Tag:

militaryaircraft

Former Patrulla Aguila Solo Dies in tragic CASA C-101 Accident

by Till Daisd June 7, 2022

The Spanish Air Force CASA C-101 crashed into the sea off the coast of La Manga del Mar Menor, in Murcia while practicing its display routine for the upcoming airshows.

Taken on Aug. 26, 2019, the tragic video in this post shows a CASA C-101 belonging to the Spanish Air Force crashing into the sea off the coast of La Manga del Mar Menor, in Murcia while practicing its display routine for the upcoming airshows.

According to European Airshow Council Facebook Page Pilot Cmdte. Paco Marin has died because of the accident.

Commander Marín was a component pilot of the Aguila Team until 2018 being the “Solo.”

Patrulla Aguila (Spanish for “Eagle Patrol”) was formed on Jul. 4, 1985, and is the aerobatic demonstration team of the Spanish Air Force. It is based at San Javier Air Base, the same location as the Spanish Air Force academy, near Mar Menor and La Manga, in the Murcia region of Spain. Flying seven Casa C-101 Aviojets, they are the only team to use yellow smoke and are also known for their formation landings.

The CASA C-101 Aviojet is a low-wing single-engine jet-powered advanced trainer and light attack aircraft. It is in service with the Spanish Air Force and other countries.

It was designed to replace the Hispano Saeta. Spanish aircraft maker CASA began work on the C-101 in 1975. MBB and Northrop helped with the development, and the first four prototypes flew in June 1977. The design followed that of other jet trainers such as the BAE Hawk and the Alpha Jet, but was less aerodynamically sophisticated, with an unswept wing, and it had limited weapons capability.

Patrulla Aguilla crash
Breaking News a CASA C-101 belonging to the Spanish Air Force Aerobatic Team the Patrulla Aguilla crashed into the sea off the coast of La Manga del Mar Menor, in Murcia while practicing their display routine for the upcoming airshows. According to witnesses, the crew managed to eject before the aircraft plunged into the sea, but has not yet been found.Vid soruce: Antonio Velasco
Posted by European Airshows on Monday, August 26, 2019

Photo by Peng Chen via Wikipedia

June 7, 2022 0 comment

Airshows

Check Out These Epic Photos featuring Red Arrows, Thunderbirds, F-22 and F-35 Demo Teams flying in formation above New York

by Till Daisd June 3, 2022

written by Till Daisd

The RAF Red Arrows and USAF Thunderbirds display teams were joined by a formation of the F-22 Raptor Demo Team and the F-35 Demo Team.

On Thursday, Aug. 22, 2019, the legendary Royal Air Force (RAF) Red Arrows flew in formation alongside the US Air Force (USAF) Thunderbirds for a historic aerial parade above Manhattan, along the Hudson River, and over the Statue of Liberty.

The six Thunderbirds F-16 FightingnFalcon fighter jets in fact flew with the RAF aerobatic squadron atn9.30am.

The two display teams were joined by a formation of the F-22 Raptor Demo Team and the F-35 Demo Team – also of the US Air Force – during the fly-by.

Check Out these Epic Photos featuring Red Arrows, Thunderbirds, F-22 and F-35 Demo Teams flying in formation above New York

According to Daily Mail, New Yorkers and other tourists were wowed by the iconic aircraft formations flying above the Manhattan skyline.

According to a Thunderbirds press release, six fighter planes flew over the Hudson River in Delta Formation in sequence with the 9-ship Red Arrows formation.

The Red Arrows left nine vapor trails thatnare produced by pumping diesel mixed with colored dye into the planes’ jetnexhaust.

All of the planes can carry enough diesel and dye to create one minute of red smoke, one minute of blue smoke, and about five minutes of white smoke during their displays.

After buzzing Manhattan, all aircraftnfollowed the Hudson River down to Liberty Island before going back up thenriver.

Noteworthy the six F/A-18 Hornet strike fighters belonging to the US Navy Blue Angels display team were due to take part in the air parade as well, but due to operational requirements were not able to participate in the fly-by.

Photo by U.S. Air Force and Crown Copyright

June 3, 2022 0 comment

Carriers

USS Gerald R. Ford AAG cleared to recover all “props and jets”

by Till Daisd May 29, 2022

written by Till Daisd

The latest Aircraft Recovery Bulletin by the U.S. Navy enables propeller aircraft: C-2A Greyhound, E-2C Hawkeye, and E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, and jet aircraft: F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and E/A-18G Growler to perform flight operations aboard USS Gerald R. Ford.

The latest Aircraft Recovery Bulletin (ARB) by the U.S. Navy has cleared the Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) system to recover all existing fixed-wing aircraft operating aboard its aircraft carriers.

The ARBs enable propeller aircraft: C-2A Greyhound, E-2C Hawkeye, and E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, and jet aircraft: F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and E/A-18G Growler to perform flight operations aboard USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78).

“The entire team did a tremendous job accelerating the schedule and working through challenges,” said Capt. Ken Sterbenz, program manager for the Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment program office (PMA-251). “This achievement is another significant step toward ensuring the system can support the ship’s full airwing.”

ARBs are official Navy instructional documents identifying the weights and engaging speeds authorized for shipboard arrestments of specific aircraft, along with other pertinent information.

“Release of the ARBs signifies ‘Naval Air Systems Command’s stamp of approval’ for the AAG system to safely recover these type/model/series aircraft aboard the Navy’s newest class of aircraft carriers,” said Jeff Mclean, deputy program manager for AAG System Design and Development.

The team, in collaboration with prime contractor General Atomics, continues to execute the requisite SystemnDevelopment and Demonstration testing at the land-based test sites located atnJoint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey.

Mclean added, that comprehensive testing of new systems like AAG is critical, and not only ensures the technology meets Navy requirements but also ensures it is operationally safe for use in the fleet.

Prior to Props and Jets ARB generation, the team conducted more than 2,500 dead-load arrestments at the Jet Car Track Site (JCTS) and 1,420 manned aircraft arrestments at the Runway Arrested Landing Site.

“The pace of system testing was consistently demanding and required numerous team members to perform their duties in difficult conditions and in all types of weather in order to meet critical program milestones leading up to these ARB releases,” said Mclean.

USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) is the lead ship in the Ford-class of an aircraft carrier, the Navy’s first new class of aircraft carriers in more than 40 years. The AAG system is designed to arrest a greater range of aircraft, reduce the fatigue impact load to the aircraft, and provide higher safety margins while reducing manpower and maintenance. AAG is one of more than 20 new systems incorporated into the Gerald R. Ford-class design, giving it the warfighting capability essential for air dominance in the 21st century, including the flexibility and resilience to rapidly adapt to emerging threats, and the cost-effectiveness to support overall Navy shipbuilding priorities.

USS Gerald R. Ford AAG cleared to recover all “props and jets”

Photo by U.S. Navy

May 29, 2022 0 comment

Carriers

The sad story of the Forrestal Fire

by Till Daisd May 12, 2022

written by Till Daisd

As the F-4B’s own electrical systems took over, causing a power surge, there was a tremor beneath the left wing and a single Zuni flashed across the Forrestal deck and severed an ordnance man’s arm…

Fires on overcrowded aircraft carriers are every crew’s nightmare. Several of these accidents took place during the Vietnam War. The first to hit TF 77 was started in a magnesium flare locker aboard Oriskany (CV-34) in October 1966, killing 25 pilots and 19 sailors and taking the carrier out of the war for nine months. Of all the lethal ordnance aboard carriers, the Zuni rocket was involved in the most disastrous onboard fires. One of these occurred aboard Coral Sea (CV-43) on Oct. 18, 1967, when nine sailors were burned after a Zuni ignited during a test on deck. Crewmen near an F-8 Crusader onboard Hancock (CV-19) had also been badly burned when a Zuni misfired earlier that same year.

However, nothing compared with the fire onboard Forrestal (CV-59) that almost destroyed the ship on Jul. 29, 1967 — only its fifth day on the line in the Gulf of Tonkin. As explained by Peter E. Davies in his book US Navy F-4 Phantom II Units of the Vietnam War 1964-68, VF-11 F-4B BuNo 153061 AA 110 was one of three loaded with six LAU-10/A Zuni pods on TERs rather than the 2.75-in rockets that the pilots had expected. The aircraft had flown an 0700 hrs mission earlier that day and returned with a hung Mk 82 bomb, so loading LAU-10/As was seen as a time-saver in order to meet the aeroplane’s 1100 hrs launch deadline.

Another shortcut unofficially employed by Forrestal’s deck crew was to attach the ‘pigtail’ electrical connection between the TER and the rocket launcher receptacle while aircraft were still ‘spotted’ in their pre-taxi positions on deck. The official instruction was that this last-minute connection should be plugged in ‘just before takeoff’, which most assumed to imply ‘on the catapult’ in order to prevent the possibility of inadvertent rocket launching at other aircraft on deck rather than out to sea. The system’s other safety backup was a ‘TER pin’ that was placed in a receptacle on the rocket-firing intervalometer mechanism, blocking the current from reaching the Zuni and firing it off. TERnpins were supposed to remain in place until seconds before launch, but to save further time in the frantic launch schedule of an Alpha package these pins were being removed earlier while the aircraft was still being pre-flighted. Sadly, deck crewmen were apparently unaware that both these safety measures, each one supervised by different personnel, were being overridden together. They also had little experience with a TER electrical system, which included a switch that was vulnerable to electrical surges.

Lt Cdr James E Bangert, a pilot of F-4B BuNo 153061 and squadron safety officer, was unaware of the two conflicting shortcuts, although he had been disquieted to learn that weapons were being armed early to hasten the launch sequences. As he pre-flighted his F-4B a crewman checked all the armament circuits and found no stray voltages, so he plugged in the Zunis’ pigtails. Bangert fired up his starboard J79 and signaled to crewmen to disconnect the yellow external power cart used to provide power for the start procedure in the absence of an internal battery. As the F-4B’s own electrical systems took over, causing a power surge, there was a tremor beneath the left wing and a single Zuni flashed across the deck and severed an ordnance man’s arm. It then impacted the external fuel tank of an A-4E Skyhawk (Lt Cdr Fred White’s AA 405 of VA-46) in the row opposite the line of F-4Bs. Although it did not explode, the rocket cut into the fuel tank, spraying fuel all over the flight deck. The A-4E, and those of Lt Cdr John McCain and Lt(jg) David Dollarhide, were instantly engulfed in flames as the fuel was ignited by jet engine exhausts.

There was a possibility that the burgeoning fire could have been contained by Forrestal’s vigilant fire crews, but far worse destruction was to follow as two 1000-lb M65 bombs fell from the wing pylons of the A-4Es. The shortage of new, low-drag Mk 83 bombs at the time had forced the ship’s commanding officer, Capt John Beling, to accept delivery of 16 World War 2-vintage M65s from Subic Bay, where they had been subjected to open-air storage in jungle conditions. His initial reaction had been to refuse the bombs, and many of the ship’s ordnance men also threatened to boycott the corroded weapons, some of which had been stored since 1953. They were known to be much more heat-sensitive than Mk-series ordnance and susceptible to shock detonation, while their explosive power was actually increased by chemical degeneration during storage.

The suspect bombs were uploaded for the day’s strike as early as possible, partly to get them off the ship. When the fire began they started to detonate within 1.5 minutes, rather than allowing a ten-minute window for the firefighters to tackle the blaze as the thicker-skinned Mk 83s would have done. Massive holes were blown through the carrier’s flight deck and blazing fuel cascaded into the lower decks. In all, nine bombs cooked off, and when the fire was eventually defeated after 12 hours 134 men had been killed and many more injured. Forrestal’s CVW-1 lost 21 airplanes, including seven F-4Bs, and a further 34 aircraft sustained serious damage. CVA-59 returned to the Norfolk Naval Shipyard for an extensive rebuild that cost more then $72m. It was replaced in TF 77 by fellow Atlantic Fleet carrier America.

US Navy F-4 Phantom II Units of the Vietnam War 1964-68 is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by U.S. Navy

May 12, 2022 0 comment

Airshows

Remembering Russian MiG-29’s Midair Collision at RIAT ‘93

by Till Daisd May 6, 2022

written by Till Daisd

The Fulcrums display at RIAT ’93 -culminated in a spectacular collision at 200-250m (660-820 ft) in which MiG-29 ‘925 Black’ was virtually cut in two aft of the cockpit, bursting into flames.

Taken on Jul. 24, 1993, the famous video in this post shows MiG-29s belonging to the Russian Flight Research Institute (named after Mikhail M. Gromov (LII)) display team (sponsored by the Aviatika Production Association affiliated with MAPO) colliding during their performance at the Royal International Air Tattoo ’93 (RIAT ’93) airshow at RAF Fairford.

The story behind this incident is quite interesting.

As told by Yefim Gordon and Dmitriy Komissarov in their book Mikoyan MiG-29 & MiG-35, the blue/yellow/black MiG-29s (code ‘526 Black’ and ‘925 Black’ and flown by test pilots Sergey N. Tresvyatskiy and Aleksandr G. Beschastnov) had arrived on Jul. 21 from Prague where they had performed at the Czech Air Force’s 75th-anniversary show. For the next two days, the pilots were busy practicing. However, the ‘real thing’ – the display on Jul. 24 -culminated in a spectacular collision at 200-250m (660-820 ft) in which Beschastnov’s aircraft (‘925 Black’) was virtually cut in two aft of the cockpit, bursting into flames. Incredibly, both pilots escaped without a scratch, even though one of them had to eject from an inverted position; a BBC announcer said that the pilots had ‘jumped out from under the coffin’s lid’.

The accident information message released by the RAF Inspectorate of Flight Safety (IFS) went as follows:

‘1. On 24 Jul 93 at 1527 hrs (local), a pair of MiG-29s of Flight Research Institute took off in close formation to commence their display at the RAF Fairford International Air Tattoo (IAT). The cloud was scattered at 3,000 ft [914m], visibility excellent and surface wind down the runway at 8 kts [4 m/sec]. The display was normal until the final maneuver which was simultaneous loops commenced from a long line astern, prior to a break to land. The leader, who pulled up first, carried out a normal loop. The aircraft entered the cloud at the top. Number 2 commenced his loop with some lead on the first aircraft, executed a slightly tighter loop, and experienced difficulties with the cloud. At some stage during the maneuver, both pilots lost visual contact with each other and called it. As a result of the Number 2’s tighter loop, the leader was lower as far in front of the Number 2 as he expected. Although still unsighted, the lead pilot decided to carry out his break downwind, believing it would take him out of the flight path of the other aircraft. Shortly after commencing his break, the left-wing of the lead aircraft impacted the fuselage of the number 2 aircraft. Both aircraft immediately became uncontrollable. Both pilots ejected successfully and were uninjured. The aircraft impacted the NE of the airfield 700 m [2,300 ft] from the crowd line. One aircraft crashed on the perimeter fence and the other about 600 m [1,970 ft] beyond. Remarkably, only one person on the ground received minor injuries. A Belgian C-130, an Italian Air Force [Aeritalia] G222, and a French Air Force Alpha Jet were slightly damaged.

2. An RAF BOI (board of investigation –nAuth.) was convened to investigate the circumstances of the accident. Preliminarynassessment is that the cause of the collision involved the following factors: flightninto cloud, the tighter loop by the Number 2, and the leader’s break without visualncontact with his Number 2. Both pilots stated that the aircraft werenserviceable prior to the impact.

3. Service and IAT orders and instructionsnappear valid. It is not clear whether the Russian Research Institute MiG-29snwere civilian or military.

4. There are no recommendations at thisnstage.’

The British reaction to the crash was something like ‘don’t worry too much; you’re not the first, you’re not the last.’ The RAF accepted the costs of recultivating the soil at the crash site while the Russian party paid for the damage to the parked aircraft. The pilotsnreturned to active duty on Aug. 2, 1993.

Noteworthy the following video features the full display up until the crash.

Mikoyan MiG-29 & MiG-35 are published by Crecy and are available to order here.

May 6, 2022 0 comment

F 14 Barricade Landing Kitty Hawk 1170x585 1

F-14 Tomcat

Photo Sequence shows F-14A Tomcat Engaging Barricade during Emergency Landing aboard USS Kitty Hawk

by Till Daisd April 14, 2022

written by Till Daisd

The recovery was successful; no injuries were sustained during the F-14A Tomcat emergency landing.

Taken on Jun. 30, 1984, the photo sequence in this post shows: LEFT – A Grumman F-14A Tomcat fighter jet from VF-1 Wolfpack entering a barricade during an emergency landing aboard the conventionally-powered U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63). CENTER – The barricade restrains the aircraft as it comes aboard the carrier. The recovery was successful; no injuries were sustained during the landing. RIGHT – Crew members use an NP-50 crane to remove the damaged aircraft from the flight deck after its emergency barricade landing.

Photo Sequence shows F-14A Tomcat Engaging Barricade during Emergency Landing aboard USS Kitty Hawk

VF-1, “Wolfpack” was established on Oct. 14, 1972, at Naval Air Station (NAS) Miramar, at the same time as VF-2, these units were the first F-14 fighter squadrons. VF-1 received the first F-14As on Jul. 1, 1973. The squadron’s insignia was a red wolf’s head designed by Grumman Commercial Artist, George M. Kehew himself a WWII combat veteran. The Squadron Insignia is registered in the Library of Congress.

The first cruise came in September 1974 onboard USS Enterprise (CVN-65). The end of the cruise saw the first Tomcat’s combat debut, as VF-1 and VF-2 flew cover over Saigon for evacuation of US personnel in April 1975 as part of Operation Frequent Wind.

In September 1980, VF-1 and VF-2 changed carrier air wings, moved to USS Ranger (CV-61), and flew various cruises with her until they shifted carriers once again in 1984 to USS Kitty Hawk. They stayed with Kitty Hawk for one cruise. In 1984, VF-1 had achieved an impressive 22,000 flight hours without a single accident. By 1986, they returned to the Ranger and were with the carrier during Operation Desert Storm where VF-1 scored the only F-14 air-to-air kill during the war, an Iraqi Mil Mi-8 helicopter was downed by an AIM-9 Sidewinder.

The Ranger’s last foreign port of entry was Sydney Australia in January of 1993 after having spent New Year’s Eve 1992 in Melbourne Australia.

The Ranger was decommissioned in 1993 and VF-1 was left without a carrier. They operated out of NAS Miramar until VF-1 itself was disestablished on Oct. 1, 1993.

U.S. Navy photos by PH3 Hall. From the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

April 14, 2022 0 comment

Airshows

Interesting video features airshow comparison between F-35A and J-31

by Till Daisd April 2, 2022

written by Till Daisd

Giving the heavy smoke from exhausts heat signature is very high for the J-31 and could affect its stealthiness.

The video in this post features an interesting F-35A Lightning II Vs J-31 Gryfalcon “Airshow Comparison.”

It’s fair to say that the U.S. F-35 is much more mature than the current version of the Chinese J-31. In fact, as shown in the footage the J-31 is still testing version 001.

Moreover giving the heavy smoke from exhausts heat signature is very high for the J-31 and could affect its stealthiness.

The Shenyang J-31 (F-60) is a fifth-generation, multi-role, twin-engine stealth fighter aircraft being manufactured for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) by ShenyangnAircraft Corporation, an affiliate of Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). It is the second stealth fighter that China has indigenously developed after the J-20.

The J-31 fighter jet is intended to provide advanced defense capabilities in close-air support, aerial bombing, and air interdiction operations. According to Air Force Technology, it can also perform suppression of enemy air defenses and can be used as a carrier-based fighter on aircraft carriers.

Interesting video features airshow comparison between F-35A and J-31

Noteworthy as we have previously reported an interesting rendering of
an F-35 painted to simulate the Chinese J-31 stealth fighter appeared on the 57th Wing Commander’s Facebook Page in January.

Last May the U.S. Air Force (USAF) decided to reactivate the 65th Aggressor Squadron (AS) to act as a fifth-generation aggressor squadron at Nellis Air Force Base (AFB) and move nine non-combat capable F-35A aircraft from Eglin AFB, Florida, to the unit.

We can assume that the J-31 camo will be the aggressor scheme worn by 65th AS Lightning IIs.

Photo by U.S. Air Force, 57th Wing Commander Facebook Page and via Wikimedia Commons

April 2, 2022 0 comment

Civil

Video shows Dive Bahrain preparing a Boeing 747 to be submerged in world’s largest underwater theme park

by Till Daisd April 2, 2022

written by Till Daisd

The dive site will have a 70-meter long decommissioned Boeing 747 as its centerpiece, the largest aircraft ever to be submerged.

The interesting video in this article was posted by Dive Bahrain on social media and shows its team preparing a Boeing 747 to be transported and submerged 20 meters in the waters off Hair Al Sharhiya, a protected marine site in the north of the island, as part of the world’s largest underwater theme park.

The park will cover an area of over 100,000 square meters. The dive site will have a 70-meter long decommissioned Boeing 747 as its centerpiece, the largest aircraft ever to be submerged. The site will provide an exceptional dive experience. Phase 1 of the project includes submerging the aircraft, a replica of a pearl merchant’s house, and sail structures. Future phases of the project are still being studied but could include reef balls, ships, and sculptures.

That’s for sure an interesting final resting place for this former Air Atlanta Icelandic B747-236F TF-AAA!

Video shows Dive Bahrain preparing a Boeing 747 to be submerged in world's largest underwater theme park

The Jumbo is painted in a look-a-like livery of the Boeing Company house livery featured on the original B747-prototype in 1969.

According to Scramble Facebook News Magazine, TF-AAA had been stored at Fujairah since 2013 and flew passengers and cargo with Malaysia Airlines from 1982 until 2006. Then it moved to Focus Air as N361FC. Two years later, in 2008, it started flying for Air Atlanta Icelandic.

Photo by Dive Bahrain

April 2, 2022 0 comment

F-14 Tomcat

Here’s why this F-14A Tomcat split into two pieces

by Till Daisd March 11, 2022

written by Till Daisd

“On the night of July 11th as we made our way across the pond, it was a horrible night for pilots ‘behind the boat’ as the deck was pitching 10 feet in both directions…,” Rich Herbst, former F-14A pilot with VF-51 Screaming Eagles.

The photo in this post shows the remains of VF-51 Screaming Eagles F-14A Tomcat BuNo 162602 after a ramp strike upon landing aboard the USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63).

This F-14 ramp strike and subsequent crew ejection took place on Jul. 11, 1994.

Here’s why this F-14A Tomcat split into two pieces

According to former VF-51 pilot Rich Herbst, “On the night of July 11th as we made our way across the pond, it was a horrible night for pilots ‘behind the boat’ as the deck was pitching 10 feet in both directions. The pilot, LT “Pig” Arnold, made an unsafe power correction inside the wave-off window, chasing the deck down. When the ship rose back up, he did not have enough power, even at full throttle, to safely wave off. The RIO – LCRD “Animal” Jennings saw what was coming and he initiated ejection just after the plane impacted the round down of the ship. The plane actually caught a wire and split into two pieces, with the engine and back half of the jet left as a burning fireball in the wires. The front half of the jet skidded off of the front of the ship. The animal landed in his chute on the front of the ship next to some parked S-3s. Aside from some minor injuries to his feet due to the landing impact, Animal was fine and flying within a few days. Pig had the unfortunate luck to be brought down in his chute right into the fireball that was burning in the wires. He sustained serious injuries to his hands and neck. He ended up making a full recovery, but never flew Tomcats again.”

Herbst continues: “My stateroom was on the O-3 level right under the “crotch”. I watched the mishap live on the ship’s closed-circuit PLAT TV and will never forget the sound of the scraping metal of the jet going across the deck, above me in my stateroom as we watched.”

Noteworthy original U.S. Navy plans saw VF-51 and its sister squadron VF-111 becoming the first deployable units to transition to the F-14D Super Tomcat, however, these plans were canceled in December 1991 and VF-51 spent the time to its disestablishment (in March 1995) flying the F-14A.

Then following, a horrific video shows the ramp strike described in this article.

March 11, 2022 0 comment

F-14 Tomcat

More details (and picture) of the recent IRIAF F-14A Tomcat crash

by Till Daisd March 9, 2022

written by Till Daisd

The IRIAF F-14A Tomcat airframe is completely destroyed.

The picture in this post features the IslamicnRepublic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) F-14A Tomcat that crashed yesterday.

According to Scramble Facebook News Magazine, it is now (still unconfirmed) reported that the aircraft involved is F-14A 3-6003. According to the picture of the fatal Tomcat, the airframe is completely destroyed.

As we have reported yesterday, one of the few remaining IRIAF F-14A Tomcat fighter jets was involved in a crash at home base Esfahãn-Shahid Beheshti International Airport (Iran).

The IRIAF F-14A from the 8th Tactical Air Base crashed while it was landing. The aircraft reported an emergency to air traffic control during its training flight, subsequently, the fighter was approved to make a quick landing at Esfahãn, but the aircraft was not able to hold position and skidded off the runway. Both pilot and Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) were forced to eject. They parachuted safely to mother earth.

It is said that the IRIAF only has some twelve to fourteen operational F-14A and F-14AMs left. The IRIAF faces large problems to keep their Tomcats in the air (the AM version is locally modified and equipped with new avionics and multi-function displays in the cockpit, countermeasure systems, radar warning receivers, and an inertial navigation system).

The U.S. Navy retired the iconic Tomcat on Sep. 22, 2006, and today the F-14 remains in service with IRIAF.

In January 2007, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) announced that sales of spare F-14 parts would be suspended over concerns of the parts ending up in Iran, and in Jul. 2007 the remaining U.S. F-14s were shredded to ensure that any parts could not be acquired.

However, in Oct. 2010, the IRIAF commander stated that his country was overhauling its F-14s and mentioned that an Iran-made radar system had been installed on the fighter.

Moreover in the summer of 2010, Iran requested that the U.S. deliver the 80th F-14 it had purchased in 1974, but delivery was denied after the Islamic Revolution.

Photo by Scramble Facebook News Magazine

March 9, 2022 0 comment

Newer Posts

Older Posts