55-5262
From the Boston Globe Nov. 12, 1966
Fatal Plane Off Radar 7 Minutes;
Probers Baffled
By Earl Banner
Staff Reporter
An Air Force Inquiry board will begin today deliberations
into the
mysterious crash early Friday of a radar picket plane with 19 men aboard.
Hopes for survival of the crew of the four-engined
Constellation, which
plunged into the sea 125 miles east of Nantucket, faded with daylight.
The search called off at dusk, was resumed at dawn today
foreign--sought survivors.
The plane , based at Otis Air Force Base on the Cape, was
from the 551st
Airborne Early warning and Control Wing.
The names of the 19 crew members were released after
notification to
next of kin.
Officials listed the crew members as missing in hope that
survivors
might be found in life rafts.
Major Robert Baird of Payson, Utah, father of eight, was listed as
commander of the aircraft. Three were from New England.
Survivors of the crew gathered at Base Headquarters.
The crash was the second since the planes took over the
watch previously
handled by the series of Texas Towers. It occurred close to the site of old
Texas Tower II.
cont page 5
Flight Was Routine; No Trouble Hinted
Sixteen months ago, July 11, 1965, another EC-121H crashed
in a thick
fog 100 miles northeast of Nantucket. Three of the 19 crewmen were picked
up after 10 hours in rubber suits.
Their rescue lent hope that at least some of the men in Friday's crash
may be found alive.
Col. John Pease, Vice Commander of the 37th Air Division,
NORAD, Goose
Bay Air Force Base, Labrador, flew in to head the inquiry.
Col. Pease called the crash a "complete mystery".
Probers were disturbed by a seven-minute lag between the last sighting
of the plane on radar and its sighting by a fishing ship. Normally, they
noted, radar contact with the picket planes is continuous.
The New Bedford fishing boat, Stephen R witnessed the crash
of the plane
in patchy fog and rainy squalls.
Fishermen reported the plane flew low overhead, on a northeast course.
It did not seem to be getting full power from its engines.
Two miles away the plane suddenly banked steeply to the right and
plunged into the water. It burst into flames on impact. The fisher men saw
no parachutes.
The Stephen R reported to Coast Guard at Woods Hole at1:30 a.m.
The Constellation left Otis at 13:35 a.m. on a routine air
defense
mission. At 1:22 it made radio contact with ground radar sites. The plane
was at 15000 feet. Its situation was normal. No trouble was hinted.
Almost immediately, however, ground radar contact with the plane was
lost. Eight minutes later came the report of the crash. Immediately planes
and ships rushed to the area.
Only a widening oil slick and a few bits of floating debris
marked the
spot of the crash.
Recovered were pieces of aircraft skin and insulation, a seat with a
cushion, and three empty life preservers. Air Force officials identified
them as from the missing plane.
The Stephen R and the Terra Nova, another New Bedford
fishing ship, were
the first into the area and picked up some of the debris.
The Constellation went down in water 30 fathoms deep--180
feet--at the
Georges Bank fishing ground
While the search went on, the civilian airport at Nantucket
was alerted
to convert into an emergency air rescue station if need be. The island only
hospital summoned all available personnel and stood by.
Among the vessels continuing the search Friday night were
the Coast
Guard cutter Acushnet, a Navy rescue ship, USS Sunbird, the British
freighters Alunia and Phyllis Bowater and the American freighter SS
Atlantic
Others on the inquiry panel are Lt. Col. Emil V. Busch,
McCoy AFB, Fla,
Maj. Robert A. White, McClellan AFB Calif., Maj. Robert R. Willins, Maj.
Morgan C. Childs, Capt. Norman J. Harris and CWO Eulalio B. Lobato from
Otis.
The plane is a military version of the civilian Lockheed Super G Constellation.
HISTORY OF FLIGHT
At 2130 EST, 10 November 1966, Major Baird., the Aircraft Commander,
assigned :to the 961st: Airborne Early Warning and Control Squadron, Otis AFB,
Massachusetts, briefed an air crew totaling 19 for an active air defense mission
to airborne long- range input (ALRI) station #2. Homey 64, an EC-121H, serial
number 55-5262, was assigned by the 551 st AEW&C Wing operations center.
Fuel 1oad was 7330 gallons of 115/145 aviation gasoline. The-DD Form 175
flight plan filed by the Aircraft Commander listed 12+00 hour of fuel on board,
estimated time en route 9 hours plus 50 minutes and 8 hours plus 5 minutes on
station #2 at fifteen thousand feet (FL150).
Briefing and pre-flight were normal
The aircraft blocked on 10 Nov at 2310 EST. At 2338 EST, the
aircraft taxied back to the maintenance ramp reporting malfunctions on #1
engine #1 cylinder And #2 engine #1 power Recovery Turbine (prt). The
spark plugs, coils and leads were changed on #1 cylinder #1 engine, and the .
clamps were tightened on #1 PRT, #2 engine. Engines were again started at
11/0020 EST and the aircraft blocked the second time at 11/0025 EST. Take-off
was made from runway 23 at 11/0037 EST. Otis AFB weather at take-off was
6000 feet. scattered clouds, 8000 feet overcast 7 miles visibility, light rain-
showers surface winds 210 degrees 22 miles per hour, gusts to 30 miles per
hour.
The flight was cleared to station #2 by Otis AFB departure Cross
Rip #1 to Nantucket VOR, control eleven forty four COD intersection, direct
to station #2, to maintain fifteen thousand feet altitude. Immediately after
take-off, a transmission from homey 64 was made to Homey Control on
company frequency (channel 9) "still have flames coming from PRT #2 engine "
However the aircraft-continued on its mission. DELETED------------------------
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----------------------------------------------------------The aircraft accomplished
departure instructions as cleared. Homey 64 contacted Boston Center
on UHF radio en route to Nantucket VOR. He last reported his position as over
COD intersection at 0114 EST passing through thirteen thousand four hundred
feet and climbing to flight level 150. This same information was passed to
Andrews Airways Military Relay facility by high frequency (HF) radio
terminating his report about 0117 EST.
UHF radio contact was established with the. 35th Air Division surveillance-section by the
Homey 64 combat information center officer (CICO) at 0040
EST. Three of four UHF radios were checked and reported to be loud and clear
(#3 UHF was not installed for this flight). Honey 64 was tracked by radar
throughout the flight by the, 35th Air Division. The Homey 64 CICO reported
reported at 0110 EST that he would be ready for his airborne long range inputs
(ALRI) pre-tie,-in tests about. 0115 EST Radar shows Homey 64 reached station
#2 at 0l23 EST and turned south on track. At this time Homey 64 had not completed the
tie-in with SAGE or provided further radio transmissions.
Inspection of SAGE radar printouts show that at- 0122 EST operations
were normal aboard Homey 64 as the radio operator positioned his selective
identification' equipment (SIF) mode selector switch from mode 3 Code 1100
to Mode 3 Code 0000 the normal code for station operation At 0124 EST, the
SAGE printout shows Homey 64 position to be on track center line of station #2
approxirnately 7 NM south of center stabilization point, still transmitting Mode 3
Code 0000 At 0125 EST, the 35th Air Division radar input counter measure
officer (RICMO) lost all radar; contact with Homey 64. He attempted emergency
radio contact and requested North Truro radar site to increase their gain control
on the radar. Radio and radar contacts were unsuccessful. At this time, Boston
Center called the 35th Air Division RICMO to inquire whether they had contact
with Homey 64. The 35th Air Division RICMO indicated negative. Boston Center
advised they had a report of an aircraft down near COD intersection.
At approximately 0126 EST, an aircraft later identified as Homey 64
DELETED----by the 1st mate of the fishing vessel "Stephen R" passing overhead
at approximately 200 feet going in a northeast by due north direction. The air-
craft appeared to be in level flight navigation lights on and emitting a smoke
or vapor trail. Two mites beyond the Stephen R" the aircraft passed directly
over the fishing vessel "Terra Nova" at an estimated altitude of 150 feet, wings
level, red and green navigation lights on, and engine or engines back-firing.
DELETED------------------------------engine noise to be minimum which gave
them the impression that the aircraft was small in size. DELETED-------------
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--------------------The aircraft continued past the "Terra Nova" for approxima-
tely 3/4 to 1 mile and struck the water at approximately 0127 EST. An Explosion
and fire resulted. DELETED-----------------------------------------------------------
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--------- Weather at time of impact was-----------------------------------clear,
visibility 4 to 6 miles, winds from the south at 10 to 18 knots, and the seas running
1 to 3 feet from the south-southwest, water temperature. +48 F. Immediately
after the impact, and during the period that fire persisted, the fishing vessels
"Terra Nova", and "Fern and Isabel" and "Stephen R" retrieved their fishing
nets and proceeded to the crash scene. The fishing vessels "Terra Nova",
"Stephen.R, " and '"Fern and Isabel" were within three-miles radius of where
the aircraft crashed, exploded, and burned. The position taken at that time was
loran Fix of 1h4 6262 and 1H3 2762. This information was relayed to the
Woods Hole Coast Guard by the "Terra Nova". First call to the Coast Guard
informing them of the crash was sent by the "Stephen R" at 0129 EST,
approximately two minutes after the aircraft crashed The aircraft crashed
1/2 mile east of station track 5-1/2 south of station center point, and
1-1/2 miles north of last radar position plotted at 0124. Water depth at this
point is listed on the most recent coast and Geodetic Survey chart dated 5/9/66
as being 174 feet to 200 feet. The fishing vessels proceeded to the crash site
after hauling in their fishing nets, arriving from 10 to 15 minutes after the crash.
They crossed back and forth sweeping the area with they search lights trying
to locate survivors or bodies. None have been recovered to date.
Recovered parts of the aircraft indicate that it contacted the
water extremely hard in a nose up, slight bank attitude. DELETED--------------
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Edited extract furnished by Air Force Safety Center
Kirkland AFB..
Articles from the Cape Cod Standard Times
Notice
Kimberly Ann
Hoppe Holloway daughter of First Lt. Richard Karl Hoppe would like to talk
with anybody who flew or knew her father
This page prepared by Dean
Boys
Please sent any comments, corrections or new material to me.