(USAF serial 65-12750) It failed taking off, overran the runway and crashed and exploded killing the pilot Maj Guo Chi Huei, He was tragically burned.
A withness reported: The accident plane was one of a flight of two that took off side-by-side. The other plane was another instructor pilot YANG Ru Zong. 67th Class. At the end of the runway, the arresting cable and net failed to catch the accident plane. It overran straight down the runway, and stopped in a field, about 100 m from end of runway 05.
The accident report claimed two causes.
1. Pilot's knee board (metal panel with check list card, frequencies card, &c) fell off, and jammed lower end of control stick, because lower end of control stick had a spot where it wasn't burnt, and the knee board was bent with a U-shape dent.
2. After aborted take-off, throttle was back from afterburner to max mil power, not to idle, so it didn't decelerate, and penetrated the net.
However, other 12th Squadron instructors later tried in another powered F-104 cockpit, and couldn't jam the control stick with a knee board. They suspected he reversed the procedure to trim the plane: after normal take-off, at hangar-roof height, retract landing gear, then flaps. They suspected he first retracted flaps, and lost lift. If it crash-landed from hangar-roof height, then it would crush the landing gear, instead of overrunning straight down the runway. So unsolved mystery.
Some believe the pilot ejected safely, who can confirm this? |