Atlantic Ocean – September 18, 1962
McDonnell F-101 Voodoo Fighters
U.S. Air Force Photo
On September 18, 1962, a flight of four F- 101 Air Force fighter jets took off from the Suffolk County Air Force Base on Long Island, New York, for a routine training flight over the ocean. The flight leader was Colonel Roy E. Ferguson, 45, of Commerce, Oklahoma, piloting jet #58-0292. Aboard with him was his radar observer, 1st Lieutenant Kenneth D. Daniel, 24, of Naruna, Virginia.
As the flight was over an area about 40 miles south of Block Island, Col. Ferguson’s aircraft crashed into the ocean. The accident was not witnessed by the other pilots and therefore was not immediately realized. Some debris from his aircraft was recovered during a large-scale search.
To see photos of each man, click on the links below.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/22504658/roy-eugene-ferguson
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/247861033/kenneth-douglas-daniel
Sources:
Evening Bulletin, “AF Jet Missing Off Long Island”, September 19, 1962.
Long Island Advance, “SCAFB Chief, Aide Lost; Search On”, September 20, 1962
