FB-111 Crash | New England Aviation History

Kirby, VT – February 2, 1989

May 19, 2015

Kirby, Vermont – February 2, 1989

FB-111
U.S. Air Force Photo

On February 2, 1989, an FB-111 out of Plattsburgh, N.Y., was on a training flight over Vermont, when a problem with one of the fuel tanks forced the crew to bail out. The pilot, Captain Randall F. Voorhees, 31, of Upper Darby, PA, and his radar navigator, Captain Len J. Esterly Jr., 30, of Reading, PA, parachuted to safety with only minor injuries.

The aircraft crashed and exploded in a wooded area about a mile off Route 2, in the town of Kirby, Vermont.

FB-111
U.S. Air Force Photo

Source:

(Nashua, New Hampshire newspaper) The Telegraph, Associated Press article by Jill Arabas, “Air Force To Probe Fighter Plane Crash In Vermont”, February 3, 1989, Pg. 6.

Portsmouth, N.H. – January 30, 1981

January 30, 2016

Portsmouth, New Hampshire – January 30, 1981

FB-111
U.S. Air Force Photo

On January 30, 1981, the United States military was conducting a nationwide readiness exercise dubbed Global Shield ’81. The aircraft involved in this accident was taking part in that exercise.

At 2:55 p.m., an FB-111 fighter-bomber (No. 68-0263) assigned to Pease Air Force Base in Portsmouth, was returning to Pease when the aircraft began to violently roll and shake. The pilot, Captain Peter Carellas, 33, struggled to maintain control, but when the jet fell below 4,000 feet he and the navigator, Major Ronald Reppe, 39, were forced to eject.

The aircraft came down in an apartment complex known as Sea Crest Village and exploded. The burning fuel set one of the apartment buildings on fire. Three people suffered minor injuries, and 13 families were left homeless. (The families were given shelter at hotels at Air Force expense.)

The crew of the aircraft landed safely about a 1/4 mile away.

The FB-111 was designed to carry nuclear weapons if necessary, however, at the time of the accident it wasn’t carrying any ordinance.

Sources:

St. Petersburg Independent, “Air Force Plane Crashes Into Apartments”, January 31, 1981

Nashua Telegraph, “Pilot And navigator Eject Safely; No One Killed Or Seriously Injured”, January 31, 1981

Lewiston Daily Sun, “F111 Crash Report – Jet Out Of Control, Crew Bailed Out”, May 8, 1981

Nashua Telegraph, “Pease Crew Lost Fight To Control Plane”, May 8, 1981, Pg. 44

Providence Journal Bulletin, “Fighter Plane crashes; Two Apartments Burn”, January 31, 1981, page 1.