|
|
|
Advertisements
Aircraft Type Photo
BELOW: McDonnell F-101C Voodoo fighter-bomber / interceptor / reconnaissance aircraft.
Photo: Courtesy of the National Museum of the USAF
Aircraft Type and Background
USAF McDonnell F101C 45 MC Voodoo / 56-0013
Aircraft Type Nickname: "One-Oh-Wonder" The F-101 first flew in 1954. It was equipped with two Pratt & Whitney afterburning thrust J57-P-55 turbojet engines. The F-101 Voodoo could carry two Genie nuclear-tipped air-to-air missiles or six Hughes Falcon air-to-air missiles. The RF-101C was capable of carrying a thermo-nuclear bomb. This fighter-bomber had a maximum speed of 1,000mph and a cruising speed of 550mph. Originally, the F-101 was intended as a long range escort fighter for the B-36 bombers operated by Strategic Air Command (SAC). McDonnell F-101 Voodoos were operated by the USAF and later by the RCAF.
BELOW: Close-up of F-101 Voodoo cockpit controls
Photo: Courtesy of the National Museum of the USAF
Aircraft Accident Details
At the time of the accident, the F-101C Voodoo featured here was on a training flight from its base at RAF Bentwaters in Suffolk, England. However, while flying over the Scottish highlands at 28,000ft, the fighter exploded in mid-air —apparently without warning—as the pilot had no opportunity to eject from his stricken aircraft.
Wreckage from the fighter-bomber was strewn over a wide area in the vicinity of Maol Odhar (Creach Bheinn) in the Kingairloch area of the Scottish Highlands, about 15 miles SW of Fort William. An extensive search was conducted by the USAF, RAF and mountain rescue teams. However, the crash site was not discovered until 10 days later.
Press reports speculated that live ammunition or nuclear bombs / warheads had exploded causing the crash. Reports suggest, however, that this fighter had been on a training—not an operational—mission.
Aircraft Pilot Casualty
The airman who died in this accident was:
Crash Site Photos
At the moment, there are no photos of this aircraft crash site. However wreckage photos and details are available at Eddie's Photo Archive and at Peak District Air Accident Research website.
|
|
Crash Date / Site
Accident Date: 5 May 1964
Accident Site: Maol Odhar / Creach Bheinn(794m / 2,605ft)
Region: Highland (Kingairloch)
Nearest towns or villages: KilmaliueInversanda orStrontian(SW of Fort William).
Nearest large towns: Fort William (NE) or Oban (S) via Corran ferry.
OS Grid Ref. NM 881 579 (summit)
GPS Refs: N/A
Present Condition: Substantial wreckage remains onsite, scattered over a very wide area.
Aircraft Details
Registration or Serial: 56-0013
Operator: USAF (United States Air Force)
Operating Base: RAF Bentwaters / RAF Woodbridge; 81st Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW); 78th Tactical Fighter Squadron (TFS).
Base Location: Woodbridge, Suffolk, England.
Current Airport Status: Closed 1993. Now forms part of Bentwater Parks and Bentwaters Cold War Museum
Principal airport data courtesy of John Woodside, A Catalogue of UK Airfields
Related Links
Accident Specific Links Eddie's Photo Archive (Current photos of accident site and wreckage) Peak District Air Accident Research (See under Scotland / F-101C-45-MC etc.)
Forums, Organisations, and Societies Bentwater Buds (Reunions) RAF Bentwaters at Forces Reunited TwinBases.org.uk (RAF Bentwaters and RAF Woodbridge: Memories, photos, and reunions with former friends / buddies)
Local Hillwalking and Mountain-eering Creach Bheinn (Maol Odhar) at ScottishHills.com (forum) Scottish Mountaineering Club (PDF document for Maol Odhar / Creach Bheinn)
Museums Bentwaters Cold War Museum (BCWM) McDonnell RF-101C Voodoo at National Museum of the USAF
RAF and Related Links RAF Bentwaters (Photos of former base. Now closed) RAF Bentwaters / RAF Woodbridge and other RAF's RAF Bentwaters at WikiMapia.org (aerial photos similar to Google Earth)
USAF and Related Links 78th Fighter Squadron at Global Security.org 81st Fighter Wing (a history of)
Other Links
Hill Walking Links
(Hillwalking and Mountaineering) Hiking in the Highlands of Scotland Hillwalking (The Scottish Mountaineering Club) Hillwalking.org.uk (Equipment, etc.) Mountain Guides (Routes, maps, advice and guidance compiled by Steven Fallon) OutdoorScotland.co.uk (Directory of Clubs, Associations, and Mountain Rescue Teams) The Mountaineering Council of Scotland Scottish Winter Hillwalking Course WalkingScotland (The official Walking site of Scotland's national tourism organisation)
Other Outdoor Activities Backpacking and BackpackersCicerone (Backpacking Guides for Walking in the UK) Kayaking and CanoeingKayak Scotland (Sea Kayaking in Scotland) Kayaking at Active Scotland (Various venues)
Mountain BikingMountain Bike Trails (Forestry Commission Scotland) Mountain Biking at Active Scotland (Various venues)
Rock Climbing and AbseilingAbseiling Scotland (Various venues) Climbing, Scrambling and Abseiling Scotland Mountain Sports Courses and Paddle Sports Courses at Glenmore Lodge Rock Climbing at Scottish National Outdoor Training Centre (Skills Courses and Qualifications Courses) Rock Climbing in Scotland (Rock Climbing Areas) UKClimbing.com (UKC) (Includes Abseiling / Rappelling)
Trekking and HikingGairloch Trekking Centre (Pony Trekking in the Scottish Highlands) Pony and Quad Treks (North Wales) Ramblers (UK) Ramblers (Worldwide Holidays)
Emergency Services Link Register for Text 999 Emergency Service If you cannot make voice calls, you can now contact the 999 emergency services by SMS text from your mobile phone.
Outdoor Gear Shops |
F101C Voodoo 56-0013
Maol Odhar, Highland
|
|
|||||
![]() |
|
![]() |
|||
|
|





