on my new job in the air force".
Sources:
1. Scramble US CRASHES 1950-2002: https://www.scramble.nl/database/accident#results
2. http://thephantomshrine.co.uk/Databases/f4-serials.txt
3. http://www.forgottenjets.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/F-4USAF.html
4. F-4 Phantom 66-7480 at Lakenheath in 1975: https://www.airhistory.net/photo/291086/66-7480/AF66-480
5. https://www.fightercontrol.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=149195
6. http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1966.html
7. https://www.flickr.com/photos/88160313@N03/12076972126
8. https://www.flickr.com/photos/88160313@N03/12095157596/in/photolist-jqNQXW-jpcD4m-2natrZS
9. https://www.flickr.com/photos/88160313@N03/51959388616/in/photolist-jqNQXW-jpcD4m-2natrZS/
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandon,_Suffolk
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 30-Apr-2021 11:15 | ASN archive | Added |
| 22-Mar-2022 19:42 | globie54321 | Updated [Location, Country, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 08-Jun-2022 17:58 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category] |
| 08-Jun-2022 18:00 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 11-Jun-2022 21:40 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative, Category] |
| 11-Jun-2022 21:41 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Category] |
| 11-Jun-2022 21:43 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location, Source] |
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