Work in progress

  Aircraft by type

Northrop T-38

Losses and Ejections
Date Air Force A'cft Unit / Serial based crashed crew photo seat
31st October 1964
U.S. Air Force		 T-38 Talon   Ellington AFB Bird Strike (snowgoose) while landing at Ellington Air Force Base. Canopy shattered Theodore C. Freeman ejected at very low level, chute not enough time to deploy and was killed Northrop
28th February 1966
U.S. Air Force		 T-38 Talon N901NA NASA
Johnson Lambert Field, St. Louis, Missouri.

McDonnell Aircraft Corporation's plant, St. Louis, Missouri

 Aircraft approached too low and crashed into a roof of a building at McDonnell Aircraft Corporation's plant, St. Louis, Missouri no ejections
Elliot McKay See Jr. killed Charles Bassett II killed
18th April 1967
U.S. Air Force		 T-38 Talon 61-0928 Williams Air Force Base, Arizona Devils Canyon, AZ     Northrop
Front: instructor pilot Harry J. Peterson ejected Rear: Pilot Major Norman D. Peters ejected Northrop
1st August 1967
U.S. Air Force		 T-38A
Talon		     solo flight crashed 31 miles south of Sheppard. One killed    
5th October 1967
U.S. Air Force		 T-38 Talon     Mechanical failure. Crashed near Tallahassee, Florida Clifton Williams Jr. killed no ejection
11th September 1968
U.S. Air Force		 T-38A
Talon		     solo flight crashed near Nocona, Tex pilot suffered minor injuries    
30th September 1968
U.S. Air Force		 T-38A
Talon		     solo flight crashed in Archer City, Tex. pilot suffered minor injuries    
4th September 1970
U.S. Air Force		 T-38 Talon     DETAILS ??? Captain James M. Taylor    
20th January 1972
15:23
NASA		 T-38   NASA Test flight of an inertial landing system for the evolving Space Shuttle Program. Crashed on Matagorda Island, Texas when flew through fog bank moving in from Gulf of Mexico    
 Stuart M. Present
killed		 Mark Conover Heath Jr.
killed		  
NASA pilots were both civilians assigned to the Aircraft Operations Division of the Manned Spacecraft Center.  
  Lunar Lander Training Vehicle Lost January 29, 1971 when Stuart M. Present ejected safely
10th May 1972
20:45
USN / NASA ???		 T-38 Talon FURTHER DETAILS APPRECIATED NASA ???
Confirm

Ellington Air Force Base		 Lost over an  Bergstrom AFB just SE of Austin, TX Capt. Charles Conrad Jr
(astronaut)
bailed out
ejection presumed		  
FEEDBACK

Capt. Charles Conrad ejection on 10 May 1972.
 There's little info here, hopefully my small input added with someone else's may help.
Capt Conrad ran out of fuel in a T-38 at night over central Texas and headed toward the former Bergstrom AFB just SE of Austin, TX.  I was stationed there at the time as a medic.
He aimed the craft toward a rural area and ejected onto or next to the actual runway at Bergstrom, uninjured.
My understanding at that time was he was a part of NASA at the time flying from Houston to Ellington AFB or vice versa.
Hope this helps.

in email 29th March 2008
9th September 1972
U.S. Air Force		 T-38 Talon 70-1956 Randolph Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas Crashed just after take off at. Rolled over and caught fire    
Lt. Gen. George B. Simler
killed		 Capt. Gil. L. Gillespie
killed		  
FEEDBACK

I'm compiling a "Data Base" of T-38 pictures and Tail Numbers plus information on all T-38s ever built.

So far, I have over 3,000 T-38 photos of about 900 specific, different T-38s.

(Northrop built 1,189 of them, counting 2 prototypes, & NOT counting the 3rd prototype, that they purposely destroyed as a static test article).

Your web-sight includes a T-38 crash on 9 Sep 1972.  I have more information on that crash.

I was a T-38 instructor pilot at Williams AFB, Arizona at the time of the 9 Sep 1972, T-38 crash of General George Simler & instructor pilot Gil Gillespie.

The information on your web-sight is correct, but I have more to add.

 

The tail number of that T-38 was 70-1956.

 

That is very significant in the production run of Northrop T-38s.

T-38 70-1956 was delivered, brand new, from Palmdale, California earlier that year (1972). (It was only about 8 months old).

The significance is that, T-38 70-1956 was the last T-38 ever built.  


 You can verify this through    jbaugher's web sight.

You can also cross-check this info by looking up USAF 70-1956, at the Scramble web site.

Generals do not fly very much.  They're busy doing other things.

But being the commander of ALL Air Training Command ("ATC", as it was called in 1972), General Simler, chose that T-38 (70-1956) as the one he would fly, when he did fly.

The flight was to be from Randolph AFB to Scott AFB in Illinois.  Scott AFB was the Headquarters of the USAF Military Airlift Command.

General Simler had recently been chosen to be the commander of the "Military Airlift Command" ("MAC").
 

Anyway, the main reason for this email is to confirm the significance of the actual T-38 that crashed.

It was the last T-38 ever built, and only about 8 months old.

Northrop Corporation used to publish a news magazine (Talon News), and earlier in 1972, they ran a big article, complete with photos, about the "Delivery Ceremony" of this very last T-38 built.  I have a copy of that specific "Talon News" edition.

I hope this helps your web sight.

Roger DuClos
Former USAF T-38 Instructor Pilot & now Retired Delta Airlines pilot

in email13th May 2008

   
5th January 1973
US Navy/NASA		 T-38A Talon N907NA/907   damaged      
1st October 1973
U.S. Air Force		 T-38A
Talon		     solo flight crashed one nautical mile north of Sheppard Pilot ejected   Northrop
2nd May 1974
U.S. Air Force		 T-38A     crashed about two miles north of Tinker Air Force Base, Okla One killed    
14th January 1974
 USAF		 T-38A Talon   61-0846 12th FTW Randolph AFB Birdstrike. Crashed near Randolph AFB Pilot killed    
6th February 1974
10:00
NASA		 T-38 Talon   Ellington Air Force Base

Flight from landing mishap at Bergstrom Air Force Base near Austin,Texas.

 		Dr. Karl G. Henize
uninjured		  
6th May 1974
U.S. Air Force		 T-38A Talon 66-4373 T.6004 12th FTW Randolph AFB, TX, USA        
ejected ejected  
17th February 1976
U.S. Air Force		 T-38A Talon 63-8136
N.5483		 71st FTW Richards-Gebaur AFB, MO. Crashed on approach      
3rd May 1976
U.S. Air Force		 T-38A Talon   64th FWS
57th FWW		 Crashed off coast of VA      
pilot
killed		 rescued
CAN ANYONE CONFIRM EJECTION??		  
5th November 1976
U.S. Air Force		 T-38A Talon 67-14830
T.6025 		12th FTW Crashed near Offutt AFB NE, USA      
23rd February 1977
U.S. Air Force		 T-38A Talon 63-8217 38th FTW
also seen as
82nd  FTW		 Crashed near Williams AFB, AZ, USA      
15th March 1977
U.S. Air Force		 T-38A Talon 65-10318 12th FTW Randolph AFB, TX, USA        
killed killed  
25th July 1977
USAF		 Northrop T-38A Talon   Thunderbirds Crashed during manoeuvres at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming Capt. Charlie Carter  deliberately remained in aircraft to avoid crashing into crowd killed  
FEEDBACK

Although it was 30+ years ago, and I heard this story from my great-uncle who was also Charlie's uncle (on the other side of the family), the story as I remembered it  … Charlie was the narrator and back-up pilot, so was not flying in the actual show.  Accompanying him in flying over a Stock Show/Rodeo was a media person.  They had some kind of trouble.  (I don't think I ever knew if it was engine, or what.) Charlie had the guy in the plane with him eject, and Charlie was able to get the plane past all the people on the ground, but crashed into a pen of livestock before he could eject.

The San Antonio Light of July 26, 1977: carried a report of the loss
part of which is printed below 

".   .   .   A Luling** man killed in a crash of a jet trainer belonging to Air Force's have given up his own life rather than allow the jet to crash into 3 clump of campers Capt Charlie Carter 33 of Luling was killed Monday in the crash of the plane on a rain-swept rodeo parking lot as the plane was attempting to land at a nearby airport. "
**(Luling, Texas is about 60 miles east of San Antonio.)
Full story can be found at LINK

This is a picture of Charlie:
http://www.thunderbirdsalumni.com/Photo+Gallery/Misc+Photos/997.aspx 

Lisa Bailey
 in email 14th February 2008
 
5th January 1978
U.S. Air Force		 T-38A Talon 68-8174   Thunderbirds Crashed near Las Vegas, NV USA      
13th June 1978
U.S. Air Force		 T-38A Talon 61-0889/11 NTPS   Crashed during flight from NAS Patuxent River MD USA      
31st August 1978
U.S. Air Force		 T-38A Talon 66-4364 ATC
80th Flying Training Wing
Sheppard Air Force base		 Structural failure of the wing during aerobatic training mission      
Student pilot
ejected
seriously injured		 Capt. Swanson
ejected at high speed
killed		  
FEEDBACK

".  .   .  It has been 27 years since I sat on an ejection seat, but I still consider my T-38 flying as one of my most enjoyable assignments.

 I was a T-38 Instructor Pilot at Sheppard AFB in the Fixed Wing Division of the 80 FTW at the time of this accident. This was a small unit and the fatal accident on 31 Aug 1978 made an indelible impression on us.

 This accident occurred on an aerobatic training mission. While entering a loop the aircraft experienced a structural failure of the wing. The left wing folded up over the fuselage causing the aircraft to enter an extreme roll. The instructor was Capt. Swanson, who ejected from the back seat at what the USAF estimated to be 550 kts. Swanson was killed due to the extreme forces caused by the high speed ejection. The student (can’t remember his name) ejected at a slower speed (under 500 kts) and was seriously injured. He was eventually medically retired from the USAF, having never regained flight status.

 During the accident investigation it was shown that the accident aircraft had a fatigue crack in the wing that had been missed on previous inspections. The crack propagated from the cutout in the spar for the main gear tire and spread across the narrow part of the spar over a long period of time. It was determined that this crack started at a stress riser caused by the manufacture’s machining practices when the wing planform was built in 1966.

 

Subsequently the entire T-38 fleet was grounded worldwide while every aircraft was inspected in the wheel well area by eddy current looking for cracks. As I recall at Sheppard they found two aircraft that were grounded for a long period of time awaiting parts. I have no idea how many aircraft were found with cracks worldwide, but there was a large backlog of orders for the T-38 wing that took a long time to fill. The rest of the fleet was back in the air in about ten days as the inspections and polishing of the suspect areas were completed.

 

I hope this fills in one of the many blanks in your data

Steve Clarke

T-38 Instructor Pilot a long time ago
in email 5th February 2008


 
15th January 1979
U.S. Air Force		 T-38     Mid-air collision. Crashed 30 nautical miles east of Sheppard      
OK OK  
15th January 1979
U.S. Air Force		 T-38          
OK OK  
16th October 1980
U.S. Air Force		 T-38A Talon 63-8128 71st FTW Crashed on approach to Vance AFB, OK USA      
killed survived  
9th May 1981
15:18
USAF		 Northrop T-38A Talon Thunderbird 6
68-8131/6
Thunderbirds		 Engine failure during a low approach. Crashed in a  Layton field south of the runway Hill Air Force Base, Ogden, Utah Capt. David L. "Nick" Hauck  deliberately remained in aircraft to avoid crashing into crowd killed  
15th May 1981
U.S. Air Force		 T-38A Talon 67-14948 82nd FTW Crashed 49 miles east north east of Williams AFB , AZ USA      
8th September 1981
USAF		 Northrop T-38A Talon 68-8182/1 Thunderbird 

Burke Lakefront Airport

 Leaving Cleveland. engines ingested several seagulls on takeoff lost power 50 feet, caught fire, crash landed and skidded into Lake Erie,
 		    
Lieut. Col. David L. Smith
Thunderbirds' commander
ejected
killed
 		 Sergeant. Dwight  Roberts
crew chief
ejected
minor arm and knee injuries		  
18th January 1982
USAF		 Northrop T-38A Talon 68-8156/1

CAN ANYONE MATCH PILOT TO AIRCRAFT

 During a practice over Range 65 the team was conducting a line abreast loop manoeuvre when  a malfunction in the lead plane caused mid-air collision "Diamond Crash," at Indian Springs

[training for an air show at Davis Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz, practicing a ''loop and tail'' maneuver flew into the desert ground]

 Maj. Norm Lowry - commander/leader killed  

USAF		 Northrop T-38A Talon 68-8175 Capt. Willie Mays - left wing killed  

USAF		 Northrop T-38A Talon 68-8176 Captain Joseph "Peter" Peterson - right wing killed  

USAF		 Northrop T-38A Talon 68-8184 Capt. Mark Melancon - slot killed  
2nd May 1982
U.S. Air Force		 T-38A Talon 63-8160 14th FTW
Columbus AFB, MS USA		 Control lost      
5th April 1983
U.S. Air Force		 T-38A Talon 70-1591 47th TFW Crashed 20 miles north of Del Rio, Texas USA      
21st March 1984
U.S. Air Force		 T-38A Talon 66-4329 14th FTW Mid air collision. Crashed near Dime AL USA killed DETAILS OF CREWS NEEDED  
killed  
21st March 1984
U.S. Air Force		 T-38A Talon 66-4331 14th FTW killed  
ejected  
7th October 1984
U.S. Air Force		 T-38A Talon 65-10397 71st FTW
Vance AFB OK USA		        
4th January 1985
U.S. Air Force		 T-38A
Talon		 65-10368 12th FTW Crashed near Wichita Falls  about one nautical mile south of Sheppard, TX USA      
Killed pilot
RAF
killed		  
2nd April 1985

also seen as
5th April 1985
U.S. Air Force		 T-38A Talon 63-8125   12th FTW Birdstrike. Crashed near Wichita Falls about 2.5 nautical miles southwest of Sheppard TX USA      
ejected ejected  
18th May 1985
U.S. Air Force		 T-38A Talon  
80th Flying Training Wing
Sheppard Air Force base		        
28th February 1986
U.S. Air Force		 T-38A Talon 64-13296   47th FTW        
ejected ejected  
2nd April 1986
U.S. Air Force		 T-38A Talon 67-14836 82nd FTW        
22nd May 1987
U.S. Air Force		 T-38A Talon 62-3639
ED 		6512th TS
AFFTC		 In collision with Cessna 206 N2520X during VFR in MOA. Crashed Tehachapi Mountains north of Los Angeles      
killed killed  
22nd June 1988
U.S. Air Force		 AT-38B Talon 60-0569/HM 434th TFTS
479TTW		 Crashed 5 miles north of Holloman AFB      
ejected    
18th April 1989
U.S. Air Force		 T-38A Talon 65-10346/HM 479TTW        
21st May 1989
U.S. Air Force		 T-38A Talon 63-8124 64th FTW
Reese AFB TX USA		 Landed short of runway
damaged		      
OK OK  
5th June 1989
U.S. Air Force		 T-38A Talon 64-13287 64th FTW Crashed 2 miles south of Cannon AFB NM      
killed injured  
21st May 1990
U.S. Air Force		 AT-38B Talon 65-10341/HM 433TFTS,          
6th August 1990
U.S. Air Force		 T-38 Talon 64-13273 47th FTW        
22nd August 1990
U.S. Air Force		 T-38 Talon 66-8401/RA 12nd FTW        
24th June 1991
U.S. Air Force		 T-38A 64-13238 80th FTW crashed about 300 yards north of ATC tower at Sheppard      
killed killed  
3rd September 1992
U.S. Air Force		 T-38A     crashed about 50 nautical miles southwest of Sheppard one killed
on OK		    
20th June 1993
U.S. Air Force		 T-38 Talon 68-8095/SJ 334th ARS        
6th July 1993
U.S. Air Force		 T-38 Talon 70-1588 64th FTW        
12th September 1993
U.S. Air Force		 T-38 Talon 70-1587 71st FTW        
31st May 1995
U.S. Air Force		 T-38 Talon 66-4352/EN
80th Flying Training Wing
Sheppard Air Force base		 Routine training mission crashed into an apartment complex into the parking lot of the Amber Falls Crossing
Crashed four miles south of Sheppard Air Force Base

Gound injuries and fatalities

      
2d Lieut. James Varden
ejected treated for minor injuries		 Capt. Marc Vantsant [Netherlands] ejected treated for minor injuries  
18th October 1995
U.S. Air Force		 AT-38B Talon 65-10370/CB 14th FTW        
22nd October 1997
10:00
U.S. Air Force		 T-38 Talon 62-3746/ED 412th TW Collided today with an F-16 fighter over Edwards Air Force Base in California and crashed in the Mojave Desert
F-16 landed safely on a dry lake bed at the desert base		      
Lieut. Col. William Nusz
ejected
did not survive		 Flight Lieut. Leigh Alexander Fox
[on assignment from the Royal Air Force]
ejected
did not survive		  
The two crew were found several miles from the wreckage of the plane and that their parachutes had opened
24th February 1998
U.S. Air Force		 T-38 Talon 3821/68-8177   RoCAF/14th TFS        
16th June 1999
U.S. Air Force		 T-38 Talon 64-13208/XL 87th FTS        
13th December 1999
U.S. Air Force		 AT-38B Talon 64-13298/RA   435th FTS damaged      
13th December 1999
U.S. Air Force		 AT-38B Talon 65-10437/RA 435th FTS damaged      
Tuesday 13th July 2000
Morning
USN
T-38
Talon		 65-10375/08 USN
TPS		  Crashed on the skeet range just off Tatee Road, as they were attempting to land on Runway 6

Both U.S. Naval Test Pilot School students killed

 Pilot Lieutenant Commander Gareth Aaron Rietz   no ejection
Co-pilot Lieutenant Commander Raymond Edward O'Hare   no ejection
5th December 2000
U.S. Air Force		 T-38 Talon 67-14938/EN
80th Flying Training Wing
Sheppard Air Force base		 crashed about 50 miles west of Sheppard      
ejected OK ejected OK  
24th August 2001
U.S. Air Force		 T-38 Talon 64-13290/EN  
80th Flying Training Wing
Sheppard Air Force base		  Collided near Crowell, Texas, in Foard County west of Wichita Falls CREW DETAILS

An Italian pilot was killed in the incident

DETAILS ???		    
24th August 2001
U.S. Air Force		 T-38 Talon 66-4323/EN
80th Flying Training Wing
Sheppard Air Force base		  Collided near Crowell, Texas, in Foard County west of Wichita Falls    
8th March 2003
U.S. Air Force		 T-38 Talon 68-8141/HO 7th CTS        
19th March 2003
approx. 4 p.m
U.S. Air Force		 T-38 Talon 70-1949/RA crew from 100th Flying Training Squadron
aircraft from 560th Flying Training Squadron, 12th Flying Training Wing
Randolph Air Force Base, Texas		 Tyre failure caused aircraft to leave the runway instructor pilot Maj. Pete Jahns (100th Flying Training Squadron) killed in loss   Northrop
Involuntarily ejected from the aircraft when the barrier stanchion breached the front of the cockpit. The breach initiated the ejection sequence by forcing the throttle quadrant into the ejection seat. At the time of the ejection the nose and right landing gear had collapsed causing an angled ejection with no opportunity for the parachute to fill and slow  impact.
Lt. Col. Frank Gebert survived the crash, taken to Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base for treatment and observation   no ejection
14th October 2005
U.S. Air Force		 T-38 Talon 66-8368/EN  Crew from 80th Operational Support Squadron,

Aircraft from 90th FTS  Sheppard Air Force Base

 Control problems. Aircraft was destroyed on impact  on Runway 33C      
instructor pilot, Maj. Jeffrey S. Klein ejected unhurt. Sent to the flight surgeon's office for a mandatory physical. student pilot, 1st Lt. Aaron B. Brown ejected unhurt. Sent to the flight surgeon's office for a mandatory physical.  
Tuesday 13th December 2005
3:45 p.m
USAF		 T-38-C 65-10333
333
XL		 87th FTS
47th FTW
Laughlin		 Birdstrike -

Plane crashed in open ranchland near Bracketville -

    Northrop-Grumman
Major Marc Montgomery 96th FTS ejected - reports in US media suggest injured in low level ejection landing into the aircraft's burning wreckage

Major Montgomery taken to Brooks Army Medical Center -"was in critical but stable condition"

 2nd Lt. Jonathan Ballard 87th FTS ejected safely at low level

Second Lieutenant Jonathan Ballard, was taken back to Laughlin for evaluation 

 Northrop-Grumman
18th January 2006
about 1:30 p.m
U.S. Air Force		 T-38 Talon   Columbus AFB On  a low-level navigation training sortie. Crashed  40 miles south of Memphis, Tenn      
ejected ejected  
Thursday 18th January 2007
 1:30pm
USAF		 T-38C Talon
trainer

[see also Martin-Baker News Release]

   Columbus Air Force Base

NEWS LINK

  Low-level training exercise. Crashed about 40 miles south of Memphis, Tenn in a swampy area, western Panola County     Northrop
Pilot Maj. Bill Lester ejected safely Trainee Pilot 2nd Lt. Todd Campbell ejected safely Northrop
Thursday 22nd February 2007
12:45
U.S. Air Force		 T-38C Talon  
12th Flying Training Wing
Randolph Air Force Base		 Crashed  approximately 12 miles south of Hondo in Frio County Pilot-instructor Maj. Michael Pelletier ejected safely taken to Wilford Hall Medical Center for evaluation.   Northrop
Wednesday 12th March 2008
16:00
U.S. Air Force		 T-38 Talon   71st Flying Training Wing
Vance Air Force Base		 Training sortie. Ran off a runway while taking off from Vance Air Force Base sustained significant damage      
instructor pilot exited safely
no ejection		 instructor pilot exited safely
no ejection		  
Two instructor pilots were aboard
Wednesday 23rd April 2008
12:30
U.S. Air Force		 T-38C Talon   Columbus Air Force Base
Mississippi.		        
Major David Blair Faulkner
[43rd FTS]

killed		 2nd Lt. Matthew Emmons
[50th FTS]
Killed		  
   Source: Air Force News - reported an eye-witness that both ejected at low level hit ground before parachutes deployed
Thursday 1st May 2008
07:45
U.S. Air Force		 T-38C
Talon		   90th Flying Training Squadron
80th Flying Training Wing
Sheppard Air Force base		 crashed at Sheppard Air Force base, in Wichita Falls,