Date:	Wednesday 22 September 1971
Time:	16:30
Type:	McDonnell Douglas RF-4C Phantom II
Owner/operator:	United States Air Force (USAF)
Registration:	68-0559
MSN:	3415
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near Zweibrücken -   Germany
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Crashed. Crew ejected. Just prior to take off back seater placed his leg clip board, normally strapped to the right leg, between rear stick and the rear consol and forgot about it. After take off pilot tried to push stick forward to level AC off during climb out, he got no response as clip board was jamming forward stick movement. Back seater was trying to pull stick back to dislodge clip board. AC continued to climb nose up attitude and pilot initiated ejection. AC crashed on the fence line of an open iield and a Church grave yard, within 300 feet of an occupied public school. Minamal damge to graves with a few head stones destroyed. One engine ended up in grave yard. Parts were strewn approximately 150 ft from crash site, mostly in the open field.

Hamburger Abendblatt 23 September 1971, p1
http://www.forgottenjets.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/F-4USAF.html

I watched the AC take off, as we were parcticing football and the back seater was one of our coaches, occupants eject and AC flat spin in. And later, I assisted base photo lab with photographing the crash site for the accident board.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
31-Mar-2016 09:39	TB	Added
25-Oct-2016 06:47	Anon.	Updated [Aircraft type]
24-Jan-2020 08:28	Anon.	Updated [Phase]
30-Apr-2021 06:59	harro	Updated [Registration, Cn, Source]
04-Sep-2023 12:46	RAEichel	Updated [[Registration, Cn, Source]]