F101C Voodoo 56-0013

Maol Odhar, Highland

 
     
 
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Aircraft Type Photo

 

BELOW: McDonnell F-101C Voodoo fighter-bomber / interceptor / reconnaissance aircraft.

 

McDonnell F-101C Voodoo fighter bomber / interceptor aircraft on hardstanding

 

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

 

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:

  • Capt. Morris H Reed (28). Pilot

 

 

 

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.

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Crash Date / Site

 

Accident Date: 5 May 1964

 

Accident Site: Maol Odhar (Creach Bheinn) (794m / 2,605ft)

 

Region: Highland (Kingairloch)

 

Nearest towns or villages: Kilmaliue, Inversanda or Strontian (SW of Fort William).

 

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

Bentwaters Aviation Society

Bentwater Buds (Reunions)

RAF Bentwaters at Forces Reunited

TwinBases.org.uk (RAF Bentwaters and RAF Woodbridge: Memories, photos, and reunions with former friends / buddies)

 

Hill Walking 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)

RAF Bentwaters at Wikipedia

RAF Woodbridge at Wikipedia

RAF Bentwaters history

 

USAF and Related Links

78th Bushmasters

78th Fighter Squadron at Global Security.org

81st Fighter Wing (a history of)

 

Other Links

Bentwaters Parks

WoodbridgeSuffolk.info

 

 
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