ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 82551
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| Date: | Saturday 20 March 1976 |
| Time: | night |
| Type: |  McDonnell Douglas F-4J Phantom II |
| Owner/operator: | VF-21, US Navy |
| Registration: | 158368 |
| MSN: | 4157 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | USS Ranger (CVA-61), in Western Pacific Ocean -
 Pacific Ocean
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | USS Ranger (CVA-61) |
| USS Ranger (CVA-61) | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
F‑4J Phantom II 158368 tail code 'NE 202' of VF‑21 on board the USS Ranger, struck carrier's ramp at night and broke in two. Both crew - Lt. H. L. Jones and Lt. G.Caswell - ejected safely.m
Lt Jones(RIO) initiated ejection and landed on the flight deck, minor injuries; Lt Caswell landed in the ocean 300 yds off the port side and was recovered by helo. LSO was LCDR scot Bates, I was the Arresting Gear Officer, stbd side catwalk opposite the LSO platform and was engulfed in the fireball receiving 1st degree burns on my face, hands and arms.
Exact location of crash not established, but the USS Ranger (CVA-61) was deployed in the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean between January and September 1976.
I was observing air operations on the O7 Level (vultures row) when this occured. I witnessed the dual ejections. I ran down the ladder to the flight deck to find an AFFF hose to begin fighting the fires. If I remember correctly, the F-4 slid toward the tower and hit a A7 aircraft (or 2). I was with VA-145 (Swordsmen) out of NAS Whidbey Island. I was an Airmen Apprentice at the time. AD3 Zamites.
Sources:
http://web.archive.org/web/20170818194916/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk:80/project/year_pages/1976.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Ranger_(CV-61)#1970s
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 14-Nov-2010 11:55 | ASN archive | Added |
| 29-Nov-2011 15:28 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 07-Feb-2013 12:26 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location, Country, Source, Narrative] |
| 18-Aug-2013 13:23 | Uli Elch | Updated [Aircraft type] |
| 16-Nov-2020 16:49 | Anon. | Updated [Narrative] |
| 04-Aug-2023 17:10 | Grog | Updated [[Narrative]] |
| 14-Feb-2024 07:18 | Lash | Updated [Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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