Lockheed C-130 Hercules

While descending to Tehran-Mehrabad Airport, the four engine airplane crashed in unknown circumstances in Kahrizak, about 20 km south of the airport. All 80 occupants were killed, among them high ranking officers and the Iranian Minister of Defense.

During a night approach to Nellis AFB, the crew failed to realize his altitude was too low when the airplane struck the ground on short final. Upon impact, fuel tanks ruptured and the aircraft came to rest in flames about a mile from the runway threshold. Seven occupants were killed while all others escaped with minor or no injuries. A load of ammunition and grenades caused the aircraft to explode and burn for several hours.

Shortly after takeoff from Cairo West AFB, while climbing, the four engine airplane stalled and crashed in a huge explosion on a small hill located near the airport. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 17 occupants were killed.

On final approach to Menongue, the four engine airplane was shot down by a surface-to-air missile and crashed. All four crew members were killed.

En route, the crew was forced to attempt an emergency landing due to fuel exhaustion. The airplane crash landed in an open field and was damaged beyond repair. There were no casualties.

The aircraft departed Cubi Point NAS at 0428LT on an exercise over the South China Sea under call sign Stray 59, carrying members of the USAF as well as military personnel from Australia, Philippines and New Zealand. At 0525LT, while cruising at very low height, the airplane apparently hit the water and crashed off Tabones Islands. A crew member was rescued while 23 other occupants were killed.

Shortly after takeoff from Ramstein AFB, while in initial climb, the four engine airplane stalled and crashed on an ammunition depot, bursting into flames. All nine occupants were killed. It was reported that the aircraft nosed up and the tail stalled.

The crew was engaged in a local training flight at Caracas-Maiquetía-Simón Bolívar Airport. After takeoff, while in initial climb, the airplane lost height and crashed onto several houses located near the airfield. The aircraft and five houses were destroyed. All six occupants as well as five people on the ground were killed.

This aircraft was delivered on 17 October to TAB1 at Wagner Field, a disused auxiliary airfield at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Between 19 October and 28 October, numerous flights were made testing various aspects, including the double-slotted flaps system, which enabled the C-130 to fly at 85 knots on final approach at a very steep eight-degree glide slope. All aspects worked flawlessly, and a full profile test was scheduled for 29 October. The test's takeoff phase was executed flawlessly, setting a number of short takeoff records. The Lockheed test crew then assessed that the computer used to command the firing of the rockets during the landing sequence needed further calibration, and elected to manually input commands. The reverse-mounted (forward-facing) eight ASROC rockets for decelerating the aircraft's forward speed were situated in pairs on the fuselage's upper curvature behind the cockpit, and at the midpoint of each side of the fuselage beneath the uppers. Testing had determined that the upper pairs, fired sequentially, could be ignited while still airborne (specifically, at 20 feet), but that the lower pairs could only be fired after the aircraft was on the ground, with the descent-braking rockets also firing during the sequence. The flight engineer, blinded by the firing of the upper deceleration rockets, thought the aircraft was on the runway and fired the lower set early. The descent-braking rockets did not fire at all. Later unofficial disclaimers allegedly made by some of the Lockheed test crew's members asserted that the lower rockets fired themselves through an undetermined computer or electrical malfunction, which at the same time failed to fire the descent-braking rockets. As a result, the aircraft's forward flight was immediately reduced to nearly zero, dropping it hard to the runway and breaking the starboard wing between the third and fourth engines. During rollout, the trailing wing ignited a fire, but a medical evacuation helicopter dispersed the flame and crash response teams extinguished the fire within eight seconds of the aircraft stopping, enabling the crew to exit the aircraft safely. 74-1683 was dismantled and buried on-site for security reasons, but most of its unique systems were salvaged.

The crew was dispatched out from Trenton on a SAR operation for a missing helicopter. While flying at low height, the four engine airplane crashed in a wooded area located about 13 km west of Chapais. Eight crew members were killed while two others were seriously injured.
Crew:
Cpt Dave Salmons, pilot, †
Cpt Ron Kavanagh, †
M/Cpl Allan Woodham, †
Sgt J. R. O'Neill, †
Cpl R. W. Fisher, †
Cpl R. J. Cocks, †
Cpl R. J. Taylor, †
Pvt W. D. Minnis, †
Cpt Dahl Manthorpe,
Mst W/O Bing Crosby.