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Contact Info
Home Town New York
Last Address Edwards AFB, CA
Date of Passing Apr 23, 1971
Location of Interment Star of David Memorial Gardens - North Lauderdale, Florida
Narrative:
Destroyed on test flight out of Edwards AFB, CA. Crashed on April 23, 1971 into the Mojave Desert CA. Cause of accident described as "aircraft departed controlled flight during a gun firing flight test wind up turn".
Both crew - Major James W. Hurt III (pilot) and Major Robert J. Furman (WSO) were killed. They were both found still inside the escape capsule
Aircraft experienced trouble at 6,000 feet. This was the 18th crash of the type since entering service and the second fatal accident of 1971 when the module chute failed to properly deploy. All F-111s were grounded on Thursday April 30, 1971 after it was determined that the recovery chute compartment door failed to separate making crew escape impossible. This was the sixth grounding order for the F-111 since it entered operation. Grounding order lifted June 8, 1971 during which time the panel that failed in this accident was replaced .
F-111E s/n 67-0117 was the 3rd conversion from F-111A to F-111E, and had accumulated 97 flights and 152.7 flight hours.
Aircraft/Missile Information
Model Republic F-105D Thunderchief Length 64.24 ft | 19.58 m Width 34.94 ft | 10.65 m Height 19.59 ft | 5.97 m Engine(s) 1 x Pratt & Whitney J75-P-19W turbojet engine generating 24,500lbs of thrust with afterburn capability. Empty Weight 27,500 lbs | 12,474 kg MTOW 52,838 lbs | 23,967 kg Max Speed 1,390 mph | 2,237 km/h | 1,208 kts Max Range 920 miles | 1,480 km Ceiling 41,207 ft | 12,560 m | 7.8 miles Climb Rate 34,400 ft/min (10,485 m/min) Hardpoints 4 Armament 1 x 20mm cannon
Internal bomb load capacity of up to 8,000lbs (3,629 kg) with an overall capacity of 12,000lbs (5,442 kg) of munitions (with the inclusion of the external hardpoints).
Mission-specific armament can include AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, mine dispensers, air-to-surface missiles, rocket pods, fuel tanks, nuclear-tipped weapons and conventional dumb bombs. Accommodations 1
Major Variants
* YF-105A - Initial prototypes of which two produced; Pratt & Whitney J57-P-25 turbojet. * YF-105B - Second prototype of which four produced; J75-P-3 powerplant. * F-105 - Base model designation * F-105B - First production rate model * F-105D - All-Weather Attack Variant * F-105F - Final production designation; Two-seat conversion trainer model. * EF-105F - Wild Weasel conversion with special radar detection equipment and anti-radar air-to-surface missiles. * F-105G - Later designation of same EF-105F Wild Weasel Variant.
