ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 256878
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| Date: | Tuesday 7 June 1955 |
| Time: | 20:30 UTC |
| Type: |  North American F-86A Sabre |
| Owner/operator: | U.S. Air Force (USAF) |
| Registration: | 48-162 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Near Luray, VA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | New York City, New York |
| Salt Lake City, Utah | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Little or no information is available |
While en route to Salt Lake City, Utah from New York City, New York, 2nd Lieutenant Seth Michael Oberg, Jr., piloting his F-86A Sabre was forced to execute an emergency landing. At an altitude of 38,000 feet, Oberg's fuel supply began to run low. Realizing his only option was an emergency landing, Oberg put his jet down in an open field approximately one mile East of Luray, Virginia near the Luray Motel located on US Route 211. With a thunderstorm in the area at the time, visibility was low. Eye-witnesses claimed that the jet made a series of low passes and nearly struck the nearby Massanutten Mountains. The jet was reported to have landed at an estimated speed of 108 Knots and skidded for more than 1,000 feet before coming to a halt at 16:30 EST (20:30 UTC). Units from the Luray Volunteer Fire Department were dispatched to the crash site, with the assumption that a fire would be inevitable. Once on scene, first responders were shocked to find that the pilot was left without a scratch despite his hard landing. The F-86A Sabre was lightly damaged in the crash. While the landing gear and fuel tanks were sheared off, the fuselage remained untouched. After being guarded overnight by the Civil Air Patrol and the Virginia State Police, officials from the United States Airforce arrived from Edwards Airforce Base near Washington D.C. to transport the wreckage from the crash site. Lieutenant Oberg flew thirteen missions during the Korean War and was stationed at the Salt Lake City Air Force Base with the Air National Guard. It is believed that a faulty navigation compass caused him to stray off his intended course with the thunderstorm in the area hindering visibility.
Sources:
http://www.forgottenjets.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/f86-sabre.html , "Sabrejet plane crash-lands here" Page News and Courier June 9, 1955
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 03-May-2021 18:53 | ASN archive | Added |
| 19-Jun-2023 11:28 | Brickguy04 | Updated |
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