I'm glad I stumbled onto your site.  I wanted to comment on 74-1056 that crashed at Herforst, Germany, on 26 Dec 1986.  The aircraft caught fire right after takeoff, and then Spicer and Wiggam punched out over the Spangdahlem Air Base Golf Course.  I was a J-79 engine mechanic working at the Spangdahlem test cell and the pilot and WSO landed right beside our facility.  On that day I just happened to be on leave in the states, but my co-workers witnessed the ejection (in fact, they found the pilot's checklists and other items strewn all over the golf course).  As I recall, a weekend duty crew had installed 2 each 370 gallon wing tanks on 74-1056.  When you fill the tanks on the ground, (I believe the procedure is called "over the wing" refueling) the fuel cap must be installed with the lock lever positioned so that aerodynamic forces won't "flip" the lock lever open during flight.  As fate would have it, the crew installed the cap backwards, and when the plane was barely airborne (and still in afterburner!) the lock lever flipped up, the cap blew off, and fuel began to "vacuum" from the tank.  The fuel subsequently blew aft and made contact with the afterburner flame, and one side of 74-1056 became engulfed in flames.  The Spangdahlem tower informed  Spicer and Wiggam that their aircraft was on fire, at which point they punched out.  The official accident report stated that the unmanned aircraft flew for another 40+ seconds and then plowed into a cemetery in the town of Herforst.  Luckily, the crew was OK and nobody on the ground was injured.  After, my co-workers and I also learned that members of the weekend duty crew that had installed the tanks each had some sort of disciplinary actions/discharges pending and thus should have been de-certified on the procedure.  Of course, the individual who signed the exceptional release also could have caught the error, as well as the crew chief, and the aircrew during walk-around.  A comedy of errors ending in a destroyed Phantom.  I know this is long-winded, but your website brought back a ton of memories of my days at "Spang-Quentin."  Thanks.  CMSgt, USAF (retired

AUSTIN, TEXAS AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ An Air Force jet crashed into a warehouse complex today, but both crew members ejected and parachuted to the ground, fire and Air Force officials said.

Airman Kim Lowery of Bergstrom AFB in Austin said the crew members from the RF-4C Phantom II jet were being examined by Air Force medical officers at Bergstrom. There was no immediate word on their conditions.

Lt. Larry Morris, Austin Fire Department spokesman, said there were no immediate reports of injuries on the ground.

Fire department officials said the blaze caused by the crash was brought under control about an hour after the accident.

The jet was returning from a low-level training mission when the crash occurred about 12:15 p.m., Ms. Lowery said.

The crew members were identified as Col. Roger L. Grimsley, 47, from Leesburg, Ohio, the pilot. Capt. Terence C. Ganiko, 30, of Honolulu, Hawaii, was the weapon systems officer.

The RF-4C is the reconnaissance version of the F-4 fighter-bomber.

Air Force officials said a special board of officers would investigate.

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