Citizen photo 1967 crash
An Air Force F4D fighter jet had crashed into a grocery store and demolished a couple of homes.
The death toll turned out to be much lighter than was originally thought, with four confirmed dead. Compared to estimates, this was good news.
From the Arizona Daily Star, Wednesday, Dec. 20, 1967:
Toll In Air Tragedy Confirmed At Four
By KEN BURTON
Weary, mud-stained firemen left the Cactus Shopping Center yesterday, convinced that no more than four persons died in Monday's tragic holocaust.
Authorities said that the high death toll estimates of 15 persons made late Monday night was caused by difficulty in removing the dead and a conflict in reports.
Investigators said their estimate of the damages totaled $202,050 — excluding the $2 million-plus pricetag of the U.S. Air Force F4D jet fighter that caused the fire.
The fire department's estimate included a $200,000 loss to Food Giant No. 10, which was demolished, plus a $77,000 loss to the store's inventory.
Also added to the tally were the homes of Sgt. Paul Porto, at ---- S. Winstel Blvd., and James Tilton, ---- S. Winstel. Both houses were destroyed and damage was set at $10,000 each, plus $2,500 for each home's contents.
Another $1,050 was listed as damage to the Gun Slot, a hobby store, the Rasco variety store and a home at ---- S. Winstel. The Gun Slot and Resco were on either side of the Food Giant.
Davis-Monthan's legal office yesterday began round-the-clock operations to process claims arising from the crash and had set up an emergency advance system for hardship cases.
Capt. Ellis Franklin, unshaven and drawn after staying at the crash site for more than 20 straight hours, said he had based his casualty estimate on reports from witnesses.
The Dead were identified as Sherry Tilton, 19, of ---- Winstel Blvd., daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Tilton; Mrs. Robin Bush, 34, of --- E. Bromley St., wife of Glenn Bush; Mrs. Victoria Steffania Palmer, 55, of ---- Monthan Strav., wife of James Oliver Palmer; and Mrs. Crystal Siemund of Empirita Ranch near Benson, wife of Raymond Siemund.
The fire erupted when a U.S. Air Force F4D jet fighter, loaded with more than 16,000 pounds of JP-4 aviation gasoline, crashed after takeoff from Davis-Monthan AFB.
The plane, originally stationed at Nellis AFB, Nev., ripped into the rear of the Food Giant store and sent fireballs into the grocery and the nearby homes.
Firemen said the exact time of the crash was fixed at 5:44 p.m., by an electric clock, stopped at a Burger Chef stand not far from the mishap.
Besides gutting a store and two homes, the plane severed two natural gas lines and set the escaping fumes afire and also sheared an eight-inch water main. The water loss caused some drop in pressure, firemen said.
Some 120 off-duty firemen reported in after three alarms had been sounded, and 60 were shuttled to the shopping center to bolster the department's strength. Davis-Monthan also sent in men and equipment.
Franklin said his department had granted permission late yesterday to restore electricity to the six remaining businesses in the Center. They expect to re-open soon.
Some confusion resulted when persons thought to have been shopping in the Food Giant later reached home safely, but didn't notify authorities — not knowing they had been reported missing.
Franklin praised Civil Defense volunteers and Air Force firemen, who worked hand-in-hand with city firemen in the long mopping-up operation.
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Aerial photo by Bob Parker Dec. 19, 1967 Dotted line indicates a probable flight path of the F4D jet off the main runway at Davis-Monthan AFB to the point where it crashed at the Cactus Shopping Center on South Alvernon way.
Have you ever heard disaster stories in which a person says, "I was supposed to be on that [train, plane, bridge or other location]. An angel must have been watching over me."
Here are some similar stories. From the Star, Wednesday, Dec. 20, 1967:
Call It Luck, Or Call It Fate
By TOM RISTE
Call it fate or luck or the hand of God, but a few residents of Citation Park who live behind the scene of Monday night's tragedy at the Cactus Shopping Center on South Alvernon can count their lucky stars.
Mrs. Gay Dingle, of ---- S. Baxter Pl., was heading out the front door to buy a head of lettuce at Food Giant when her telephone rang. She answered the call and chatted with a friend for some five minutes until the explosion occurred. "I would have been in the Food Giant, right there in the vegetable department when it happened of the phone hadn't rung."
Mary Ann Heinlein, of ---- S. Kitt Pl., and an employe in the meat department at Food Giant, finished work at 5 p.m., and went home. "Normally I stick around and talk to Robin Bush while she is cutting chickens back in the kitchen," she reported, "but I wanted to get home and then do some Christmas shopping. That's why I wasn't there with Robin when she died."
J.A. Uribe and his wife, Yolanda, who live at ---- S. Winstel almost directly across the street from the demolished Tilton residence, were at home waiting for a TV repairman who had promised to work on their set by 4:30 that afternoon. "It was nearly 5:30 and he still hadn't come and we were pretty upset. We planned to go to the laundry and then on to Food Giant for some shopping. If he had gotten here on time we would have been over there when the plane hit."
Even more frightening was the experience of Mrs. George Medina and her three children. Mrs. Medina was already at the shopping center headed for the market when they spotted Medina's wrecker in front of a nearby store helping a stranded motorist.
"We stopped and talked to George for a few minutes, then went on to the Food Giant. Just as we entered the building the plane struck and flames came roaring at us from the rear of the store. We ran back out and I began looking for my daughter, Debbie, who had gone into the variety store next door. We finally found her. If we hadn't seen George, we would all have been inside the market."
Mrs. Mercy Garcia, ---- S. Winstel, does alterations for the laundry and dry cleaning unit in the shopping center. She had just finished a pair of slacks, but instead of taking them back to the laundry she decided to stay home and address Christmas cards. Her son, Raul, 17, was in the Garcia living room just seconds before the explosion rocked their home. But he had walked into their kitchen for a drink of water and was there when the plane came roaring down and a chunk of mortar came hurling through their front window and crashed into the chair where he had been sitting.
Citizen photo Dec. 19, 1967 An engine from a shattered F4D jet fighter-bomber and other debris wound up in this play yard last night after the jet crashed on takeoff from Davis-Monthan AFB
Angels were indeed watching over these people.
Of course, investigation of the crash began immediately, and people wanted answers.
From the Star of the same date:
Experts Begin Investigation Of Air Crash
Disaster Plan Need Is Cited
By TOM TURNER
A military-civilian board of experts yesterday began what may be a weeks-long probe into the causes of Monday's crash of an F4D jet fighter bomber at the Cactus Shopping Center.
And the city's mayor spoke of an "immediate need" to consider an area-wide disaster plan to meet future emergencies.
Mayor James N. Corbett, Col. George P. Cole, landlord unit commander at Davis-Monthan AFB, and Brig. Gen. Ralph Taylor, Tactical Air Command chief at Nellis AFB, Nev., met with newsmen early yesterday in city council offices.
Cole said the investigation board is made up of pilots, physicians and civilian specialists in all systems of the McDonnell F4 craft. Some likely will be McDonnell engineers from St. Louis.
The last piece of the fatal craft — a twisted General Electric J79 jet engine — was removed from the crash scene at 5:30 a.m. yesterday. The parts will be reassembled and each will be analyzed at a DM hangar, Cole said.
Cole said the investigation may take several weeks.
"We want to make certain we find the exact cause of this crash and prevent a recurrence," Cole said. "We can and we will learn from this tragedy."
In response to a Star query, Corbett said that more work needs to be done to coordinate the efforts of city, county, Air Force and volunteer groups in handling disaster emergencies. But both Corbett and Cole praised the impromptu organization that had the crash scene nearly cleared before dawn this morning.
City Manager Roger O'Mara said that city departments have already been organized in a disaster plan that was fully utilized at the shopping center site. Cole said that a cooperative arrangement is being worked out between the Air Force and D-M with city police and fire departments.
Cole had praise for city units, Pima County Sheriff's and Southern arizona Search and Rescue Assns., the Red Cross, Civil Defense, Arizona Highway Patrol, Navy Reserve and Air National Guardsmen who assisted.
Cole was asked why the crash scene was cordoned off by rifle-bearing air police for nearly an hour after the mishap. Cole explained that it was a precautionary measure taken by the Air Force in air crashes until it can be determined what armaments the crashed plane carried.
As soon as it was determined that the Nellis AFB-based plane carried only dummy ammunition, Cole said, the air police were disarmed and entire control of the area was turned over to Police Chief Bernard Garmire.
"We respect civilian jurisdiction just as they repect ours," Cole said.
The rifles, Cole added, were not loaded; but each air policeman carried a clip of live ammunition in his pocket.
Cole said that Maj. Gen. William Campbell, deputy inspector general for inspection and safety from U.S. Air Foce Headquarters, would assist in the probe.
Taylor and three investigators arrived from Nellis within hours of the crash. Yesterday morning, a team of seven Air Force claims officers arrived from California and began assessing the damage and making door-to-door checks in the accident neighborhood.
The claims officers are authorized to pay out up to $1,000 in immediate relief benefits. Higher claims must be presented administratively to Air Force Headquarters.
The injured and survivors of victims have the right to file court suit if the administrative judgments are not considered satisfactory.
Cole was asked about the possibilities of changing D-M approach patterns as a result of the crash. He replied that the some half dozen pattern changes in the last year were made in effort to abate noise.
Cole explained that, because of the lay of the D-M runways, some overflying is done to the limit of safety to prevent noise.
However, he added that between 65 to 75 per cent of some 95 F4 takeoffs and landings per day at D-M are executed over the sparsely-populated desert to the southeast of the field.
The F4D — the crash plane — is a slightly-modified version of the F4C, the plane used for training Vietnam-bound pilots by the 4453rd Combat Crew Training Wing at D-M.
The 4453rd arrived at D-M in 1964 with 1,200 men and 50 airplanes. Today, the wing maintains 100 F4Cs and some 3,000 men. About a fourth of the men are students undergoing from four to eight weeks of course work.
Cole said that refuge for the crash homeless has been offered at D-M quarters.
Tucsonans also learned a little more of the pilot's and navigator's experiences:
Pilot Seen Heading For Park
Bail-Out Occurred At Last Second
The commander of F4D jets at Nellis AFB speculated yesterday that the pilot of Monday night's ill-fated plane was attempting to head it toward Randolph Park.
Brig. Gen. Ralph Taylor who arrived here Monday night, said it was his opinion that command pilot Canadian Flt. Lt. Jack R. Hamilton, Perth, Ontario, and his trainee navigator, Capt. Gary L. Hughes, 32, Mt. Shasta, Calif., waited until the last second before bailing out.
Ejection is only safe at altitudes of 200 feet and above, Taylor explained, and their chutes barely opened before they touched down. One of the plane's crew apparently landed just behind the airbase security fence and the second in the backyard of a nearby residence.
Both men were taken to the D-M Hospital, questioned for awhile, then put under sedation. Taylor said the two men received minor injuries and remained under sedation until about noon yesterday.
Witnesses said the plane apparently was without lights or engine power when it fell behind the Food Giant Super Market, 1830 S. Alvernon Way.
Taylor said the plane gave no indication of malfunction either before or during takeoff — nor during the plane's trip from Nellis, near Las Vegas, to D-M Monday morning.
The general said that Hamilton, an exchange instructor pilot with 3,500 hours experience, brought Hughes to Tucson for experience in D-M's F4 flight simulator.
There were, of course, questions about the flight paths the jets used to and from D-M. And, as we learned, a couple of months ago, there would be another major crash of a jet from Davis-Monthan.
