On October 16, 1984 at 3:46 PM, a Boeing B-52G (SWOON 52) operated by the 92nd BMW of the Strategic Air Command departed Fairchild Air Force Base, WA for a scheduled night T-3 Training Mission.
At 8:55 PM, while flying in and out of snow showers, the B-52's right wing and #4 engine pylon struck the north crest of Hunts Mesa on the Navajo Indian Reservation. The aircraft continued to travel on a 155 degree magnetic heading another 3,465 feet before it crashed onto a lower southern bluff of Hunts Mesa. On board the aircraft were:
Capt. Robert L. Keeney......Pilot
1st.Lt. Douglas J. Schwartz...Co-Pilot
Maj. Eugene J. Daspit......Radar Navigator
1st.Lt. Kenneth O. Portis.....Navigator
Capt. Sean M. Yeronick......Electronic Warfare Officer
Sgt. David W. Felix........Gunner
Col. William L. Ivy........Pilot/Safety Observer
After striking the mesa, the crew managed to eject from the aircraft with serious injuries. The exception being Sgt. David Felix whose parachute failed to deploy before ground contact and Col. William Ivy who was seated in the observers seat without the capability to eject or escape before the plane crashed. Both were killed in the accident.
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I have known of this accident since 1992 and have flown over the area many times but had never been able to locate the crash site from the air. I knew from talking with the local Navajos that the area had been "cleaned" by the Air Force a year or so after the accident.
On September 19, 2008, I traveled to Hunts Mesa on the Navajo Indian Reservation to see for myself if anything remains at the site.
Thanks again to Brad Gray for the accident report and the information he provided. Through his assistance, he saved me many hours of searching.
At 8:55 PM, while flying in and out of snow showers, the B-52's right wing and #4 engine pylon struck the north crest of Hunts Mesa on the Navajo Indian Reservation. The aircraft continued to travel on a 155 degree magnetic heading another 3,465 feet before it crashed onto a lower southern bluff of Hunts Mesa. On board the aircraft were:
Capt. Robert L. Keeney......Pilot
1st.Lt. Douglas J. Schwartz...Co-Pilot
Maj. Eugene J. Daspit......Radar Navigator
1st.Lt. Kenneth O. Portis.....Navigator
Capt. Sean M. Yeronick......Electronic Warfare Officer
Sgt. David W. Felix........Gunner
Col. William L. Ivy........Pilot/Safety Observer
After striking the mesa, the crew managed to eject from the aircraft with serious injuries. The exception being Sgt. David Felix whose parachute failed to deploy before ground contact and Col. William Ivy who was seated in the observers seat without the capability to eject or escape before the plane crashed. Both were killed in the accident.
**********************************************************************************
I have known of this accident since 1992 and have flown over the area many times but had never been able to locate the crash site from the air. I knew from talking with the local Navajos that the area had been "cleaned" by the Air Force a year or so after the accident.
On September 19, 2008, I traveled to Hunts Mesa on the Navajo Indian Reservation to see for myself if anything remains at the site.
Thanks again to Brad Gray for the accident report and the information he provided. Through his assistance, he saved me many hours of searching.
The Boeing B-52G (57-6479) Call sign SWOON 52 departed Fairchild AFB at 3:46 PM for a night T-3 mission that would include air refueling, low level segments with two re-entries, and a high altitude navigation leg.
All B-52s are equipped with an electro-optical viewing system that uses platinum silicide forward-looking infrared and high resolution low-light-level television sensors to augment the targeting, battle assessment, flight safety and terrain-avoidance system, thus further improving its combat ability and low-level flight capability. (U.S. Air Force photo)
SWOON 52 began its refueling segment with the KC-135 high above Idaho and Western Wyoming.
After a high alltitude refueling exercise, SWOON 52 began it's decent to enter the low level training route of IR-276.
This route would take them through Monument Valley at night and at altitudes as low as 500 feet above the surface. Terrain avoidance was accomplished using radar altimeters and night vision equipment.
Snow storms and heavy freezing precipitation obscurred Hunts Mesa from their equipment and they struck the right wing on the north rim of the mesa.
After a high alltitude refueling exercise, SWOON 52 began it's decent to enter the low level training route of IR-276.
This route would take them through Monument Valley at night and at altitudes as low as 500 feet above the surface. Terrain avoidance was accomplished using radar altimeters and night vision equipment.
Snow storms and heavy freezing precipitation obscurred Hunts Mesa from their equipment and they struck the right wing on the north rim of the mesa.
The pilots compartment as seen from the observer seat. Both pilot and co-pilot eject upward in an emergency situation. The observer seat has no ejection capability.
The EW Officer (Electronic Weapons) in the left seat and the Gunner in the right seat are situated in a room a short distance behind the pilots on the upper level. Their seats eject upwards.
I would assume that the aircraft was rolling and in an inverted decent when Sgt. Felix ejected thus causing the reported fatal head injuries.
This photo is of an early B-52 navigation position and is used to illustrate how the EW/Gunner crew was situated. Photos of the EW/Gunner position are currently classified by the U.S. Government.
I would assume that the aircraft was rolling and in an inverted decent when Sgt. Felix ejected thus causing the reported fatal head injuries.
This photo is of an early B-52 navigation position and is used to illustrate how the EW/Gunner crew was situated. Photos of the EW/Gunner position are currently classified by the U.S. Government.
The Navigator and Radar Navigator occupy the lower deck of a B-52G. In an emergency these crew members eject downward through two escape hatches directly below their seats. (U.S. Air Force photo)
Sunrise, September 19, 2008. I arrived at the base of Hunts Mesa in total darkness around 2 AM after a long drive from Grand Canyon. I navigated to this location using a GPS coupled with mapping software and route waypoints.
Todays technology has made aviation archaeology so much easier. This Panasonic CF-28 Toughbook features a touchscreen and a backlit keyboard. Navigating to this remote area at night would have been near impossible without this setup or similiar.
I brought along the ATV not only in case the roads got really bad, but also to provide extra weight and traction for the rear truck tires in the deep sand.
I decided to use the ATV for the remaining four miles to save wear and tear on the truck. It was a good decsion to bring it along since the trail up to Hunts Mesa turned out to be very rough.
I decided to use the ATV for the remaining four miles to save wear and tear on the truck. It was a good decsion to bring it along since the trail up to Hunts Mesa turned out to be very rough.
Getting all my equipment together took some time. I ended up packing two digital cameras, air band radio, first aid kit, SPOT personal tracking device, food, and lots of water. The temperature was forecasted to be in the high 80s.
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