1969 — Dec 22, USN jet engine failure; crash kills people on ground, Miramar NAS, CA–14

— 14 Baugher. US Navy…Marine Corps BuNos Third Series (150139 to 156169). 10-29-2011.
— 14 Gero. Military Aviation Disasters: Significant Losses Since 1908. 1999, p. 105.
— 14 NFPA. “Bimonthly Fire Record,” Fire Journal, Vol. 64, No. 3, May 1970, p. 52.

Narrative Information

Baugher: “150879 (VF-162) shot down MiG-17 with AIM-9 over Vietnam Dec 14, 1967, flown by Lt. Richard E. Wyman. Crashed (VF-194) into Hangar 1 at NAS Miramar Dec 22, 1969, killing 14 people and destroying several F-4 Phantoms.” (Baugher. US Navy…Marine Corps BuNos Third Series (150139 to 156169). 10-29-2011.)

Gero: “Following engine failure and the successful ejection of its pilot (and sole occupant), the jet fighter [F-8J; 150879] crashed at the Miramar Naval Air Station. The accident claimed the lives of 14 men on the ground, one of them a civilian worker and the rest US Navy personnel. Numerous others were injured, nine seriously.

“Having taken off earlier from the base, the aircraft was on a combat maneuvering practice flight over the Pacific Ocean when the pilot noted an instrument indication of zero engine oil pressure and turned back. Cleared to land at the base, it was at a position of approxi¬mately 1 mile (1.5km) from the threshold of Runway 24-Right and a height of about 500ft (150m) above the ground when it experienced a complete flame-out, prompting the pilot to eject. He landed by parachute without injury, but after his abandoning of it, the F-8 veered from the approach heading of 240 degrees and into a descending right turn. Its undercarriage extended and tail hook raised, the fighter then struck an aircraft hangar and burst into flames. Besides 150879, three Navy F-4J jet fighters parked in the building were destroyed and four other aircraft of the same type substantially damaged.

“Investigation revealed that due to an oil pressure discrepancy occurring 21/2 weeks before the accident, the oil pressure relief valve on 150879 had been replaced. The very next day, the new valve was removed by someone else, but not properly re-installed; specifi¬cally, it had not been safety-wired in accordance with existing directives. This maintenance error resulted in the separation of the upper support housing of the valve from its lower support housing, causing oil starvation in the bearings and, in turn, the power plant seizure that led to the crash. The proper functioning of the emergency ram-air turbine prevented a complete control systems failure. However, a loss of electrical power occurring concurrent with the engine seizure returned the roll and yaw stabilization system actuators to a neutral position, resulting in a rather abrupt control shift that the pilot interpreted as a loss of control. His decision to bail out was possibly influenced by his lack of knowledge as to the position of the ram-air unit. It was noted in the investigative report that in ejecting, the pilot had been following prescribed procedures. Nevertheless, in the wake of this accident, all Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standardization Program (NATOPs) flight manuals were expanded with respect to flight crews faced with emergencies involving unusual circumstances. These now stated that the decision to abandon an aircraft must be influenced by the concern for the safety of persons on the ground. With regard to the underlying cause of the accident, the report noted that the maintenance personnel were not familiar with the proper installation procedures, and neither did they consult the appropriate publica¬tions prior to doing the work. Furthermore, the individual who inspected it was not familiar with the configuration of a properly-installed relief valve. A revision in the procedure for changing such valves on F-8 engines was one of the recom¬mendations made in the report.” (Gero 1999, 105-106)

National Fire Protection Association: “The pilot of an F 8J Crusader jet aircraft experienced engine failure while 40 miles out. He notified the air station that he would try an emergency landing, but half a mile from the sta¬tion he had to eject. The, plane veered off course and crashed through the partially open hangar doors…at 225 mph. Fourteen men were killed by flying metal and the resulting fireball inside the hangar. Alerted to the emergency landing call, fire fighters were standing by, saw the crash, and responded to the hangar. The impact severed two six-inch risers serving 14 dry- and four wet-pipe sprinkler systems, rendering the systems useless and dumping 6,000 gpm into the hangar from the broken pipes. Flying pieces of metal punctured fuel tanks on 15 Phan¬tom jets parked in the hangar, adding more fuel to the fire. Burning fuel spread from the hangar on top of the water flowing from the broken sprinkler risers toward other aircraft. The drain¬age –channels provided for the removal of water from normal sprinkler operation were not large enough to carry off the flood of water and fuel from this incident. The heat of the fire caused an ejection seat in one of the aircraft to “cook off” and poke a hole in the roof, providing ventilation for the growing fire.” (NFPA. “Bimonthly Fire Record,” Fire Journal, Vol. 64, No. 3, May 1970, p. 52.)

Sources

Baugher, Joseph F. US Navy and US Marine Corps BuNos Third Series (150139 to 156169). Oct 29, 2011 revision. Accessed at: http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_serials/thirdseries19.html

Gero, David. Military Aviation Disasters: Significant Losses Since 1908. UK and Newbury Park, CA: Patrick Stephens Limited, an imprint of Hayes Publishing, 1999.

National Fire Protection Association. “Bimonthly Fire Record,” Fire Journal, Vol. 64, No. 3, May 1970.