Jim recalls the events of the Monday as if they were yesterday,
"I was the pilot of 80-148, an A-10
that crashed near Herford, W Germany on 22 March 1982.
During an air-to-air
engagement, both engines compressor-stalled, and would not restart.
I ejected at
500 feet above the ground, at approximately 140 knots. I was under canopy for
approximately 30 seconds, landed in a tree, and had to extricate myself, since
the fire department (brigade) was rural and had limited rescue equipment. I was
uninjured except for a slight cut on my chin (from the mask microphone) and a
compression fracture.
I was flying again 10 days later.
The name on the aircraft
was 1st Lieutenant Jim Trotter, a friend of mine who has never forgiven me for
crashing his airplane."
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