Fallon/Pike – 2 Apr 87
Pilot: FLTLT Mark ‘Speed’ Fallon Age: 24
CAT C QFI – 873 hrs F-111
Navigator: FLGOFF Bill Pike Age: 22
UNCAT, 26 OPCON – 47.9 hrs F-111
A8-128 3,216.4 total airframe hours
Fatal Accident @ Night, Land Strike. During a night, simulated weapons tactic against a land strike target near Tenterfield, NSW, the aircraft impacted the ground. Aircraft break-up was extensive and both crew members were killed.
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Accident summary. The sortie was the Final Handling Test (FHT) for the student navigator prior to completing No 26 F-111C Operational Conversion Course. It was the first F-111 FHT conducted by the pilot since his F-111C Qualified Flying Instructor (QFI) conversion … more accident details in this extract from DDAAFS Safety Magazine “Sifting Through the Evidence” DDAAFS_F-111 Accident_128
