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Interesting F-106 story

L

Lateral-G

Chief Test Pilot
In 1970, while assigned to the71st FIS at Malmstrom AFB, Montana, its pilot ejected during an inflight emergency. The pilot somehow got himself in a flat spin -- this is considered generally unrecoverable in an F-106 and the book says to get out.

After the pilot did just that, 58-0787 recovered itself from this unrecoverable position. In a vain attempt to recover, the pilot had trimmed it to takeoff trim and engine throttle back. After it recovered itself, it flew wings-level to the ground and made a near-perfect belly landing in a farmer's snow-covered field.

When the local sheriff arrived on the scene, the engine was still running. On a slight incline, the F-106 would move slightly as the snow under it melted which got the sheriff quite energized. See the attached photos.

A depot team from McClellan AFB recovered the aircraft and it was eventually returned to service. When the 71st FIS was disbanded in 1971, 58-0787 went to the 49th FIS, my first squadron. Some considered it a lucky ship, others a jinx ship. We all referred to it as the "Cornfield Bomber".

We would occasionally run into ex-71st FIS guys at William Tell and ragged them unmercifully about the "emergency" so dire the plane landed itself. 58-0787 is in its 49th FIS markings at the USAF Museum and I have been to see this old friend several times. As pleased as I am to see the 49th FIS Eagle immortalized for millions to see, a part of me wishes they would paint one side in 71st FIS markings to ensure visitors know it wasn't the 49th that abandoned this perfectly good airplane.


 
Interesting story. I wonder if the act of ejecting might have forced the nose down just enough to allow the plane to “recover itself”? The ejection sequence would have imparted some downward force against the nose of the plane…
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This story reminds me of an incident we had on Nimitz in 1991. One of our planes (FA-18C), during a landing attempt, hit the round down. The impact tore off the right main gear and damaged the right engine. The pilot immediately ejected upon impact with the ship, which was a sensible thing to do! However, the stricken Hornet slid across the flight deck, and the hook caught an arresting wire! So imagine, FA-18C, no pilot, busted off right main gear, hung on a wire, with the engines in full afterburner!
 
that's one of the coolest stories I've heard in a long time. I'm glad you brought pics too!!
 
Never heard of that story before, it's amazing. Glad the pilot made it out ok, and he's lucky it wasn't an inverted flat spin. That 106 must have said.... I ain't going out like this... If the pilot can do it, I'm gettin my butt back on the ground too.

In the Mig-21 and L-39 here at KILG, there's a switch on the stick for an autopilot recovery. If the pilot get into trouble or disoriented in any way, all he has to do is flick the switch and the a/c will come to straight and level flight. I've no idea right now but was there something like that on the 106es? If no one knows I'll be able to find out a week from this coming Sunday when Joe flise again. I hope he knows... he flew the 102s back in the early 70s and talks about the 106es every once in awhile.
 
PRB said:
This story reminds me of an incident we had on Nimitz in 1991. One of our planes (FA-18C), during a landing attempt, hit the round down. The impact tore off the right main gear and damaged the right engine. The pilot immediately ejected upon impact with the ship, which was a sensible thing to do! However, the stricken Hornet slid across the flight deck, and the hook caught an arresting wire! So imagine, FA-18C, no pilot, busted off right main gear, hung on a wire, with the engines in full afterburner!
Click to expand...
Well don't leave us hanging! What happened to the plane???
 
GT182 said:
Never heard of that story before, it's amazing. Glad the pilot made it out ok, and he's lucky it wasn't an inverted flat spin. That 106 must have said.... I ain't going out like this... If the pilot can do it, I'm gettin my butt back on the ground too.

In the Mig-21 and L-39 here at KILG, there's a switch on the stick for an autopilot recovery. If the pilot get into trouble or disoriented in any way, all he has to do is flick the switch and the a/c will come to straight and level flight. I've no idea right now but was there something like that on the 106es? If no one knows I'll be able to find out a week from this coming Sunday when Joe flise again. I hope he knows... he flew the 102s back in the early 70s and talks about the 106es every once in awhile.
Click to expand...

Just saw you're at Newcastle (KILG). If you see our Maule (78B) there give a shout to the pilot. We're doing chase work for our team-mates at Boeing Philly. Our group in St Louis does this sort of work...

-G-
 
TARPSBird said:
Well don't leave us hanging! What happened to the plane???
Click to expand...

The "crash and smash" folks put that modified fork lift, normally used to help extract a wounded pilot, against the plane, and one of them shut off the engines. This after they tried pumping water from 2.5" hoses into the intakes. That didn't work... Had the plane not caught the wire, it would have been a disaster, as it would have slid right into the pile of planes parked on the bow. With no right gear to keep it straight, it was headed that way! The pilot landed on the flight deck, and broke his elbow bone, but was otherwise ok.

About the F-106, I remember seeing video of a plane, F-14 maybe, in a flat spin. When the crew did eject, the F-14 seemed to nose over, hence the "ejection caused it to recover" theory.
 
LG, I sure will. If they see a greybearded old fart with a solid blue Mid Atlantic Air Museum hat on, tell em it'll be me. ;) Or tell them to stop over to Aero Taxi on a Sunday morning around 9am and meet Joe, and then watch him take the Mig and L-39 up for a spin. I'll be there too. Not this sunday tho as he's out in Reno. He'll be back for Sunday April 4th.

PRB, I'd say all on deck were very lucky. And the pilot lucky to be alive.
 
Wow, I thought I heard them all until now. I read years ago about a navy pilot during W2 while in training to fly F4U's. So just after takoff and in climb power and trim, the engine quit and since he was high enough to bail and a low timer in type, he left said aircraft. Then while the prop was windmilling it fired back up and started to fly around the base all by its self, much to the concern of the ground personal as to when and where this plane will come down, and someone suggested to try and shoot it down, but there was no .50 cal ammo to be found. After a while the engine quit for good and down it went. Anyway the writer of the story was more than amused at all officers and ground crew standing there and watching all this going on, mouth open and scratching there heads.
 
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