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Some of you may remember this day. Here is how it was from my point of view.
It was a great day for flying, clear and a million. I was working in the B-FLT office because of a broken arm, and I was not allowed on the line. Some of the other crew dogs were there and we were passing time while the birds were out flying. Little to our knowledge our day was going to change.
On our base we had Lawn darts and Hogs. Those darts loved to kick the burner in and do a go around with a pop up over the EOR. As we sat there we heard the burner kick in on a 16 but it did not sound the same. Ron, who was sitting across from me jumped up and yelled “Canopy”! We all ran out the door of the trailer and then there was a terrific explosion that rocked the base. As we all ran toward the line we saw two chutes, on appeared to go into the trees and the other we lost sight of behind the trees. Looking to towards the ramp it was complete ciaos. Everyone on the line was running in every direction and there was a stream of fire that started near the 130 ramp and continued to the Jump Prep area. The fire ball that we saw seamed to engulf the MOC and the 141 that was there.
The rest is history. 24 of our fellow solders lost there life on that day, and 2 aircraft were destroyed. We later found out that the 2 seat 16 was doing a high end, simulated eng out approach and failed to see the 130 on final. He hit the throttle to try to get out of the way but clipped the elevator of the 130, and the lawn dart’s eng then was FOD’ED out. They pulled the handles and got out but the jet continued on without the crew, flew over all the planes on the ramp, and crashed on to an empty part of the ramp. The remains of the 16 tumbled down the ramp; hit the wing of a 141 that was being preflighted, through a chain link fence and into the Jumpers that were getting ready to go. From the point of impact to the point of the last piece of debris, was about 1/4 Mile.
We could have lost many more that day, but maybe someone was looking over us. I know two people in this forum that were there that day.
I wanted to share this with everyone, because as I sit here and watch the “War Coverage” knowing that some of the jets that I worked on, are over in the Desert. If the USAF would let me back in, I would stand beside those of you who are there fighting for freedom. We will lose many people, but the people that we lost 9 years ago died because mistakes were made. Our freedom is not a mistake! We Americans have been born with freedom and we will fight to keep it!
Pete
GO TIGERS! 75FS Pope AFB
pctech/xA10A crew Chief 9204.
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