RF-4B Phantom Crash at Crow Valley Range in Philippines

Oct. 27, 1987. Cause: Photoflash cartridge did not eject from rack but fired, causing a fire.

VMFP-3 was deployed to NAS Cubi Point, Philippines, to conduct Official Photo Missions and to participate in the latest multi-service Cope Thunder exercise. When the fire burned into/through the wire bundle an uncommand 5-10 degree instantaneous rudder input caught the aircrew by suprise. The aircrew immediately ejected, losing their helmets, oxygen masks and velcro covers from their SV-2 vests.

The crew was recovered with no injuries. A full account of this accident is at
http://www.rf4bphantom.com/mishaps.htm.
Look for entry for Oct 27, 1987.

This description was offered as a correction to the original which cited a third stage turbine failure which was incorrect.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• RF-4B
• Phantom
• Crash
• Philippines
• USMC
• VMFP-3
• Clark
• Air
• Base
• Crow
• Valley
• Luzon
• Cope
• Thunder

[stoneyj50]

I got this from a compilation of accidents. Many of the others are still floating around Youtube. I used to go out to Crow Valley Range to monitor aircraft training and sometimes it got ugly. We filmed everything. The video I have attached is some of the screw ups...although not all of them are accidents. The trained eye or aviator would recognize some of them.

[amikos363]

@stoneyj50

This aircraft, Bureau number 153109 tail code RF 25, was part of a Western Pacific (Westpac) deployment from Marine Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron VMFP-3 stationed at MCAS El Toro, CA. The cause of the mishap was a photoflash cartridge that fired inside the rack but did not eject. The cartridge caused a fire just forward of the vertical fin that burned through a wire bundle and caused loss of control. Both the pilot and Reconnaissance Systems Officer (RSO) ejected successfully.

[stoneyj50]

@amikos363 Hey thanks for input. My source on this vid was hearsay (but who had reported reliably in the past). I would like to change the description based on your input so please give me some substantiation via direct email and I will tidy things up.

[whitcwa]

I did video recording at Crow Valley for the first Cope Thunder back in 1976. I'm glad I didn't witness anything like this. We didn't have a tower. We just set up our B+W camera and 3/4" uMatic VCR on a nearby hill. There was a big arrow plowed into the valley pointing at our hill. I used to joke that a pilot may think the arrow meant "drop bomb here". Then one day, one of them dropped an inert 500 pound bomb behind us!

[DeadboltD]

Amn Shannon Hall and myself, were up on the tower at Crow Valley Range that day filming for Cope Thunder! Hope everything going well for you Stoney.

[goldenspike18]

Very interesting... I showed my dad and come to find out he actually worked on this plane while he was in the Marines. Luckily no one was hurt

[geoago]

Khe san battle.......

[hathganus]

Worked on F-4 and was always a bad day to loose and aircraft. Was a very sad day to loose an aircrew. I'm glad they got out.

[kisselgirl7]

Where did you come up with this?  Wow!