318th FIS AB Blowout (Read 1,701 times)

Bullhunter do you know what the tail number on this jet was?



During a evening takeoff this aircraft had an exit guide vane break off,
which lodged in the AB spray bars redirecting the AB flame thru the
side of the AB and the jet. The tower alerted the pilot who aborted the
takeoff and dropped the arresting hook. The hook caught the cable and
stopped the aircraft. Additional damage was suffered by the nose wheel
& strut.

UPDATE 10 May 2013:
I updated the photo gallery page at www.f-106deltadart.com/318fis.htm now listed as 590058 AB Blowout
and includes a 3rd photo showing the nose on the ground thanks to Gene

The modified narrative originally from Bullhunter now reads
F-106A 59-0058 of the 318th FIS McChord AFB, WA after an Afterburner Blowout in 1977 at McChord AFB, WA. Photo's and info by Gary H. Price, MSgt, USAF (Ret), Timothy Shannon, CMSgt, USAF (Ret), Gene Johnson, Base Photographer.

A Near Disaster: During early evening missions this F-106 of the 318th had an afterburner blowout. An 'exit guide vane' broke off, lodged in the AB spray bars, redirecting the AB flame thru the left side of the AB and the left side of the jet. The pilot aborted take-off and drop the hook to snag the arresting cable at the far end of the runway. The lower part of the nose gear strut broke off as the aircraft hooked the cable do to the extreme forces put upon it by the fast stop. Pilot was ok. Because the 318th at McChord maintained an alert force of 2 F-106 fighters on 5 minute alert the maintenance team had to clear the runway quickly. They got a low flatbed truck out of the motorpool, lifted the nose of the aircraft and set the nose gear strut onto the flat bed and tied it all down with cargo straps and then towed the fighter with the truck to a repair hanger.

"It was a night when the squadron was going to have a few night flights.  A young airman and I were on duty and stood by as the pilot started its engine and taxied out. The F-106 Interceptor went to the far end of the base and runway as we drove back to the shop office. We heard the jet run-up its engine and select afterburner. All sounded normal until it got closer to our end of the runway then things sounded wild and then strange noises, soon followed by emergency vehicles. We left the shop and saw the aircraft near the end of the runway facing the wrong way.  The jet engine afterburner suffered a blowout the side. The tower told the pilot he was on fire so he aborted takeoff and deployed the aircraft arresting hook that catches a arresting cable at the runways end, just like jets landing on a Navy aircraft carrier. The jet's nose wheel broke off and the jet spun in a circle spreading some burning fuel around.  Several days later we pulled the engine out of the aircraft." Gary
Price, 9 May 2013