ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 85187
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| Date: | Wednesday 5 December 1951 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: |  Republic F-84E Thunderjet |
| Owner/operator: | 182nd FBS, 136th FBW, Texas ANG, USAF |
| Registration: | 49-2415 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Sinanju, South Pyongan Province -
 North Korea
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Taegu AB (K-2), Dong District, Daegu, South Korea |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
Republic F-84E-15-RE Thunderjet 49-2415, 182nd FBS, 136th FBW, Texas ANG, USAF: Written off (destroyed) December 5 1951 when lost (failed to return) from combat operations over North Korea. On rail cut interdiction mission in Sinanju area, two F-84s conducted bomb run and were then attacked by two MiG-15s, ejected, aircraft crashed into the water. Victory credited to Sergei F. Vishnyakov of the 176 GIAP. Pilot Captain Hugh F Larkin, USAF (Service Number AO-437976) was killed
According to the following biography of the pilot:
"Captain Hugh Francis Larkin entered the U.S. Air Force from Texas and was assigned to Headquarters Squadron, 136th Fighter-Bomber Wing. On December 5, 1951, he departed Taegu (K-2) Air Base, Korea flying an F-84E Thunderjet (tail number 49-2415, call-sign “Dog Two”) as the number two pilot in a flight of three aircraft. The briefed mission was a rail cutting operation targeting the main supply routes south of Sinanju, North Korea.
While withdrawing from the target area, Capt Larkin's aircraft was attacked by two enemy MiG fighters. With an MiG on his tail, Capt Larkin went into a tight left turn, reversed direction and gained on the enemy fighter, firing a five-second burst at it. During this maneuver, his wingman lost sight of Capt Larkin's aircraft. By the time the flight leader returned to position, Capt Larkin’s F-84 was in a left vertical spin. Captain Larkin was observed ejecting from the aircraft, but because of the prevailing conditions, witnesses did not see his descent.
Subsequent searches of the loss area failed to find any sign of Capt Larkin or his parachute. No returning POWs mentioned having contact with Capt Larkin, nor was he seen at any known holding point, interrogation center, hospital, or permanent POW camp. He remains unaccounted-for. Today, Captain Larkin is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific."
Sources:
1. http://forgottenjets.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/F-84.html
2. https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1949.html
3. https://www.aviationarchaeology.com/dbSearchAF55.asp
4. http://www.accident-report.com/Yearly/1951/5112.html
5. https://www.koreanwar.org/dpaa/korwald-all.pdf
6. https://www.pownetwork.org/Korean_War_USAF_MIA/larkin_hugh_francis.htm
7. https://dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000000J3y38EAB
Revision history:
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