Forum Index > Pacific NW History > Info wanted on 1962 F-102 fighter jet crash on Peninsula
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Obi Tony Kenobi
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PostThu Aug 07, 2008 12:20 am 
The FAA ban on supersonic flight over the land mass and territorial waters of the United States went into effect on April 27, 1973. It prohibited civil aircraft from exceeding Mach 1, except when such operations would not cause a "measurable sonic boom overpressure to reach the surface." This did not apply to military aircraft, but it was adopted by the miltary over heavily populated areas. Now the F-102 could have also come in at a low angle and at high speed and had all its wreckage concentrated in one small area leaving or not leaving a crater. An example of this is the United 757 that was brought down by the passengers during 9/11. Even though it came in at a high speed, its wreakage was fairly concentrated. As for the fire, it probably didn't burn for long, plus the area was wet which would make it really tough for a fire to keep going. Now the "cynical" thing, I don't know how I came across as cynical, I was just sharing what I know.

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cye
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PostThu Aug 07, 2008 5:42 am 
sound barrier
Interesting, I have never been able to determine when the FAA actually put this into effect. The military must have adopted restrictions earlier on. Like I said, I can remember hearing sonic booms as a kid in the early '60s but then they just seemed to cease. I never thought much about it until the SST controversy in the early '70s. One thing that does concern me though, the explosion the hunters heard the morning the F-102 vanished, could it have mearly been a sonic boom? There were two F-102s basically playing cat and mouse on a radar intercept practice mission that morning. This was in November of 1962. I have fairly limited experience with wreckage scatter but one case that does comes to mind was the Ambrose P-38 in the North Cascades. Not a jet, but it did hit the ground at most likely over 300mph. Most of the wreckage was confined to a fifty foot radius around the point of impact. I got to see this first hand before the pilot's remains were recovered. It was kind of strange and contributed to the fact that this plane lay undiscovered for sixty years. Thanks for the info.

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Phil
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PostThu Aug 07, 2008 6:24 am 
Re: sound barrier
Cye wrote:
There were two F-102s basically playing cat and mouse on a radar intercept practice mission that morning. .
Was one of them the one that crashed ?

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Schroder
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PostThu Aug 07, 2008 7:22 am 
I was first on the scene for the C-141 crash into Warrior Peak in the Olympics in 1977. It crashed directly into a wall and it's wreckage was spread out for almost a mile behind the point of impact.

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Backpacker Joe
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PostThu Aug 07, 2008 7:24 am 
Schroder wrote:
I was first on the scene for the C-141 crash into Warrior Peak in the Olympics in 1977. It crashed directly into a wall and it's wreckage was spread out for almost a mile behind the point of impact.
Ugh. How can something like that happen to that airplane?

"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide." — Abraham Lincoln
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Schroder
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PostThu Aug 07, 2008 7:26 am 
Air traffic controller error

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Backpacker Joe
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PostThu Aug 07, 2008 7:43 am 
Goodness that's a large airplane to crash into a mountainside. Poor bastards.

"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide." — Abraham Lincoln
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Schroder
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PostThu Aug 07, 2008 7:58 am 
About 15 on board from what I remember
(edit) done

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Backpacker Joe
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PostThu Aug 07, 2008 8:13 am 
Thanks. I enjoy your aircraft input. Let's keep it going, smartly...... hockeygrin.gif

"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide." — Abraham Lincoln
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cye
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PostThu Aug 07, 2008 8:30 am 
Yes Phil, it was one of those F-102s that vanished. Also, the weather doesn't look very cooperative for the 18th so I am going to change my plans to the 25th. Hope to see you there.

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Schroder
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PostThu Aug 07, 2008 8:32 am 
I have more than my share of aircraft stories. I've witnessed 3 mid-air collisions; once I was driving down the road and a light plane cratered straight down in the road less than 100 ft in front of my car; and I was a passenger in 2 helicopter crashes. I'm not a pilot.

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cye
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PostThu Aug 07, 2008 8:40 am 
C-141
Hey Schroder, was the wreckage scatter of the C-141 partially due to the wreckage tumbling down from the peak. I had heard that it was scattered out over a pretty large area. Thanks

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Schroder
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PostThu Aug 07, 2008 8:52 am 
The wreckage field appeared to be spread more than from just rolling down the hill. Some of it was on the slope on the opposite side of the valley. It hit high on the mountain and almost perpendicular to the wall. The heavier and large pieces, like the landing gear, were closest to the point of impact, but the lighter fuselage pieces probably drifted through the air to carry them so far. There were a lot of small aluminum pieces 6-12" spread out everywhere. There was a lot of snow (it was February) and the fuel glazed the top of it making it pretty difficult to get around. Amazingly, there was no fire.

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Phil
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PostThu Aug 07, 2008 8:56 am 
In Morgenroth's (early Olympics pioneer and ranger) auto-bio, there is a great account of his crash into the side of Constance. There is even a picture of the twisted wreck. He and the pilot had their bells rung but they survived!

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cye
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PostThu Aug 07, 2008 9:07 am 
C-141
I hadn't thought about the possibility of the smaller, lighter pieces drifting in the air. From that elevation they could have traveled a great distance. It is amazing that there was no fire. This has been very informative and could help me a great deal. Thanks again.

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Forum Index > Pacific NW History > Info wanted on 1962 F-102 fighter jet crash on Peninsula
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