“My sensation was that the aircraft as out of control and I ordered Kenny to eject which he did. Instinctively, I took the stick and throttles in hand, and to my amazement, the aircraft was flyable,” Ray Battle, F-4D pilot
An F-4D #66-0249 belonging to the 433rd TFS, Ubon RTAB, Thailand, was hit by a 37mm anti-aircraft fire on November 18, 1968, rendering the Phantom uncontrollable. Pilot Major Ben “Ray” Battle ordered 1Lt. Robert “Kenny” Boone, the WSO, to eject from the aircraft. The plane was able to be controlled after the ejection, and Major Boone performed a gear-up landing at Ubon. Battle survived the landing and Boone was rescued unhurt from the Laotian jungle. Ray Battle recalls.
“Kenny Boone and I were flying a fast-mover FAC mission along the Ho Chi Min trail in Laos. It was an orientation ride for Kenny as he was newly assigned to my unit. We were at 4000 feet and Kenny was flying the airplane when I heard an explosion, the aircraft shuddered and the front windscreen was covered in what turned out to be hydraulic fluid. My sensation was that the aircraft was out of control and I ordered Kenny to eject which he did. Instinctively, I took the stick and throttles in hand, and to my amazement, the aircraft was flyable. I called for help for Kenny and headed back to Thailand where we were stationed. I was given the option of ejecting or landing gear up as the landing gear would not come down. I elected to land gear up and catch the runway wire with my tailhook. I have 150 aircraft carrier landings and thought I could easily make an arrested landing on the runway. I pulled the power off just as I touched down and the aircraft settled onto the wire cutting it. The aircraft slid down the runway and veered off to the right before fish-hooking to the right and stop. It caught on fire and I jumped out safely. As you know Kenny was recovered after spending a nervous night hanging in a tree in Laos. In retrospect, my ordering Kenny to eject was a mistake that I have always regretted. I felt at the time I was saving his life and I intended to eject him after he did. We both survived the incident for which I am grateful.”
As reported by Sierra Hotel Aeronautics, F-4D #66-0249 was eventually repaired, needing a new nose cone, some paint, and a new seat for the guy in the back. She returned to service two years later in February of 1970 and went on to enjoy a long career. Sadly Ol’ #249 saw her end with a plunge in the Florida Gulf, flying out of Tyndall AFB in 1985.
The F-4D #66-0249 was finally fixed, according to Sierra Hotel Aeronautics; it required a new nose cone, some paint, and a new seat for the passenger in the back. She went back to work in February 1970, two years later, and continued to have a successful career. Tragically, Ol’ #249 met her demise in 1985 after taking off from Tyndall AFB and plunging into the Florida Gulf.
Photo by U.S. Air Force