F-106A 59-0144 of the 318th FIS, McChord AFB Tacoma, Washington crashed on 29 May 1978 (Memorial Day) while taking off in a 2-ship formation from McChord AFB on a routine cross-country flight to Tyndall AFB, FL. The aircraft was piloted by Captain Bruce Miller, call sign Kilo-Two Zero (number 2 aircraft in the 2-ship) while his wingman (tail number unknown) the number 1 aircraft in the formation, call sign Kilo-Zero Two was piloted by Maj Jack Butcher. The two aircraft rolled together, hit burner together, lifted the aircraft noses off the runway together and at 0914 hours just as Capt Miller’s gears started to fold up the tower contacted him to say it appeared he was on fire. Unknown at that immediate time, the aircraft suffered a massive engine failure and then flight control failure and was on fire. Before Capt Miller successfully ejected, landing in the middle of 112th street only about 150 to 200 feet from where the aircraft impacted, he tried to guide it to as unpopulated area as he could find in those few short seconds. The aircraft crashed into a pond located in the middle of an apartment complex at 2100 So. 112th St., called Vista Oak Apartments falling almost straight down into the pond. 300 people lived and were sleeping that early Memorial Day, and nobody was injured. Capt Miller's heroic flying, guiding the aircraft towards a rural area, helped save those 300 people. The engine stayed together after the crash fairly well, which aided in identifying a Depot Team as responsible for the engine failure, which was officially documented as due to a faulty engine weld, although there was talk about a main engine bearing being installed incorrectly. The aircraft had just flown an FCF out of maintenance, the only flight it had post-maintenance prior to this flight/crash. [photo from Gary H. Price, MSgt (Ret) collection]

The Air Force Academy graduate pilot Captain Bruce Miller continued his career as a fighter pilot in the Air Force retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel with the Oregon ANG's 142 FIG / 123d FIS. Click the following links for a video covering this accident from Lt Col Miller himself titled the "Memorial Day Miracle".
MOV video 'Memorial Day Miracle' from Bruce Miller's website (43Mb file)
Video on YouTube 'Memorial Day Miracle' from Bruce Miller's website (43Mb file)
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