"Swamp Things"
By CMSgt (Ret) Dick Lewis
In the spring of 1998, the last of the flyable
QF-106's departed Tyndall AFB for their final destinations. Aircraft 59-0158,
59-0043 and 58-0774 flew to the boneyard at Davis-Monthan AFB, while 59-0023
flew to the museum at Dover AFB.
Left behind, were seven QF-106's, not in flyable condition, and relegated to the
backline storage area known as "The Swamp."
Here's
the list of those seven:
In early 1999, an unnamed party contracted to remove the Swamper's and truck them to El
Paso, TX, purportedly for air-museum displays. After three aircraft were prepared for
transportation, work was halted due to a contract dispute. The aircraft were secured from
wind and weather damage, the tools and equipment were put in storage and the work crew
disbanded.
|
 |
 |
 |
590023
Last Flt, Feb '98 |
590043 in Swamp
See more Homeboy |
572545 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
572509 |
572543 |
572545 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
580786 |
590047 |
590105 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
572517 "Totaled" |
572517 "Totaled" |
572517 "Totaled" |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
572517 Crashed |
In the Swamp |
Last 7 in Swamp |
|
|
|
|
THE
ACTUAL STORY OF 57-2517 FROM THE PILOT HIMSELF:
COL ROBERT (BUZZ) SAWYER
The actual first hand story behind the photos!
Sent in by Col Sawyer 3 July 1999
On 21 March 97, Jim Fairhurst (one of my LM pilots) ferried AD256
(57-2517) to Tyndall, as we were sending all our 106s East, making room for our QF-4s.
When he landed, his right brake was locked, and with just about 100 hours total QF-106
time, he couldn't keep it on the runway. She hit the barrier housing and broke off
the right gear, and spun around, almost flipping over on her back. The other two
gear collapsed, the nose was broken off (which threw the battery out of the jet), and he
had to be cut out of the cockpit. The aftermath is attached.
After being grounded and scrutinized by an accident board, our MC-11
maintenance was suspect, and we went through a big thrash replacing the air
"dryers". Well on 14 March 97, I flew AD199 to Tyndall, and my left brake
was locked when I landed! It felt like I rolled over a BAK-12 cable as I touched
down (my tire blowing) and the jet started drifting left. Tower
says I have smoke coming from my left wheel, I appear to have blown a tire.
My hands are full as I'm about to go off into the grass on the left side
of the runway, as the tower now says my left wheel has caught fire. Great! Well,
with full forward and right stick, nosewheel steering hard right, and a little right
brake, I got the plane parallel to the runway, and starting to correct back to the right a
little. I still thought I just had a blown tire, and was planning to turn off, when
the jet just stopped. I couldn't taxi any further, so I opened the canopy and looked
out (getting ready to jump over the side if I was on fire) and saw my wheel was ground off
almost to the hub.
Well, I left it on the runway and got a ride back into ops with the WEG
commander. Having seen what happened to 256 three weeks earlier, he says, "nice
job keeping it on the runway." Thanks. That was it. My boss didn't
even put me in for a $$ award!
So, the next day I left her on the ramp, impounded. At least they
had the plane to intact to investigate, unlike AD256. That was the last I saw her. I
don't know whether it was shot down, or was one of the lucky ones that went back to
AMARC. I suspect she sleeps with the fishes, as it was a good flying drone.
Buzz
|
