d/d 02apr57, ARDC (apr57-may57) w/o 02may57, 3415th Maintenance and Support Group / Air Training Command (jun61-mar67), Preserved USAF Acacemy (1967-2000), Preserved Pueblo Colorado, Weisbrod Aircraft Museum as “FG-100” (2003-current)

Note:
Aircraft was finalized August 8th and accepted by the US Air Force on September 28th in 1956. After delivery in April 1957 it became a testbed at the Eglin based ARDC, Air Force Armament Center. A month later it was damaged and brought over to Lockheed Burbank for repair. The aircraft was too much damaged and declared GF-104A (Ground Instructional Airframe) in February 1959. It served as instrunctional airframe with the 3415th MSG at Lowry AFB for many years until its retirement.

Accident Reports:

2 May 1957   (YF-104A)
Operated by the AFFTC it was damaged on Austin AFB, Texas, and written off afterwards due to damaged beyond economical repair. It became an instructional airframe at Lowry AFB after a storage-period. Official reports say it was written off at Bergstrom AFB, owned by Systems Command from Eglin AFB . Pilot was Capt Robert Francis Ronca.

Accident report: "The aircraft departed Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, on 2 May 1957 at 0940 CST on an IFR (1000 on top) flight to Bergstrom AFB, Texas. Flight was proposed as a formation of three, two F-104s and one F-100. The F-100 aborted before takeoff. The flight was filed under callsign of 52967 which aircraft Capt Ronca was flying. With mutual agreement, lead was switched to aircraft 55-2968 before takeoff at Kirtland. Flight was reported as “52967” throughout. Take off was made separately, both aircraft using afterburner. The route of flight was V68 to San Angelo and V76 to Bergstrom. Climb was made to 35000 ft and a cruise climb was instituted for the rest of the flight, arriving at a point 40 miles WNW of  Bergstrom at 38,500feet. At this point a report indicated Bergstrom weather had just changed to broken clouds. Consideration was given to going into San Antonio as flight had been filed without an alternate, but a large hole was visible South of Austin. Descent was made toward this hole and Bergstrom Air Force Base was visible through breaks, east of the hole. IFR was cancelled at 1040 CST with Bergstrom tower and a VFR letdown made into Bergstrom.
Flight was uneventful until approximately 40 miles from Bergstrom. At that time Capt Ronca had an aileron nibble which seemed to move the stick laterally about an inch to either side of neutral and lasted approximately two minutes. Movement was rapid enough to prevent any actual roll since the movement dampened themselves out. He suspected that air in the system was the cause. The remainder of the flight was normal until the traffic pattern was entered. The lead aircraft (55-2968) made a normal landing. Capt Ronca was number two in the flight and accomplished the “break” in a normal manner at 2000 feet indicated and set up a rather loose pattern. Speed brakes were lowered during the first 90 degrees of the landing pattern (RPM was approximately 88-90%). Landing flaps were lowered on downwind at approximately 280K. On base leg at approximately 245K, speed brake switch was pushed in, gear handle lowered and a long turn to final approach was started. Immediately the nose started dropping and he found it rather difficult to raise as the stick felt like at was getting stiff. He checked the hydraulic gauge which was set on the #2 system and saw that the pressure on the system was 1800# (normal 3000#) and dropped quite rapidly. He switched the gauge to the #1 system and that read 1300# and was dropping at about the same rate. At this point he pulled the RAM Air Turbine and the pressure on the #1 system jumped up to 2500-2800#, fluctuated for a few seconds and started bleeding off. Adequate control movement was available to complete final turn and set up a two mile ling final. The #1 system at this time was still dropping and read about 1500#. Capt Ronca doubted that the pressure would last at that rate and considered ejecting from the airplane, however his low altitude and the downwards ejection system made it a rather poor idea. He then decided to get the aircraft as close to the ground as possible and hold it with power, which he thought would help his chance for survival if the controls froze before he made the runway.
At about one fourth mile from the end of the runway the aircraft was low and in a landing attitude. Number 1 system was then reading 800#. He crossed the fence with quite a bit of power at 180K. Over the runway he was settling slightly when he experienced complete control failure. The nose then slowly dropped till the aircraft contacted the runway. During final approach he saw red flares being fired by the Mobile Control Unit but because the gravity of the situation was compelled to ignore them. The aircraft landed wheels up. After the plane was down and settled, the drag chute was pulled and the engine was stopcocked just before the aircraft stopped sliding. Capt Ronca opened the canopy and deplaned. The aircraft mid and underside of fuselage caught on fire due to friction as it slid down the runway, however the fire-trucks arrived within a minute and extinguished the flame. Capt Ronca received no injury as a result of the accident. At the time the flight plan was filed the existing weather at Bergstrom was 12000 feet scattered clouds. 12 miles visibility. Weather was not a factor in the accident".