The Starfighter Serials

Accident Reports:

2 November 1959 (YF-104A)
This YF-104A was written off after an accident at Wright Patterson, Ohio. Approximately 90 seconds after t/o, coming out of A/B, pilot heard and felt a moderate explosion. Pilot declared emergency believing he encountered an engine flame-out. Pilot determined immediately that he could not make it back to either Wright or Patterson Field and ejection would be over populated areas. He notified tower he would point the a/c towards an open field SE and eject. Over relatively open country and losing altitude (keeping in mind the downward ejection seat), the pilot ejected. Chute opened at 500 ft and pilot was safe. Pilot observed the a/c make a slight turn left where it struck the ground at a shallow angle and hit a car on a road and then hit a house. Inside this house two small children were trapped in the wreckage and killed. Their mother ran burning from the house and died 6 days later from her burns. It was a very tragic accident.

Interesting photo showing YF-104A with already a ventral fin mounted during a testflight at Edwards AFB. It is probably testing the dragchute system since pulling the chute while still 60 feet of the ground was not a normal procedure. Also note that the aircraft is having the tailsection mounted from F-104A 56-811. Switching tail was often done with Starfighters, also in the early days. We believe that this photo should have been taken in 1958.

In the famous movie "X-15" which was recorded at Edwards AFB and released in 1961, also this YF-104A was seen taxying on the runway of Edwards. It is carrying production number "10" on the tail fin.

This photo was taken at the ramp of Edwards AFB around late 1956. (Photo Lockheed Martin thanks to Neil Corbett)

Tragic photo of a very tragic accident in 1959. Here the tailsection can be seen in the garden of the destroyed house. The tailsection shows a red band and an unidentified badge. (Photo obtained thanks to Chris Baird)