The first stop premier website for the FB-111A and F-111G

"We had launched the aircraft for the day and was waiting for their return when we got the news that one of our birds were down. The crew had ejected and were waiting for rescue. We visited the crew in the hospital and they told us that the plane caught on fire. They tried to fly it back to the base but lost all control and had to eject."

1st image Steve Williams

Info from news clipping..

Info from Raymund Santos and newspaper clippings via Brian Lindner.

Nicknamed 'Ready Teddy'.
On display at March AFB CA, after being delivered in July 1991 by Capt Nelson and Major Braun.

photo by Steve Bosang 'Gator' taken at March Field April 1999.

Also see the museums page.

Fitted with SFDR; - From J D Bayless MSgt, USAF  (Retired), The photos of FB-111A 68-0254 show its arrival at Edwards AFB from General Dynamics in the summer of 1989. The second photo shows an A-7 in the background that provided chase support during the ferry flight from Ft. Worth, Texas. The aircraft was the test bed for the new Digital Flight Control System (DFCS) and was subjected to substantial flight dynamics testing to verify the integrity of the DFCS. I had the honor of being a member of the Combined Test Force at Edwards AFB and spent a lot of time performing repairs and ground tests to keep this aircraft in the air. At one point of the test program, we removed the # 5 section of the flaps and slats and shortened the wing tip to simulate flight dynamics of the "short wing" F-111. 68-0254 and the DFCS program was transferred to McClellan AFB in 1990. As a final note, DFCS gave a female voice to this lady of the skies.
AMARC 28 February 1993.-
1st & 2nd photos courtesy of Mike Kaplan
3rd image via Adriaan de Graaff

Nicknamed 'SNAFU'. - 380th-BW-529-BS - image via Adriaan de Graaff

2nd image F-111G 423rd TFS 27th TFW

AMARC.- Kept in storage for RAAF.(?)

AMARC 9 July 1991.

I don't think to many people realize this but FB-111 tail no. 272 was the first FB to roll off the mod line here at McClellan.   SAC had an OT&E Test Team set up here at McClellan, of which I was part of, to do "Operational Test and Evaluation" of the FB AMP.  We tested the FB to ensure it work okay for SAC under SAC conditions.  As part of the OT&E testing, this aircraft flew a 13 hour mission up over the polar region and back, non-stop as a simulated mission.  We also did a "live" SRAM launch with this aircraft, obviously the warhead was removed but everything was completely operational. The aircraft launched from here and flew to the White Sands missile range where it dropped the missile and it preformed flawlessly.  I spent several hundred hours in the cockpit of this aircraft doing maintenance checkouts and verification of the contractors Technical Data.

AMARC 23 September 1992.
"Boneyard Wrangler"
Arrived at Amberley on 10 May 94. Flown by Group Captain Dave Dunlop and Flight Lieutenant Dave Riddel from SM-ALC to Amberley. (source Air Fan magazine)
Article republished with permission here.
(images via Peter Russell of Aussie Decals)

The first F-111 to be recovered to flying condition and take-off from AMARC.
This aeroplane has special tail art.
For the scale modellers out there, 'Aussie Decals' has produced a 1/48 and 1/72 scale decal sheets with the 'Boneyard Wrangler' tail art.
82 Wing RAAF Amberley.
Performed Olympics Dump and Burn over Sydney Stadium 1 Oct 2000 (mpeg here)

On display at Kelly AFB TX.
Aircraft has TAC paint scheme ??

Image courtesy of Jeffery Zeitvogel - late 2003

Arrived at Amberley on 10 May 94
Previously named "A WING AN'10 PRAYERS" FB-111A 380th Bomb Wing SAC Plattsburg AFB.
Named after 380th Bomb Group WWII B24 (44-42378).
Suffered a main gear collapse in the arrestor cable at Cannon AFB on landing with an unsafe gear indication in April 1993.  Repaired and later sold to Australia.
82 Wing RAAF Amberley.
1st image courtesy of Mike Kaplan
2nd image 380th BW 1976.

Crashed at night near a logging camp. Crew survived ejection -
capsule landed upright on a lake amongst a group of logs. (Ryan Piper)

The two 380th BW aircraft departed Plattsburgh AFB at approx. 2200hrs and collided at approx 2230hrs near Londonderry VT. The two FB-111As were on a routine AAR / low level nav mission Collision occured befor the refueling began. The four crew members involved all survived the ejections and landed on 'Magic Mountain'.  They were CAPTS Larry L. McMaster, Donald G. Vann, John E. Hockenberger and 1LT James D. Kotton. (source - numerous newspaper clippings via Brian Lindner)

Incorrectly reported to have survived the collision and been repaired in the GD 'Phoenix Line'.

(photos  courtesy of Mike Kaplan.)
Arrived at Amberley on 6 Dec 93.
82 Wing RAAF Amberley.
Flew ARDU test flight programme with P&W TF30 P108 hybrid engines from Amberley in August 1998.  First P107/P108 test flight crewed by FLTLT's A. Figtree (ARDU) and D. Riddel (6SQN).  The following week saw the first P108/P108 test flight.  Crewed by FLTLT A. Figtree (ARDU) and SQNLDR C. Miller (6SQN).

Arrived at Amberley on 25 Mar 94
Previously named "DREAM GAL" FB-111A 380th Bomb Wing SAC Plattsburg AFB
Won at least five Fairchild Trophies (bombing competion SAC)
Ron Enriquez - they had us load and drop the B-77 "Dial A Bomb" Oct 10 1977.
82 Wing RAAF Amberley.

Crashed and Destroyed on the north shore of Lake Ponchatrain (north of New Orleans LA) Aircraft was on a USAF acceptance flight from GD/FW - Carswell AFB. A search was conducted from the gulf coast of Alabama all the way up to Arkansas tracing mission profile, it was not found until about a month later when the capsule was discovered with the crew. Ejection appeared to have been normal but out of envelope. The aircraft fuselage was found buried in the mud about 300 yards from the capsule. Cause of accident is still listed with USAF Flight Safety Center as unknown.

Information Sourced from GD/FW Historical Records and USAF

Nickname and nose-art 'SAC Time'.
Aardvark on a stick. Plattsburgh AFB. Seen preserved in July 1994 (Ben Marselis).
1st & 2nd images courtesy of Mike Kaplan.
3rd image copyright by Jukka Huppunen - 68-0286-Fairford-July-22-1989

Pete Doe (aka Squatswitch) says:

AMP 68-287 was flown in to Pease AFB by Gen Searock and landed Code 1 (at least that's what was relayed to the ARC, the Aircraft Readiness Center. I know because I was Noah (maintenance control officer). That's Noah for I knowa nuthin'!!.)

Ex Lowary AFB 6 May 1991 (stores loading trainer) , now Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum Denver

The right engine threw a fan blade into the saddle fuel tank which leaked down the back bone.  It caught fire and burned through the hydraulic system.  We ultimately got a hard over rudder and had to eject close to Bangor, Maine.

(Additional info from Jim Gramstad, the ACC for -290's last mission.)

The two 380th BW aircraft departed Plattsburgh AFB at approx. 2200hrs and collided at approx 2230hrs near Londonderry VT. The two FB-111As were on a routine AAR / low level nav mission Collision occured befor the refueling began. The four crew members involved all survived the ejections and landed on 'Magic Mountain'.  They were CAPTS Larry L. McMaster, Donald G. Vann, John E. Hockenberger and 1LT James D. Kotton. (source - numerous newspaper clippings via Brian Lindner)

NS_DWillouBEE@aol.com says:
It was not snowing, A/C lost cockpit lighting on instrument panel and elected to return ASAP. He did land at Clinton County Airport, which is real close to the now closed Plattsburgh AFB. There was damage to front landing gear and had to be trailered back to base and get repaired. There was a lot of work required to manually sweep the wings back using a speed wrench. The story about the dime is true to my knowledge as is the dime taped to the dash. 

AMARC 4 June 1991.

Wreckage is still at the crash site. (Nov 1999  - Brian Lindner)

82 Wing RAAF Amberley.

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