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Gulf War Battle Damage

F-4G "Wild Weasel" Phantom 69-7571 (Crashed/Destroyed)
81st TFS/52nd TFW "Wild Weasels"
Tail Code "SP" - Spangdahlem AB, Germany - Sheikh Isa AB, Bahrain

This F-4G Advanced Wild Weasel was from the 81st TFS, 52 TFW, Spangdahlem AB Germany one of the last F-4 units in operation. This was the only F-4G lost during Desert Storm. It crash landed at KKMC (FOL 1) due to fuel starvation after small arms hits punctured fuel tanks on January 18, 1991 [Gulf War 1991 Chronology By Easy Tartar]. Original reports stated it was a mechanical failure. It became the 7th US Combat Loss. Both crew members ejected safely. Capt Tim Burke was the pilot, not sure the name of his WSO.

Coming back from a target it missed the orbit of the tanker it was to refuel from. There was not enough fuel to fly past the tanker and then circle back to line up for refueling so the pilot decided to land at Al Kharj Airbase, Saudi Arabia. As luck [bad luck] would have it, heavy earth moving equipment had accidentally cut the runway landing lights and the base was covered in fog. The F-4G was right over the runway, but just couldn't see it. The crew made several landing attempts at KKMC, which was basically zero-zero at the time. On the 5th pass Capt Burke ran out of gas so the crew members [successfully] ejected and 69-7571 bellied in. After the crash SMSgt Beebe and the 2951 CLSS ABDR team assigned at KKMC stripped it and buried it in the desert.

To this day a lot of speculation exists about the actual cause of the crash. But according to the Air Force Historical Research Agency report titled "USAF MANNED AIRCRAFT COMBAT LOSSES 1990-2002" the F-4G Wild Weasel aircraft was hit while flying against air defense sites in Iraq and as a result lost fuel. The two crew members were rescued because they ejected after returning over friendly territory.

F-4G Phantom 69-7571 after crash landing January 18, 1991 and the 2951 CLSS ABDR crew.[2951 CLSS ABDR collection]

F-4G Phantom 69-7571 after crash landing January 18, 1991 and the 2951 CLSS ABDR crew. [2951 CLSS ABDR collection]

F-4G Phantom 69-7571 after crash landing January 18, 1991 and the 2951 CLSS ABDR crew. [2951 CLSS ABDR collection]

F-4G Phantom 69-7571 after crash landing January 18, 1991 and the 2951 CLSS ABDR crew. [2951 CLSS ABDR collection]

At the time of Desert Storm, the F-4G was still the only Wild Weasel aircraft available to the USAF. The F-4Gs of the 35th TFW played an important part in Operation Desert Storm in 1991, when they cut a path through Iraqi air defenses during the initial attack on January 17, 1991. The F-4Gs of the 52nd TFW based at Spangdahlem in Germany were also added to the assets of the 35th TFW based at Sheik Isa AFB in Bahrain and to the 7440th Composite Wing based at Incirlik AFB in Turkey.

F-4G Phantom 69-7571 crash January 18, 1991 [C. Youngblood collection]	F-4G Phantom 69-7571 crash January 18, 1991 [C. Youngblood collection]	F-4G Phantom 69-7571 crash January 18, 1991 [C. Youngblood collection]	F-4G Phantom 69-7571 crash January 18, 1991 [C. Youngblood collection]
F-4G Phantom 69-7571 crash January 18, 1991 [C. Youngblood collection]	F-4G Phantom 69-7571 crash January 18, 1991 [C. Youngblood collection]	F-4G Phantom 69-7571 crash January 18, 1991 [C. Youngblood collection]	F-4G Phantom 69-7571 crash January 18, 1991 [C. Youngblood collection]
F-4G Phantom 69-7571 crash January 18, 1991 [C. Youngblood collection]	F-4G Phantom 69-7571 crash January 18, 1991 [C. Youngblood collection]	F-4G Phantom 69-7571 crash January 18, 1991 [C. Youngblood collection]	F-4G Phantom 69-7571 crash January 18, 1991 [C. Youngblood collection]
F-4G Phantom 69-7571 crash January 18, 1991 [C. Youngblood collection]	F-4G Phantom 69-7571 crash January 18, 1991 [C. Youngblood collection]	F-4G Phantom 69-7571 being lifted from crash site [C. Youngblood collection]	F-4G Phantom 69-7571 stripped of parts and waiting to be buried [C. Youngblood collection]
F-4G Phantom 69-7571 trailered	F-4G Phantom 69-7571 trailered	F-4G Phantom 69-7571 stripped of parts and waiting to be buried

On Dec 3, 2009 Mike Gardner a pilot in the squadron during the war left a message on the Guestbook stating 69-7571 diverted out of the tanker tracks to the designated alternate airfield. The alternate was WXSOF. The aircrew made three attempts to find the runway but had to eject on short final when the jet ran out of gas.