Date:	Tuesday 11 May 1948
Time:	day
Type:	Republic F-84B Thunderjet
Owner/operator:	611th BU USAF
Registration:	48-661
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	12 miles north east of Valpariso, Okaloosa County, Florida -   United States of America
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Demo/Airshow/Display
Departure airport:	Eglin AFB, Valpariso, Okaloosa County, Florida
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Republic F-84B-36-RE Thunderjet 48-661, 611th BU, USAF: Written off (destroyed) 11 May 1948, when crashed due to a structural failure in flight. Major Simon H. Johnson, USAF, deputy commanding officer of Eglin AFB's fighter section, was killed when his Republic F-84 Thunderjet broke up during an air demonstration at the base before about 600 spectators. Eglin's public information officer said that the pilot was "engaged in operational tests on the plane" when the accident occurred. The aircraft came down between 12 and 15 miles North East of Valpariso, Okaloosa County, Florida

Johnson, a resident of Shalimar, Florida, was originally from Houston, Texas. He had served a year in Italy, flying 50 missions in North American P-51 Mustangs with the 31st Fighter Group and earning the Distinguished Flying Cross and the air medal with five clusters. He had attended the University of Texas, and graduated from the U.S. Army flying school in 1940.

1. "Major Johnson Killed in Jet Failure at Eglin – Pilot of P-84 Was Deputy CO of Fighter Section at Air Base", Playground News, Fort Walton, Florida, Thursday 13 May 1948, Volume 3, Number 15, p.1.
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_accidents_and_incidents_involving_military_aircraft_(1945%E2%80%931949)#April%E2%80%93June_1948
3. http://forgottenjets.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/F-84.html
4. https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1946.html
5. https://www.aviationarchaeology.com/rptAF55.asp?RecID=113089
6. http://www.accident-report.com/Yearly/1948/4805.html
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Eglin_Air_Force_Base#Post-war_era

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
04-Oct-2023 17:16	Nepa	Updated