thunderbird plane crash

June 2, 2016 / 11:39 PM / CBS Colorado. With Lowry leading, a fresh start after the loss of Smith and second solo Nick Hauck, who had been killed in another mishap in May of '81, began. The airline industry is always full of new developments! Realistically, far too many to tell in a single day. All of the pilots had been assigned to the aerobatics team for less than two years. They tour in the USA and Worldwide performing - close formation flying, a signature diamond configuration, and a number of solo and group combinations. Samuel E. Waters was that his image, and the similar images of men, fighter pilots, like him shaped my impression of what a real man truly was. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. The Thunderbirds formed in 1953 as the Air Demonstration Unite at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. A photographer who flew over the crash site at Indian Springs, about 40 miles northwest of Nellis Air Force Base, said the impact broke the T38 Talon trainer jets into tiny pieces, with the largest no larger than a car fender. A new leader, Major Norman Lowry, had already been selected by the Air Force to command the team after Smith. "He was an integral part of the team, and our hearts are heavy with his loss.". Willie Mays, 32, of Ripley, Tenn.; Capt. For example I want to include Kayo and TBS but keep the pod vehicles and the 60s futurism look, and keep the thunderbird designs mostly resembling the originals. Check for problematic add-ons. A mother and three children died on the ground where the aircraft crashed. Richter was an Air Force Academy graduate from 1964. "They were going full tilt, really screaming, and at the time I thought they were too low. "Just as they pulled out of the dive, all four of them hit the ground," he said. The pilots were practicing the four-plane line abreast loop, in which the aircraft climb in side-by-side formation several thousand feet, pull over in a slow, inside loop, and descend at more . It was the wrong altitude. Early in its history, during 1961, the F-105 had the lowest rate of accidents of any jet fighter in the history of the Air Force. The team's escorting cargo plane C-123D crashed killing all 19 peoples from the Thunderbirds support staff. The squad is known as "America's Ambassadors in Blue." . Nonetheless, the 1982 season was cancelled for the Thunderbirds while they rebuilt the team. EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - A pilot of a U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds jet wasn't injured after ejecting just before the F-16 crashed outside of Colorado . Former demonstration unit members still on active duty were recalled to help rebuild the squadron. Eyewitness details fatal plane crash at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport. Based in Norwich, UK. Fireflash is a hypersonic airliner, capable of travelling at six times the speed of sound. The Air Force said that before yesterday the Thunderbirds had lost 15 air crew members since the air show program started in June, 1953. An Air Force Thunderbird jet crashed today as it attempted to land after a precision flying show for about 80,000 spectators at Hill Air Force Base. Two B-52s Fly Over Tallinn For Estonia Independence Day, F-35C Mishap On USS Carl Vinson Caused By Pilot Error After Sierra Hotel Break, Successful First Flight For The Two-Seat KF-21 Boramae, First UH-60 Black Hawk Helicopter For Ukraines Intelligence Service Breaks Cover, Large White Balloon Reported East of Hawaii. Meanwhile, in a selfless display of airmanship, Andrew and Wilding's last actions guided the plane away from the town. The Thunderbirds were practicing for an air show on March 13 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson. When a fully-loaded Handley Page Halifax bomber suffered an engine fire in flight, two of its crew members stayed onboard to guide the stricken aircraft away from the town. Moscow Should Prepare For Probable US Nuclear Aggression: Reports Russian Military Journal, Destroying American Monster Abrams: Pro-Russian Group Release A How-To Video, Dr. Mary E. 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Del Bagno, of Valencia, California, was known as a slot pilot who flew the team's No. The following Idaho Statesman story was published Sept. 15, 2003. AVOCA, Pa. A small plane that was due to take part in an upcoming air show crashed shortly after takeoff Friday at an airport in eastern Pennsylvania, killing the pilot. The crash occurred 25 seconds into the flight of the aircraft, known as Thunderbird 6. October 12, 1966: Major . The pilot killed in Friday's crash of a small plane due to take part in this weekend's Great Pocono Raceway Airshow has been identified as a 50-year-old U.S. Air Force veteran. It is a seemingly endless tablet of remarkable tales etched into the bedrock of freedoms foundation. Screengrab from U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds on Facebook. Samuel E. Waters and Lt. Karl W. Richter, but for every service person we remember on Memorial Day in the U.S. who gave their lives for freedom and security. The crash at . The Thunderbirds said in a statement that the team's participation this weekend at an expo at the March Air Reserve Base in Southern California had been canceled. The pilot was able to eject before that crash. Thunderbirds, official name U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, U.S. Air Force fighter aircraft squadron that performs aerobatics at air shows and other events throughout the United States and around the world. According to the RCAF 426 'Thunderbird' Squadron Association, it had a crew of seven airmen onboard, of which five came from Canada. Thunderbirds pilot Maj. Stephen Del Bagno temporarily lost consciousness during a high G-force maneuver and was incapacitated right before a fatal crash in April. Captain Melancon was buried in Dallas along his father, Air Force Major James Melancon, who died Sept. 24, 1957, when the B-26 he was piloting crashed in a residential area near Dayton, Ohio. 'It skidded about 1,500 feet along the runway.' All Rights Reserved. The pilots were in training for an air show at Davis Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., beginning March 13, an Air Force spokesman said. One home is empty - its owners are on vacation -- but the second home's occupants are killed instantly. [6], "At the speed they were going when they came out of the loop, I just thought, "That's the end of that for them fellows,'" said W. G. Wood of Indian Springs, who witnessed the crash as he drove along 95. _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); The crash occurred about 10 A.M. about 40 miles northwest of Nellis Air Force Base. Four crew members were killed when a Marine CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter crashed Tuesday in California during a training mission along the U.S.-Mexico border west of El Centro. The Thunderbirds' most recent accident occurred Sept. 9, when the jet of the team leader, Lieut. The first F-16A Fighting Falcon in Thunderbird colors arrived at Nellis AFB, Nevada, on 22 June 1982. Barrett is the world leader in long-range, large-caliber, precision rifle design and manufacturing. June 2, 201601:48. Below the chiseled figure of F-105 Thunderchief fighter pilot Lt. Karl W. Richter the Biblical inscription of Isaiah 6:8 reads: Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? The June 2 crash of the F-16 fighter in a field just south of the Colorado Springs Airport destroyed the $29 million plane, but the pilot safely ejected. It is already difficult to sort through accurate records about Captain Samuel E. Waters. N26DK Hawker Beechcraft Premier Jet Aircraft Accident South Bend, IND. var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); Captain Stricklin was attempting to perform a Reverse Half Cuban Eight and was unable to pull up in time, and used his ejector seat 0.8 seconds before the plane crashed and skidded for over 200 yards, with the jet engine flying out over a further 100 yards. The plane crashed in the field below the dark rectangle terrain in the black and white photo. The Thunderbirds only flew the F-105 in six shows before they switched back to the North American F-100D Super Sabre. He was leading a bombing attack on a North Vietnamese bridge when he was struck by automatic anti-aircraft fire (AAA). Indian Springs also was the site of a crash of a C-130 cargo plane last September, unrelated to Thunderbird training, in which seven men died and 61 survived in a joint Army-Air Force night training mission. The planes were meant to level off at about 100 feet (30m); Instead, the formation struck the ground at high speed.[4]. A GEICO Skytypers plane that was due to take part in an upcoming air show crashed shortly after takeoff, Friday, Aug. 20, 201, at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport in eastern . But the 1982 air show season was cancelled for the Thunderbirds while they rebuilt their team. Official procedure for demonstration \"split S\" maneuvers was changed, and the USAF now requires Thunderbird pilots and airshow ground controllers to both work in above-MSL (mean-sea-level) altitudes, as opposed to ground control working in AGL (above-ground-level) and pilots in MSL, which led to two sets of numbers that had to be reconciled by the pilot. Climbing side-by-side for several thousand feet in a slow, backward loop, then hurtling down at more than 400 mph, leveling off at about 100 feet, in a maneuver called a "line-abreast loop," a malfunction in the lead plane, Thunderbird #1, occurred. A five-page report of the mishap was published by Aviation Week & Space Technology in their issue dated 17 May 1982. His military experience includes being Honor Graduate from the U.S. Army Infantry School at Ft. Benning, Georgia (Cycle C-6-1) and as a Scout Observer in a reconnaissance unit, Company F, 425th INF (RANGER/AIRBORNE), Long Range Surveillance Unit (LRSU). The pilot did not survive either. Only four days after Devlins crash in California, a Nellis AFB F-105D lost its engine on takeoff and crashed into the Las Vegas suburb of Woodland North. See the article in its original context from. The USAF Air Demonstration Squadron ("Thunderbirds") is the air demonstration squadron of the United States Air Force (USAF). Christian Murdock/The Gazette via AP, Pool. . Waters had intrinsic mettle. According to three websites and social media posts, Capt. Wood of Indian Springs, who witnessed the crash as he drove along U.S. 95. 1:08. "I watched the planes do a loop and they didn't pull out. The farthest left plane is the leader, meaning the other three are supposed to do exactly what it does. The first death of a Thunderbirds pilot occurred in 1972. From HistoryLink.org: On April 21, 1962, during the Seattle Century 21 World's Fair opening ceremonies, an Air Force F102 airplane crashes into the Mountlake Terrace neighborhood. Chris Stricklin, 31, of Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., safely ejected and was treated by military medical personnel. 14. In Washington, D.C., a White House spokesman said President Reagan's eyes ''filled with tears'' when he was informed of the crash. UPS1354 Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, Birmingham, AL. Thunderbird pilot Capt. '', It was the worst accident in the history of the Thunderbirds, a precision military flying team, and its 15th fatal crash since the group was formed in 1953. Heavy smoke could be seen coming from an area . This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. Some of the more famous acts included the Air Force Thunderbirds, the Navy's Blue Angels, and the Army's Golden Knights parachute team. The victims were identified as the group's leader, Maj. Norman Lowry 3d, 37 years old, of Radford, Va.; Capt. "It happened so fast I couldn't tell you if one hit sooner. Kelso's description made it sound as if the pilots almost made it out of their loop. A U.S. Navy Blue Angels jet crashed Thursday afternoon, the Navy public affairs office at the Pentagon said -- the same day that a U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds F-16 crashed in Colorado. On April 21, 1962, an Air Force F102 airplane - part of a squadron performing at opening day ceremonies for the Seattle World's Fair -- crashes into two homes in a Mountlake Terrace neighborhood (now part of Shoreline.) The Air Force team, like the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels, had switched to smaller aircraft after the 1973 oil crisis. Eyewitnesses said a giant ball of flame shot into the sky after the four planes dove into the ground one after the other only yards apart at 1:43 p.m. EST. A service takes place at the memorial every September. Their supreme sacrifice and conspicuous gallantry almost certainly saved the lives of many of the town's inhabitants.". Slowly, the team expanded - one airplane at a time - back up to the full formation of six airplanes. The crash happened shortly after the Thunderbird demonstration started. Waters was the type of a man you think of when you picture a jet fighter pilot. Christopher Stricklin ejects from the USAF Thunderbirds number six aircraft less than a s. The Thunderbirds were practicing at Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field, Nevada (now Creech Air Force Base) for a performance at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona. . At this time, a Canadian flag flies from Wallingford's town hall. The same day, a Marine Harrier jet crashed during takeoff from an airport in the East African nation of Djibouti. As such, an impact with the town would have been catastrophically explosive. Samuel E. Waters died 51 years ago on Tuesday December 13, 1966 over the dense jungle region of Ha Tay Province, North Vietnam. In all, a staggering 382 Thunderchiefs were lost in Vietnam, nearly half the total number that was built. ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? Waters was flying Republic F-105D Thunderchief #61-0187 the day he died. Contents of this blog/website may not be used without author's prior written permission. Col. David Smith, crashed at Cleveland's Burke Lakefront Airport. "Larson and a team of 10 to 15 experts are expected to spend three weeks studying the wreckage of the four T-38s the worst [training] crash in the 28-year history of the Air Force stunt flying team. The Thunderbirds perform for people all around the world to display the pride, precision and professionalism the U.S. Air Force represents. The crash happened about 3:15 p.m., shortly after the Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration started. At the United States Air Force Academy, a T-38 painted in Thunderbirds color scheme is decidated to the team and its then-leader, Major Lowry. Emergency crews were called to the airport just after 12:30 p.m. [10], The Thunderbirds switched back to front-line jet fighters after the accident. It was not because the Thunderchief was somehow cursed. The F-105 Thunderchief itself was an ambitious aircraft. 19 Sep 2011 | Posted by Member 26835147. The T-38 Talon trainers, manufactured by the Northrop Corporation in California, have been used by the Thunderbirds in 694 air shows since 1973. The USAF Thunderbirds are currently thefastest flying (multiple jet) flight demonstration team in the world and based at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, Nevada. The pilot, Capt. On September 8, 1981, the commander of the Thunderbirds since 1979, Lt. Col. David L. Smith, 40, was taking off in his T-38 Talon when, shortly after departure from Burke Lakefront Airport, it ingested several seagulls, stalling the engines. [1] Four Northrop T-38 Talon jets crashed during operational training on 18 January 1982, killing all four pilots. Christopher Stricklin ejects from the USAF Thunderbirds number six aircraft less than a second before it impacted the ground at an air show at Mountain Home Air Force Base,Sept. A pilot preparing for an air show died in a plane crash after leaving a Pennsylvania airport, officials said. According to the Dayton Daily News, stunt walker Jane Wicker's . It explains that: "By remaining at the controls of their damaged and bomb-laden aircraft, [they] steered it clear of Wallingford to crash and explode in open fields. The worst crash in Thunderbird history, dubbed the "Diamond Crash," came when four pilots crashed Jan. 18, 1982, during training at Indian Springs. In Air Force shows, four Thunderbirds fly in formation and two others conduct solo stunts. COCOA BEACH, Florida -- A restored World War II dive bomber made an emergency landing at a beach in Florida. Demerly is an experienced parachutist, holds advanced SCUBA certifications, has climbed the highest mountains on three continents and visited all seven continents and has flown several types of light aircraft. Having narrowly missed Wallingford's residential areas, the stricken plane crashed in . 4 jet. N83CT Aircraft Incident Harrisburg International Airport. Wreckage was strewn across a 1-square-mile area of the desert 60 miles north of Las Vegas. The worthy subject of statues in town squares or the name of a new high school. var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; I was saying to myself pull up, pull up, and that was it, John Avery said. Even after years I unearth new names and heroic exploits every week. It was a ball of flame, just like a napalm bomb.". A lot of people ran over to look; we couldn't get too close,''. The Air Force's Thunderbirds headlined the Cocoa Beach Air Show Saturday when the TBM . The other three followed within a tenth of a second, flying in formation. RELATED: Pilot dead after plane crash in Wadsworth. Despite its proximity, the plane's state meant that it couldn't reach the nearby base at RAF Benson. The Air Force's Thunderbirds headlined the Cocoa Beach Air Show Saturday when the TBM Avenger's engine cut out. It is fair to acknowledge the Republic F-105 Thunderchief was a plane thrust into a mission that was largely misunderstood, frequently evolving, and very different from what the Thud was originally designed for, low-level, supersonic nuclear strike missions. There appeared to be three major fires. In the beginning of 1960's for the first time on the body of F-100C was painted the well-known silhouette of a thunderbird. 2023 The SOFREP Media Group. There are several statues of Lt. Karl Richter at prominent locations around the U.S. commemorating his remarkable courage and career. Its luxurious interior contains a comfortable lounge in each of its two main wings; its cargo area includes a vehicle garage (seen in The Impostors); and its cockpit is located, unconventionally, in the tail fin. The 426 Transport Training Squadron was one of several Canadian (RCAF) squadrons to fly the Handley Page Halifax during the Second World War. Joseph Peterson, 32, of Tuskegee, Ala., flying right wing, and Capt. Mountain Home airfield elevation is 2,996 feet above Mean Sea Level (MSL). And as history arcs forward into the future, the foundation is expanded by more and more heroes. The Air Force's Thunderbirds headlined the Cocoa Beach Air Show Saturday when the TBM . In 2015, a small Cessna plane crashed into the Colombian jungle, killing all people on board, except for 18-year-old Maria Nelly Murillo and her . Funeral services held for NJ councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour, Tesla recalls almost 3,500 Model Y cars for loose bolts, Tom Sizemore dead at 61 after suffering brain aneurysm. The Thunderbirds next flew a public demonstration in the spring of 1983, more than 18 months after their last public air show. It looked like all of them hit at the same time. var _gaq = _gaq || []; Photo: Thunderbird: How Heroic Flying Saved A UK Town From A Plane Crash In 1944, RCAF 426 'Thunderbird' Squadron Association, Over 9 Million Passengers Flew To Mexico In January, 18 Destinations: AirAsia X's Summer Operations From Kuala Lumpur, Venezuela's Conviasa Announces New Destination In Syria, Tom Stuker: The Story Of The World's Most Frequent Flyer, How The Shuttle Carrier Was Butchered For Parts For NASA's Boeing 747 'SOFIA' Jet, A Brief Guide To The Airbus A320 Family's Main Variants. "Then boom-boom-boom, boom-boom-boom as they hit the ground one after another," said Loren Conaway. The town grew in the postwar period, and two of its new roads were named after the young men. A keen amateur photographer, he also recently reached the milestone of flying his 100th sector as a passenger. I hope no one would object if we have a moment of silence.''. The pilot ejected safely and no spectators were injured. Following their leader to the end, all four planes plowed in the ground. The Thunderbirds pilot killed in a fighter jet crash in central Nevada was an experienced aviator who had logged more than 3,500 flight hours, the Air Force said Thursday. The plane crashed around 10:30 a.m. during . He was alone in the F-16 Fighting Falcon when it departed from Nellis Air Force Base, near Las Vegas, and crashed at the Nevada Test and Training Range at about 10:30 a.m. (1:30 p.m. But the crash sent a fireball and smoke into the sky in front of tens of thousands of eyewitnesses. A resident across the highway from the auxiliary base where the flight team practiced said he heard the whine of the red, white and blue jets as they climbed to a high arch, then the scream of the engines as they plunged downward to complete the maneuver. Major Norm Lowry, 37, of Radford, VA - commander/leader, Captain Willie Mays, 32, of Ripley, TN - left wing, Captain Joseph Peterson, 32, of Tuskegee, AL - right wing, Captain Mark E. Melancon, 31, of Dallas, TX - slot. Make sure to use the latest version of Thunderbird. Thunderbirds Aircraft History - Fifty-five minutes before five teenagers were arrested after authorities drove a stolen car from New Braunfels to San Antonio, police said.. 1 hour ago News is being updated. The Fallen Lt. Karl W. Richter was shot down on July 28th, 1967 at the age of 24. (USAF), USAF Special Operator May Posthumously Receive Medal of Honor for 2002 Battle on Takur-Ghar in Afghanistan, Check Out This Stunning Shot Of Trumps MV-22 Osprey Escort Over New York City, Although it may well be just a coincidence, the loss of two drones suggests a new capability is available in Libya. The investigation found that there was insufficient back pressure on the control stick of Thunderbird #1 during the loop. Both the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating why the engine malfunctioned. CJ-> Subject: Re: Thunderbird crash in 72 CJ-> Organization: NETstor, Inc. Burnsville, MN USA CJ-> Date: Mon, 27 Sep 1993 23:24:03 GMT. Perhaps the most significant inscription is on the one displayed at Maxwell AFB in Alabama. It did not, however, deliver great survivability during this era. Col. Mike Wallace, of the Public Information Office at nearby Nellis AFB, home of the demonstration team, said that Major General Gerald D. Larson, the head of an Air Force investigation board, arrived at Nellis from New Hampshire at 10 p.m. that night. But also in fairness, the F-105 Thunderchief shouldered the majority of the USAFs burden of bombing heavily defended targets in North Vietnam. As Wallingford came to terms with the crash, there was little doubt that the brave sacrifices of Andrew and Wilding prevented a greater catastrophe on September 9th, 1944. Barrett products are used by civilians, sport shooters, law enforcement agencies, the United States military, and more than 75 State Department-approved countries around the world. The others were 23-year-old Flight Officer John Archibald Wilding (USA) and 22-year-old Sergeant John Francis Andrew (UK). The crash happened immediately following the . Divers identified the 1996 Ford Thunderbird's license plate . The actions of two young airmen prevented a larger-scale wartime disaster. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VETERAN JOURNALISM - JOIN SOFREP+ Praesidus brings homage to the military watch tradition. 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; The Air Force identified the pilots as Maj. Norman L. Lowry III, 37, of Radford, Va., the team leader; Capt. He began training to fly fighter aircraft after graduation and subsequently volunteered to go to Vietnam. Interestingly enough, the situation involving Andrew and Wilding's stricken Halifax isn't the only example of an aircraft finding itself in peril over South Oxfordshire. Four Air Force Thunderbird aerobatic jets failed to pull out of a loop and slammed into the Nevada desert outside Las Vegas yesterday, killing all four pilots in the worst disaster of its kind. Nov. 14, 1973. *Lighting a path to truth* Former Navy JAG Worldwide U.S. Military Defense. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The team planes fly in a tight diamond formation for most stunts. He was a hero. On 26 January 1982, Congress passed Resolution 248, stating that "The Congress hereby affirms its strong support for continuation of the Thunderbirds program." Richter learned to fly the F-105 Thunderchief at Nellis AFB, Nevada. The Thunderbirds pilot killed in a fighter jet crash in central Nevada was an experienced aviator who had logged more than 3,500 flight hours, the Air Force said Thursday. According to Air Combat Command, a . A New Leader. Waters. A number of problems with the F-105 were subsequently discovered and corrected during inspections and the aircraft were returned to service in time for the escalation of the Vietnam War. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. At least one person has died after an aerobatic Canadian air force jet crashed into a residential neighbourhood. Different from the aircraft itself the men who flew the F-105 Thunderchief, like USAF Captain Samuel E. Waters, were absolutely dependable no matter the odds or the mission. That F-105 broke apart after receiving initially undetectable damage earlier in its career while midair refueling. ''The pilot farthest to the east hit the ground first and the other three followed within a tenth of a second, flying in formation,'' said Tom Sullivan of Boulder City, Nev., who was driving to a construction job in the area at the time. Andrew and Wilding stayed at the controls, ordering the crew to bail out, reaching the ground without serious injuries. One Person Rescued, 2 Missing After New Orleans Plane Crash. It wasnt until we were walking off the base, I said to my wife Im actually trembling. . In order to rebuild the team, the Air Force pulled several former Thunderbird pilots, who were still on active duty, to "come out of air show retirement", get qualified in flying the F-16A, and had them start flying in "two-ship" formations through all the aerobatic maneuvers, starting in August of 1982, and led by Major Jim Latham. The Thunderbirds used a 3,000-foot altimeter setting for the demonstration. Here's how to make the most of it. The farthest left plane is the leader, meaning the other three are supposed to do exactly what it does. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. Andrew and Wilding sadly died in the crash, which also detonated the plane's bombs, shattering windows in the town. Marvel Studios is saddened to hear of the loss of Air Force Maj. Stephen Del Bagno, who we were lucky to get to know during his time as a consultant on Captain Marvel. In memory of Flying Officer J.A. Photo: The captain of the BA flight survived the incident, which took place just a few miles from Wallingford. Hundreds of spectators and countless downtown office workers watched in horror as the jet plunged downwards toward Lake Erie. But cooler heads prevailed - those who understood the value to military recruitment and on January 26, 1982, Congress passed Resolution 248,stating that "The Congress hereby affirms its strong support for continuation of the Thunderbirds program." With robust designs and vintage classic style, discover the heritage of military timepieces today! At least he was able to avoid having the plane crash close to the crowd. The crash was caused by birds entering the engine through the air intakes on either side of the fuselage. Another remarkable hero of the Thunderchief era was Lt. Karl W. Richter.