RF-84Fs of the 107th and 171st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadrons, Michigan ANG, Detroit Wayne County Airport, between July 1962 and 1965. The ‘yellow tail’ ships (serials 51-11256 and 11276) are 107th TRS; the ‘red tail’ at left is a 171st TRS bird.
Ship #256 was lost in a midair collision with RF-84F serial 51-1942 during night formation approach. The plane crashed in a bean field near northern Detroit; her pilot was killed. The pilot of ship #942 amazingly landed plane with nearly six feet of the nose missing, using his drag chute and aerodynamic braking to slow the jet, jumping to safety while the aircraft was still rolling.
RF-84Fs of the 107th and 171st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadrons, Michigan ANG, Detroit Wayne County Airport, between July 1962 and 1965. The ‘yellow tail’ ships (serials 51-11256 and 11276) are 107th TRS; the ‘red tail’ at left is a 171st TRS bird.
Ship #256 was lost in a midair collision with RF-84F serial 51-1942 during night formation approach. The plane crashed in a bean field near northern Detroit; her pilot was killed. The pilot of ship #942 amazingly landed plane with nearly six feet of the nose missing, using his drag chute and aerodynamic braking to slow the jet, jumping to safety while the aircraft was still rolling.
October 27, 2011 at 3:46 pm