A story

asechrest

asechrest

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asechrest
I found this story after a random Google search for "grading carrier landings" and clicking through some links. I love finding interesting gems like this. This one is powerful.

The worst day ever
By lex, on January 9th, 2004
I don’t tell this story very often. Although the events inside it happened almost 12 years ago, the memory is still fresh, and still painful.

Over the years I’ve told it to two ready rooms, both by way of instruction – a kind of “been there, seen that,” in order to prevent anything like it from ever happening again. But it’s not one of those sea stories you tell over a beer, among friends. It’s a sad story. Maybe I post this one. Maybe I don’t.
Click to expand...

http://www.neptunuslex.com/2004/01/09/the-worst-day-ever/
 
The final bitter ending is that the author, CAPT Carroll LeFon, USN, died in an IMC approach gone bad just about a year ago, flying as a contract adversary pilot.

Nauga,
from the sideline
 
Wow, that is an amazing story. Sad as well. Sounds like Mr. Lefon was both a great aviator and writer. Did they find a cause for his accident? All I read was that he was flying a Kfir and crashed during an approach.
 
Is it ok yet to question Lex's ADM the day of his passing? I know he paid the ultimate price but it seemed that departing that day was not the best decision - and - I know that viz is never bad in Nevada. . . but the Martin Baker tie would have been the better choice once he got to 1000#. . .

Forecast was for snow across all of northern Nevada. there was +SN at Fallon and it was below mins at Reno when he diverted [or attempted to divert] to Reno.

This was a #6 in Dr. Bruce Top Ten.
 
nauga said:
The final bitter ending is that the author, CAPT Carroll LeFon, USN, died in an IMC approach gone bad just about a year ago, flying as a contract adversary pilot.

Nauga,
from the sideline
Click to expand...

Oh jeez. I didn't realize. I will read more about him when I get a chance.
 
Not to take away from the OP story, but here's another tale I read a while back on another pilot forum and couldn't believe it....true story though.

Here`s the short version...June 19th, 1963. Transpac from NZJ to Atsugi, stops in Hawaii and Midway. All this in three days. 5 or 6 in flight refuelings, can`t remember exactly (CRS, old age). At the first refueling I`m in a Crusader, brand new, 52 hours total time on the bird (BuNo. 150298)refueling from a GV-1 (C-130H). The Herk was putting out way more fuel pressure that advertised and way, way more than F8`s check valves could hold back. Anyway I found out later that my bird took on 250 gals. more than the tanks could hold when the fwd. aux and the wing tanks exploded, flaming out the J-57. I dropped the Rat and tried for a relight ( I knew this was hopeless) Managed to set the entire mess on fire. Last I saw was 30% rpm and 1000 degrees..that`s as far as the TPT needle would go. Wingie told me that I had 200 feet of flame coming out of the bird.I pulled the curtain...nothing, then the alternate handle..still nothing. I tried to blow the canopy...nothing. I finally opened the canopy manually, clam shell type, it went bye-bye. I unhooked and went over the port side, hitting the refueling probe, but missing the tail. Estimate about 250 kts. Pulled the D ring...nothing. Manually pulled the `chute from the pack. The pilot `chute opened, but the main one was twisted, never opened. Total fall was about 10,000 to 15,000 feet. I hit feet first, ripped off the seat pan with the raft, broke both ankles, both legs, back, neck,pelvis collapsed a lung, knocked 3 fillings from my teeth, and had a renal shut down (kidneys no workie)from the impact. My wingie followed me down and reported to the flight that I got out, but `chute didn`t deploy. A Herk came down and dropped me a raft which I couldn`t get into and after a couple of hours a Coast Guard SA 16 dropped another one which I hung onto until a mine sweeper, the USS Embattle (MSO 434) picked me up and later high lined me over to the USS Los Angeles (CA 135). They thought that the bad kidneys were gonna kill me so called for a Marine H-34 to come and get me (350 miles,a one way trip) He found the cruiser, refueled, and took me to the USS Haven, a hospital ship docked at Long Beach.Kidneys started up on their own on the trip to the beach, several operations and 6 months later, I was back in fighters.BTW, I lost a Marine Corps .38 cal pistol, which caused me more grief than losing the Crusader....Top That!

http://www.airwarriors.com/community/index.php?threads/scariest-day-night-flying.17465/page-2

Full Story
http://www.uss-la-ca135.org/60/1960Judkins-Knott.html
 
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