ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 60451
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| Date: | Monday 22 April 1968 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  General Dynamics F-111A Aardvark |
| Owner/operator: | 428th TFSqn /474th TFWg USAF |
| Registration: | 66-0024 |
| MSN: | A1-42 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Quang Bien -
 Laos
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RTAFB Takhli |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
The third combat loss of an F-111, on 22 April 1968, and a similar one to that at Nellis AFB on 8 May resulted, first, in the suspension and, then, in the termination of "Combat Lancer" operations. Detachment 1 crew members, Lt Colonel Ed Palmgren, the unit's Operations Officer, and Lt Cdr “Spade” Cooley, a US Navy ex-change pilot, were lost on a Combat Lancer bombing mission into North Vietnam. Aircraft's last known position was at Quang Bien, Laos
The mission against the Mi Le Hwy Ferry (on the Ho Chi Minh Trail), passing over heavily defended areas in Laos, this aircraft lost radio contact and disappeared. Despite a 4-day search, no wreckage was ever found.
Flying F-111A 66-0024, they had been in radar contact until they began their bomb run at altitudes between 200 and 500 feet. Although the aircraft and crew were never recovered, the assumption that they, too, had experienced loss of control due to the failure of the stabilator part is reasonable. At the bomb run altitudes, a loss of control, like that experienced by Maj Marquardt and Capt Hodges, would not have provided any time to eject from the aircraft. Here, too, North Vietnamese claims to have shot the aircraft down were false.
Some Combat Lancer crews believed the loss was due to failure of the horizontal stabiliser weld failure (same as the cause of the loss of 66-0032).
Other crews believe that 66-0024 was flown into the ground as the crew believed they could fly lower at night using 'manual TFR' (Terrain Following Radar) instead of the auto TFR. Although 200 feet is the lowest TFR setting, anecdotal evidence suggests that attempts were made to fly manual TFR at 50 feet by interpreting the TFR E-Scope.
Sources:
www.scramble.nl (Scramble 255)
http://www.arizonawrecks.com/tonopahf84pg2.html
http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=39091&start=0
http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1966.html
http://www.f-111.net/t_no_A.htm
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 18-Jul-2011 08:36 | Anon. | Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Departure airport] |
| 10-Jan-2012 12:11 | Uli Elch | Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative] |
| 27-Jan-2013 15:52 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Cn, Operator, Source, Narrative] |
| 24-Feb-2020 18:01 | Xindel XL | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 29-Apr-2021 11:09 | Adellaida | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator] |
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