McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II


All Losses in USAF, USN & USMC Service (Part 1)
1959 - 1965
including South East Asia Conflict

(Draft Listing)
 

fuel nozzle failed due to loose locknut; caught fire - Point Mugu ranges, CA, USA

Disappeared. Crashed into Atlantic Ocean 10 miles from carrier, NC. USA

Cold cat shot, pilot tried to brake but aircraft  went over the bow into Mediterranean Sea

pilot killed

Arrestor cable snapped during night landing. Aircraft went over the side. Both aircrew drowned. 3 deck crew severely  injured

FURTHER DETAILS APPRECIATED

also seen as LTJG Leo Richard Karns with date of death 15th September 1965 buried at sea

Part of wing broke off and landing gear was damaged during bolter on Midway. Aircraft diverted to Miramar but could not land safely. Crashed  in Pacific off NAS Miramar, CA. USA

Struck ramp and exploded on landing

Hard Landing

18th January 1964

Thanks to Roy Gehris, who was a member of VMFA-531, for crew members names.
in email 26th June 2011
(entry amended 28th June 2011)

An update to the F-4B 148413 crash on 18 Jan 1964, the crew were 1LT 
Frederick A Libkie & WO RIO Kent D Ashmore (both Killed)

"were engaging in low-altitude day intercept
practice off Key West on 18 January 1964
when smoke was observed coming out of the
engine. The aircraft settled down closer to the
water, then pitched upward in a stall, and impacted
upside down"

This from VMFA-531 official history.

Regards

Peter Greengrass
in email 27th April 2014

 in Pacific 63 M W of San Diego, CA, USA, rolled at low level. 

RIO Lt. R. W. Butler
[Butner ?]
31
ejected
was not able to contact pilot and ejected when aircraft came too low.

  in email 30th December 2010
   entry amended 1st January 2010

 in Mediterranean on flight from , fuel system failure

 in sea off Japan, crew abandoned aircraft, which was almost out of fuel,  following six abortive attempts to land on carrier

8 M S of Murphysboro, IL, USA, pilot's ejection seat inadvertently fired under negative G-forces. RIO also ejected as he was unable to fly the aircraft from the rear cockpit

Lt. B. H. McCart
USN
ejected safely

parachute did not have time to deploy
killed

Hello,
    checked out your listings of ejections from F4s.  You do not list  F4C 63-7416 from .  It crashed at the Avon Park gunnery
range in May of 1964. The pilot of the aircraft was able to eject but aircraft was inverted  and about 50 ft off the ground and his chute never had a chance to  open.  Rear seater rode it in and was also killed.  I was a jet engine mechanic and worked on the accident
investigation and know for a fact that the pilot ejected.  I saw both  the seat and his helmet.  I have the names of the crew on my web site at.
http://home.insightbb.com/~buckseibert

Buck Seibert

in email 12th March 2007

see also 7th December 1965

FEEDBACK

".   .   . My grandpa was CWO John William Frederick Jr, who ejected on December 7, 1965. He is also the one who ejected on July 17, 1964. I don't remember the exact story, but the Phantom would sometimes behave badly when in auto pilot so the pilots were supposed to give their GIB a heads up if they switched to auto pilot (they actually may have been told not to run it). My grandpa's pilot switched to auto pilot without telling him and the plane exhibited characteristics that led my grandpa to believe they were in trouble, so he ejected. This was while he was stationed at PAX NAS. He ended up at the base hospital afterwards. I believe his leg struck instrumentation or a portion of the cockpit upon ejection."

John Wertz
in email 7th December 2012

also seen as 23rd September

see also 24th July 1965 KIA

Suffered hydraulic failure during launch. Pilot lost control  Crashed  in Mediterranean off Crete, near Greece

needs confirming

loss of control caused by external centerline tank that was jettisoned and struck horizontal stabilizer,

Vietnam

F-4C Phantom II
 

Assigned to the 558th TFS at the time of these incidents

Biography and Photo Courtesy of Linda M. Lusby Pinegar, July 2008:

Quentin Lusby, Jr. was born 11 February 1938, in Dallas, Texas. He attended Dallas and Carrollton, Texas, public schools where he excelled in basketball, football and baseball and was known by his nickname "Butch."  He was also a leader in his high school serving as Student Council and Class Presidents his senior year. He then attended North Texas State in Denton, Texas, where he entered the AFROTC and served as the corps commander his senior year. He was also honored for his outstanding military bearing, received a BA degree in Personnel Management and a reserve commission as a Second Lieuenant on his graduation in June, 1963.

Because of his love of flying, he had been working on his private pilot's license during his college years, and after he reached that goal, he thrilled his family and friends with sightseeing flights over the local Dallas area. Next, he was accepted into undergraduate pilot training class 64C at Laredo Air Force Base, Texas.  He placed high in his training classes of both the T-37 and T-33 programs and at graduation in October, 1963, shortly after the birth of his son, Michael G. Lusby, he received an assignment to train in the latest fighter aircraft, the McDonald Douglas F4C.

He was attached to the 12th Tactical Fighter Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, (558th Squadron) where he trained as the back seat radar and weapons officer.  In February, the wing left MacDill for a short 90-day temporary duty at Naha Air Force Base, Okinawa, and during that time, "Quent" (as he was known to his military buddies,) and the front seat pilot both lost their lives during a nighttime training mission three miles off the coast of Naha Air Force Base, Okinawa, on 24 May 1965.

His classmates at Carrollton High School remembered him for many years after his death with a trophy that they gave to the outstanding high school senior who excelled in sports and leadership. He is also remembered along with Captain Larry Morrow, his front seat pilot at the newly dedicated 12th TFW Wing Memorial wall in Canon City, Colorado.

His widow, son, daughter-in-law and six grandchildren are happy to share his story with others as are those who knew him and/or served with him and remember his dedication to his country, his God, excellence and the thrill of flying.

9th June 1965

 Suffered an unexplained 2,000 pound fuel loss over the target in South Vietnam.

I have been searching the internet for information on Ira Richard Houghton who was a marine phanton pilot and the only thing I can find is a tomb stone on an empty grave and a one line with his name and death dates in a family history tree.

He was an only child and both his parents are now dead. He isn't listed on the Marine Memorial. His name isn't any where that I can find even though it states on his tomb stone that he was "Lost at sea" What the heck does that mean. Just lost at sea and that is all.

I knew him when he was getting his wings in Beeville, Texas in 1963. I last talked with him in the spring of 1964. All these years I have thought he made it through that war because of not finding anything otherwise. Last month I just typed in his name and the family history popped up and I learn that he was lost at sea june of 1965.

Is there any way you can help me find out some information about what happen to him and why his name isn't on any memorial.
I find it just sick that all his life amounts to is a few lines on a cold stone over an empty grave and a one line in a family tree on a branch that has no links that are alive. All the hard work he put into becoming a pilot and a skilled one and gave up his life at such a young age and no one remembers him.

His name was 1st Lt. Ira Richard Houghton who got his wings at Chase Flield Naval station in Beeville, Texas in 1963. He left there for a base in San Deiago Calf. and was shipped out of there I think in Dec. of 1964. He was lost at sea in June of 1965.

Rich was lost at Atsugi,
Japan before we rotated to DaNang, RVN in  July 
1965.

RED DEVIL DATA SHEET 2010

NAME: ………………………Jean Gruhler
CALL SIGN: …………………Growler
DATE OF BIRTH: ……………6AUG35
PLACE OF BIRTH:…………..Atlantic City, NJ
RANK IN 1969:……………….Major
JOBS HELD IN VMFA-232…..Gold Flight Leader/S-4
JOINED USMC: …………… 1DEC53 (USNR 14OCT52)
COMMISSIONED:…………. 7JUN61
WINGS:……………………… 19MAR62
DISCHARGED: ………………15NOV80
WIFE THEN: …………………..Jane, 55years
WIFE NOW:
CHILDREN: …………………...Jean, Jackie, Christian
COLLEGE:……………………..Drexel ‘61, UCLA’70
PRESENT ADDRESS: …………881 Coachway, Annapolis, MD 21401
PHONE: ……………………….(410)849-2112
E-MAIL:……………………….GrowlerVMF@aol.com

Narrative: (What have you been doing the last 40 years or anything you would like to share with us.) FIVE squadrons at El Toro, VMA-211, VMFA-542, VMFA-232,
VMA-214, VMFA-314.......:-))))))))))))))))))))))))

20th June 1965

shot down by a MiG‑17 near Ta Chan in northwest North Vietnam

24th July 1965

providing CAP first US airmen to be shot down by a North Vietnamese SA‑2 surface‑to‑air‑missile 40 miles west of Hanoi

Capt Roscoe Henry Fobair
(KIA)

NE-21

released on 12th February 1973

released on 12th February 1973

Assigned to the 558th TFS at the time of these incidents

crashed during a strafing run during strike against barracks in the My Hoa area, 50 miles south of Thanh Hoa

AAA

attack on army barracks at the village of

Vinh Linh near the coast

hit by an SA‑2 SA over the Ninh Binh Bridge

1st October 1965

hit by small arms fire near Ban Chan, 65 miles west of Hanoi

43 or 47 TFS,15 TFW on TDY, USAF, Ubon

on a road bridge at Lang Met, 40 miles northeast of Hanoi and just nine miles northeast of Kep

Capt James Otis Hivner (POW) ejected 15 miles northeast of Lang Met

17th October 1965

Thai Nguyen road bridge, 30 miles due north of Hanoi

VF‑84, USN, USS Independence

hit by AAA

Struck by anti-aircraft artillery fire as they made a pass on the Thai Nguyen bridge located approximately 38 miles north of Hanoi made an effort to get "feet wet", the aircraft crashed near the town of Quang Lang, approximately 54 miles north of Haiphong and 65 miles northeast of Hanoi

18th  October 1965

raid on a railway bridge near Ha Tinh, 35 miles south of Vinh

26th October 1965

Attacking radar on the island of Bach Long Vi, 70 miles offshore from Haiphong

Returning from a strike mission in poor visibility when they both flew into the side of Monkey Mountain,  five miles northeast of Da Nang

Returning from a strike mission in poor visibility when they both flew into the side of Monkey Mountain, five miles northeast of Da Nang

bombing run on a bridge about 25 miles west of the DMZ when his aircraft was hit by ground fire

Name: Walter Sutton Wood
Branch/Rank: United States Navy/O4
Unit:
Date of Birth: 14 June 1931
Home City of Record: FORT BRAGG NC
Date of Loss: 02 May 1966
Country of Loss: South Vietnam/Over Water
Loss Coordinates: 184700 North  1054800 East
Status (in 1973): Killed In Action/Body Not Recovered
Category: 5
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground:A4E
Missions:
On 10 Feb 1966 Lieutenant Gary D. Hopps was flying an armed reconnaissance mission over southern North Vietnam in an A-1H Skyraider (BuNo 137627). While attacking a road bridge roughly half-way between the coastal town of Dong Hoi and the Demilitarized Zone, Hopps failed to pull out of his delivery and crashed. The A-1 flight had been taking fire and it was believed that Hopps was hit and was unable to either control or leave his aircraft.

Loheed - skyhawk

woloszyk - skyhawk

28th November 1965

Providing air support in the northwest corner of South Viet Nam when hit and managed to get within a couple of miles of Pleiku

VMFA‑323, MAG‑11, USMC, Da Nang

shot down about 45 miles west of Thanh Hoa

see also 17th July 1964

Shot down by ground fire in the Central Highlands 20 miles east of Dak Seang. Crashed into hillside before the crew could eject.

19th December 1965

Escorting a strike on a road bridge at Bac Can. near miss from an SA‑2 missile at 20,000 feet 35 miles due west of Hanoi

20th December 1965

Hit by 57mm AAA over what appeared to be a pilot training dirt airstrip near Lang Son near the Chinese border.