![]() ![]() (Photo: USAF and Aerospace Museum of California) Gene Devlin died in an F-105 crash on May 9, 1964. ![]() The Thunderbird F-105 crash killed USAF Capt. The Thunderbirds only flew the F-105 in six shows before they switched back to the North American F-100D Super Sabre. That F-105 broke apart after receiving initially undetectable damage earlier in its career while midair refueling. Air Force Thunderbirds that ended in a fiery aircraft disintegration on at an airshow venue in California. ![]() It’s also best not to discuss the calamitous employment of the F-105 by the U.S. It may be fairer to suggest its mission was cursed. It was not because the Thunderchief was somehow cursed. It did not, however, deliver great survivability during this era. The Thunderchief looked the part of a supersonic fighter. Even more so than the F-104 Starfighter, the F-105 Thunderchief was what most Americans visualized when they heard the term “Jet Fighter” in the 1960’s. The location was on the northern edge of a large valley and just east of Route 911, approximately 16 km southwest of Ban Thapachon (location 170600N 1055600E).Įspecially during this era in the Thunderchief’s history, it was best to stick to observations that acknowledged its curvaceous, needle-nosed fuselage, artfully shaped wings that leave one with the visual impression of speed, and its remarkable performance. Both men are listed as missing in action. The next day a rescue attempt of heavily injured or dead Brownlee failed, but a member of the rescue team, CMS Charles D. Major Brownlee’s aircraft exploded at roughly the same time he ejected from his aircraft. 62-4234 was hit by anti-aircraft fire and caught fire. At 15:47h the aircraft attacked a truck moving along Route 911. ![]() The flight was conducting an afternoon strike mission against Route 911, between the Ban Karai Pass and the city of Ban Phaphilang, Khammouane Province, Laos. “Dick” Brownlee was the pilot of the lead aircraft (s/n 62-4234, call sign “Panda 01”) in a flight of four. This aircraft was shot down on 24 December 1968 over Laos while being assigned to the Wing Headquarters, 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, Takhli RTAFB. Normally drop tanks were carried on the inboard wing pylons. Republic F-105D-30-RE Thunderchief (SN 62-4234) in flight with a full bomb load of M117 750 lb bombs. There were a reported 33.7 accidents per 100,000 flying hours in the F-105 by half way through 1964, a massive increase compared to earlier years. But by June of 1964 accidents in the F-105 Thunderchief increased remarkably. Early in its history, during 1961, the F-105 had the lowest rate of accidents of any jet fighter in the history of the Air Force. It’s journalistically and politically indelicate to write about any historical military aircraft as “bad” or “dangerous”, so we will handle the F-105 and its history over Vietnam objectively and respectfully. The F-105 Thunderchief itself was an ambitious aircraft. They were the “Thud drivers”, the pilots of the Republic F-105 Thunderchief. In particular, one group of pilots repeatedly shows up in photos of medal winners and in heroic tales. Images that shaped my boyhood impression of what it means to be a hero. There is one era that produced images that are particularly iconic to me. ![]()
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