The Full Story Behind the F-14 Tomcat Crash in Nashville 

I was part of the crash investigation team from Berry Field assisting the Navy. As an Air Guard member and Combat Visual Information Specialist (Videographer), I taped the initial findings of the on site crash investigator, walked through the entire site on the day of with the Navy investigators, and taped the aerial re-creation of the final glide path of the F-14 via an Army Guard Huey helicopter in the days that followed. Being Air Guard, I never heard the final report and appreciate your video covering this crash. Although the crash killed four, it occured late enough in the morning that there was little car taffic in the area and (thank goodness) the schools located outside of the area had already started for the day. (No kids involved) The house impacted was completely destroyed along with a car that was flipped over and burning. Several other houses close by had been rattled off their foundations. The entire cone shaped area of destruction was still smoking with several small fires still burning for several blocks when I got there. Myself and the crash investigator initially searched for the engines to try to determine if they were operating upon impact. Having so much mass, they had traveled the farthest from the crash site, along with the rear part of the jet which was upside down and burning along a tree line several blocks from the initial impact. The Tomcat is such a beautiful aircraft, seeing it like that is something I will never forget. I remember seeing the 20mm Gatlin gun twisted and bent around a tree and thinking what kind of force must have occured to do that to the gun barrels. Most of the front part of the plane was in pieces scattered all over the site, along with the landing gear jumbled and smoking in several piles. I seem to remember that the Navy brought that squadron's flight surgeon to the site to identify and recover the crew. It was a tough few days and I want to mention that the Navy personnel did a professional job and we assisted them without delay. We were activated only because we were the closest communications squadron to the crash site. Thoughts and prayers to the famlies and those lost.

My Uncle flew the F-16. When I was in the 8th grade he was on a cross country flight and stopped at Tinker AFB to visit his family. When it was time for him to leave my grandmother, grandfather and I stood on the flight line to watch him take off. He did, (what I now understand to be), an unrestricted takeoff and went straight up into the sky, went inverted and then rolled upright as he headed out. I'm sure he did this to give us a show and impress his family. I don't think it's anything unusual for a fighter pilot to do this to make his family feel proud. I was 13 and even 30 years later think it's one of the coolest things I've ever witnessed.

Ward Typical outstanding job on a sensitive subject. I don't have anything more to add to this accident discussion. I refer to the retread program that "I had so much fun in Navy flight training that I went through twice!" The career gamble that all Retreads put on the line going through this cannot be minimized! Going back to our community as a "fallen angel" was an unknown but not relished. The halo effect I saw was real for some. Since I changed (involuntarily) warfare communities (EA-6B to A-6) I was not given that courtesy. I was an Airwing Strike lead by the end of my first tour in A-6 Intruders and not something that would have been accomplished by the equivalent first tour Naval Aviator. I buried a lot of friends, about 25 in total during my time in the Navy. The family's and broken lives from their loss is not something the general public grasps when they see the glamorous side of Naval Aviation. All Patriots doing a hard job! Sparky

These were my great-grandparents who were killed. I was two years old at the time. I can't begin to describe the impact this tragedy had on my family from that day until the present time. It was a bizarre experience to watch this and hear their names again. I think you described/demonstrated what happened pretty well...just hard to see it.

Thanks, Ward. Well presented. My wife and I know Sprout’s widow and daughter. It has been a struggle for them.

This one got me Ward! In the beginning I wanted to blame Sprout, his command, the Navy. In the end you said it best, "He was simply trying to be the best he could in an environment where your performance is graded by your peers, daily,"

Thank you Mr. Carroll, for this video. I knew you would do it one day. I was the PR shop Supervisor and was on the reclamation team for this as well. This was a life changing event for me. Both Mr. Bates and Mr Higgins were good guys, and I struggled with their loss. Prior to being stationed at VF-213, I was at the parachute loft at Miramar. As it turned out I was the CDQAR on the chute used by Mr Bates in his previous mishap. Shortly after he learned this, he brought his wife and baby daughter to the squadron spaces to show her off. I got to hold her for a second. None of this will ever leave my memory. Thank you for your straight foward telling of this, and for honering his and Mr. Higgins memory. Thanks again for your telling of Lt. Hultgreens syory. God bless.

I respect how Ward says it like it is and balances the nuances and sensitivity of the matter. My ex-gf is a retired Naval E-2 Hawkeye aviator, and she is terrified when she is on the back of my motorbike or when I am hustling in my native NYC traffic. I am surprised but I never told her that I am former racing car driver (SCCA) and motorcycle road racer. I thank all who served our country.

Any time when the military is hemorrhaging people with a certain skill set, they change the standards because in the end; they need the people. I saw this in the Army for Company Grade officers. A few were helicopter pilots and one scared the living heck out of me. A lot of it is luck ad for when you showed up. The opposite happens as well when people aren't leaving the service as much; stellar people get turned down because the standards are too high and the service can pick and chose and consequently miss out on good people they'd dearly wish they had when the pendulum later swings the other way...

As always, great job of explaining what happened. I had 8.7 years in the Navy from the period 5/1955-12/1963 winged in late 1956 and ended my career with about 2,600 hours, about 2,400 hrs single engine jet. Made one tour in an Attack squadron flying the FJ-4B and last 2.5 years as instructor in Training Command. Most difficult decision I had to make regarding a student was to give a down to an Officer who decided he wanted to go through flight training after 5 years in a non aviation billet. We were in the same Air Group on my Lex cruise two years prior and I'm sure for the rest of his life he never forgave me. I felt I saved his life as well as others around him. I might add during my time in the fleet I saw CO's and ExO's who were given these billets after 3 or 4 years at a desk job. Pretty hairy watching from the 07 level.......I'll turn 88 this October and still get excited thinking about my time spent in the greatest fraternity in Aviation. Go Navy!

My first instructor in Primary told me, "Never do an airshow in front of people you know." It's hard to abide by that. Both times my folks saw me depart I requested, and was granted, an unrestricted climb.

As a retired pilot I am aware how disorienting some inflight scenarios can be I have had vertigo as a very new pilot but was lucky enough to get help from another crew member From then on I have always ignored my senses and only followed the instruments

Mooch, nice job. I was COMFITWINGPAC when this happened. VADM Rocky Spane made me fly to Chattanooga to debrief Stacey's parents on the JAG investigation. Very painful experience. I was a RIO to pilot transition and was very fortunate to have good timing and understanding COs, which made my transition enjoyable and successful. Dave Venlet and I cruised together in '83 or '84; he was a Pukin' Dog and I was a Ghostrider. FWIW, I never did like the "retread" moniker! Regards, Gus Grissom

Thank you for posting. I was in VF-213 88-91… I can tell you at the COC in 91 (I won’t mention his name) . The leadership, demeanor and culture changed negatively overnight, none like I ever experienced in other Tomcat squadrons. I transferred as the Blacklions departed for Lincoln’s maiden WestPac. Sadly it took so long to recover and rebuild the culture. I was in VFA-94 (CVW-11) in 2001 and sailed with the Blacklions aboard Vinson. It was so refreshing and heartwarming to see the Blacklions had returned to its former self as I had once known it. The Hobos were pretty damn good too. RIP Sprout and HOB. God Bless. ✌️🇺🇸

We lost two pilots on the CF-18 (Canadian) in a similar scenairo. The first was a burner departure from Inuvik, 6000 ft runway in January, so very cold and the sun never rose at this time of year. When the burners were deselected, apparently the inner ear sensations were so powerful, the attitude was deemed faulty and the aircraft never climbed above 1500 ft. The pilot pushed the aircraft over until it hit the ground a very short distance from the end of the runway and the barrent terrain provided no ground features to re-orient him. The second was an airshow pilot who requested a burner climb the day after the show. He stayed below a low cloud deck, circled and flew by the departure airport, then plugged in the burners and climbed - into cloud. Again, once the burners were deselected, the sensations took over and pushed over and impacted the water a short time later. Finally, after two fatalites, training and instruction was started to prevent this sort of accident in the future. The message here should be not to fault Stacey Bates. Apparently the feelings are very powerful in the absence of visual orientation clues. No new accidents, just new people.

Good morning Ward, your outstanding natural ability to communicate is a gift that many would cherish. This drop is another example of your exceptional professionalism and the manner in which you communicate on a subject that deserves care due to the content is flawless. Another very interesting and very informative video. Thank you as always.

Former Naval Aviator here. The Navy squadron world is exacting and unforgiving for very good reasons. Your reputation as a professional means everything. To have squadron mates refuse to fly with you tells me almost everything. Having Ops schedule around the problem tells me the rest.

I can only imagine how difficult it must have been to complete both front and backseat training for f-14s. I was fortunate enough to be AE on tomcats and I always had to do my very best. The margin for error was nonexistent. I went through f-14 specific classes with vf-124 in 1986 and Miramar was sweet. I didn’t know it at the time but I couldn’t have asked for better role models. My time as a “maintainer” taught me the importance of an education and motivated me to finish my college education. Much respect for you guys.

Sad video, RIP to all who died. Very stark reminder that military aviation is a dangerous profession. But there should be constant grading and evaluation of a pilots performance.

Many thanks for covering this difficult topic with such care. As one of the 11 retread aviators you mentioned I wanted to have this particular story humanized and you did just that. It's a tough one and I think I could see that in your presentation. The rest of my morning will be a quiet one. Thanks again.

The choral tribute at the end of this video surprised me and brought a tear to my eye. The loss of life was not so apparent to me until then. Just a fantastic video.

I’ll never forget this accident. I was working at an FBO on BNA when Bates’s F-14A departed. I was busy so I couldn’t join my co-workers in watching the departure( the main east-west runway ran in front of our hanger). One of my co-workers ( a former F-14A plane captain) mentioned he couldn’t hear the engines in full afterburner; then we heard the “BOOM” of the explosion. It came from the Vicinity of Harding Rd. ( southwest of BNA). The actual crash site was less than a quarter of a mile from my apartment complex. The idiocy of the media in reporting the crash was the most maddening part of it. They kept calling Bates a “Lieutenant Colonel”, not a Lieutenant Commander. I finally called the news station involved and asked them IF they knew the difference between the two ranks; they had no idea. A few months later was when the Southwest Airlines 737-200 ran off the end of Runway 20R. The same idiot reporter who didn’t know the difference between a Lieutenant Colonel and a Lieutenant Commander was babbling about “reverse thrusters” (instead of THRUST REVERSERS), the failure of which is what caused the 737 to run off the runway.

I graduated high school in 1980 at Tyner high school with Stacy, I'm also a ten year Navy veteran. My prayers go out to all that were involved in this terrible accident. Stacy was an outstanding individual, & the kind of young man that you just couldn't say anything negative about. He truly was a decent, good person. R.I.P.

Cdr Carrol, This was a tough one for me to read. As usual, you analyzed all the available information with great skill. I was the CMC of VF-213 during this time. I new LtCdr Bates well. His DH office was next to mine. He was one of the best Officers I have ever met. Smart, fit, hard working. Great man who cared about the crew. Those were tough times. I’m a big fan of your web site.

A very sad tale indeed. My heart goes out to all those affected by this tragic incident. Having served in the Naval Aviation community as an enlisted member, I'm very appreciative of Ward Carroll's efforts and his ability to explain sometimes complicated subjects with his videos. I look forward to each installment.

As always excellent! Lt Chris Parker, VF-213 76-80, RAG Inst VF-124 80-82, medically retired 83, Corporate pilot 84-2006.

Unfortunately, remember reading his parents trying to suggest the TF-030 engines suffered compressor stall, which USN quickly dismissed saying the engines were functioning perfectly fine and were delivering full power in the vertical climb according to all evidence.

Mooch, I applaud your thoroughgoing fairness and sensitivity which you brought to this very tough episode in Naval Aviation. You moved up another notch on the very high esteem chart I already held for you as a fellow Naval combat aircrewmember. A subdued Bravo Zulu under very difficult circumstances. In my 26-year career in Marine and Air National Guard tactical aviation, I had the opportunity to observe the airmanship of a number of "retreads", both Air Force, and Marine Corps. Objectively speaking, some were highly competent and some were marginal or weak. I'm somewhat agnostic about whether Sprout's accident was contributed to by the "retread effect" or not. Nevertheless, because the "retread" program was obviously controversial at flag rank level, and because this tragic accident and loss of civilian life was so high profile, it should come as no surprise that it garnered special interest in the Pentagon and on Capitol Hill. Post-crash, the investigation was inevitably bound to bring very close scrutiny to this pilot's flight records and training history. Your respectful but fair report inclines me to believe that although he was technically qualified, that as you suggested through the testimony of the squadron RIOs who bravely took the difficult decision to refuse to fly with him, that he was indeed still "behind the airplane" even after a full cruise and a trip to Top Gun. I say "bravely" refused to fly with him for the following reason: I think the average NFO, RIO, B/N, or ECWO, would naturally be biased favorably toward overlooking even an inexperienced "retread's" weakness in piloting skills, because most if not all would regard him as "one of their own" and want him to succeed as an aviator. I've observed that NFO's and WSOs often unsuccessfully hid such bias in social conversations about a pilot that everyone obviously knew to be a "retread". Sprout's peers and immediate superiors, CO and XO, were apparently all cognizant of his persistent efforts to improve his skills as an aviator while meticulously performing his collateral duties as a department head and Naval officer. This may have caused most of them to "cut him some slack" in the cockpit while he struggled to master all aspects of the Tomcat's complicated multi-role mission and demanding shipboard ops. As young fighter/attack/recce pilots, we all made mistakes, but for the vast majority of us, we were talented or lucky enough to survive while learning from them. Even the most self-controlled and prudent of us couldn't always resist the opportunity to "shine our ass" a little, especially for an audience of family or friends whom had just been visited for the weekend on a cross country training flight far away from the critical eyes of the brass back at the "home drome". I confess that I did my share of unrestricted climbs to demonstrate to grateful citizens and proud family members what they were getting for their precious tax contributions. I even did some into IMC at McChord, where it seemed there was always a solid 2,000' overcast when it came time to depart! So I understand what most likely happened here. (There but for the grace of God go I!) A normally cautious and professional Naval Aviator who understood his own relative inexperience and skills limitations allowed his ego to overcome his typically prudent judgment, and perform an aggressive transition from rapidly accelerating initial flight with visual references, to a steep climb in solid instrument meterological conditions without mental preparation and proper anticipation for that rapid transition to the gages and the attendant sirens of false physical sensory inputs. The result was severe spatial disorientation, and tragically unsuccessful recovery from an extreme, unusual attitude, five fatalities, two widows, one orphan, two devastated parents, and the loss of an irreplaceable national defense asset. With hindsight, very understandable, but indescribably sad for all concerned, including us. Good work, Mooch. I know this one had to be a really hard one for you, but maybe, just maybe, you saved a life or two out there. God speed. Bear sends.

I respect your honest unbiased telling of this tragic event and the events leading up to it. RIP to all casualties.

Wow. Thank You Ward for posting this video. I know it’s difficult for Bates’ family and any of us whether an aircrew or maintenance member to see these or experience them first hand. I served with VF213 from 89-93. I served as an enlisted member serving in the Line Div, later moving to AF/CC. I was aboard USS Abraham Lincoln. I remember Lt Stacy Bates. So sad when I heard of the tragedy on the news back in my hometown of Chicago. We previously also lost another 213 pilot. Lt Matt Claar. I knew Lt Bates. If memory serves me I can recall a conversation on the flight line of his call sign being “Master”. :). The still shots of the Blacklion aircraft brought back a ton of memories. It’s sad when we hear of these tragedies happening. Especially when it’s someone we served under. I thought Lt Bates was a great member of the squadron. I hope with these tragedies some good comes out of it to keep the members and civilians safe.

Vertigo is disabling and can show up w/o warning. Flew as 1st Mech at VMGR 352, & got vertigo on a night hello AR over San Clemente Island. All because I was watching the commercial traffic at LAX while awaiting the receivers. 1 min, copacetic and then next, I can't tell which way is up and trying not to barf. My time was in excess of 600 hrs, and I didn't get motion sickness, ever! Humbling experience. Semper Fi

I remember this crash. I lived an hour to the east in Cookeville, TN at the time and it definitely got a lot of coverage when it happened.

Aside from being an aviation historian ... you REALLY are such a gentleman, and ambassador (beyond reproach) in how you conduct yourself. The pilot and NFO community (as I infer from you and your guests) make clear where the phrase "Officer and a Gentleman" come from. Thank you for living up to that lofty standard, for being a ROLE model, and of course, all the education you've provided us (and myself).

Darrell Gary (Condor) went back through the pilot pipeline after his tour as one of the initial cadre Topgun instructors as a RIO. I crewed with him my first cruise in VF-51 and he was a superb pilot. Probably helped than he was a NAVCAD so he was several years younger than most retreads. After that cruise, he went back through Topgun as a pilot and then did an instructor tour with Topgun as a pilot. Probably unique in doing Topgun instructor tours as both a RIO and pilot.

Thorough and tactful presentation that covers the career of a naval aviator and the details of his accidental death, along with those of his RIO and three civilians. Sprout obviously had a close relationship with his parents and they were proud of his career accomplishments. Prayers for all who were involved.

The problem with these cases is that we have 20/20 hindsight and we can see the chain of events taking shape, the holes in the cheese starting to align. As a former sqn authoriser I can say that it's often a lot more difficult to pull these things together when you're actually on the spot, and you don't send complete numpties to Top Gun! Also, although we have the key events leading up to the accident we do not have the details of circumstances and conversations within which decisions about this pilot were made. Without such details we can have opinions but they will not necessarily be valid. As to the accident itself, the human factors issues are not new and I myself lost a friend and colleague in a similar loss of SA during a night toss training sortie prior to Gulf War 1. Military aviation is a dangerous business that we mitigate as much as we can, and thankfully these events are now rare. But that doesn't make them any less raw for friends, family and colleagues. RIP Stacey.

The loss of any Naval Aviator officer or enlisted is always sad. Superb work Ward with a very difficult subject.

That was one of your best presentations. I appreciate the detail. I remember the news stories but never heard much more. Thanks Mooch.

Thank you Ward, very objective and professional presentation. I can only imagine how difficult it was to for you to make this report.

A sobering reminder of the incredible risks associated within the realm of Naval aviation - let alone military aviation - during peacetime & training operations. Lest we forget 😪

I was in the squadron during this time. The RIO’s call sign was HOB. “Head of Bone”. Great guy and a big fan of Sam Adams 😁. We were crewed together during SFARP. Flew on Sprouts wing and have my opinions on the flat spin. I’ll leave it at that. Those were some dark days in the squadron but an incredible group of Americans I’ll never forget. Good video.

Really good episode about a difficult subject. I experienced a similar situation as an advanced jet training instructor when many Marine helicopter pilots were transitioning to jets. These were mostly mid rank officers who were highly decorated Vietnam veterans, but their fixed wing time was limited to training command T-34s and T-28s. In many ( but certainly not all) cases, they were not as receptive to instruction as the typical student and they tended to to think their seniority and experience counted for more than it did. It was tough evaluating them as critically as you would a traditional student and I suspect some slipped through, as did the pilot in this episode.

My wife and I lived in the Knob Hill Villa Apartments (just across I-24 from the Luna Drive crash site) when the crash occurred. I heard the jet's engines, then heard a horrible "thud" which shook the windows, followed by silence. I looked out the window (we were on the 3rd floor) and saw the fireball on the hilltop across the freeway, houses all around it. I knew instantly that someone--or perhaps many people, had just lost their lives. I have never before or since experienced that feeling. I feel sick even thinking about it. I can only imagine what our military personnel must experience, perhaps witnessing death many times. Needless to say, the crash was all Nashville was talking about for quite a while after the tragedy. Coincidentally, our best friends now live on Luna Drive, about a half mile from the crash site. Thank you, Ward, for this insightful presentation and for your service.

It's a danger business and it is a tribute to those who do it that more of these "mishaps" don't happen. Vertigo is a terrible thing that can cause one to be totally disabled. I know, I've been there. Thanks again Ward for such a caring and professional presentation of the facts. You're the best.

Playing the “Navy Hymn” at the end of this episode was a thoughtful touch.

That was quite moving, thanks for including those closing remarks.

I remember this incident well but was never aware of the details. As with almost all aviation accidents, the cause is a result of a chain of events. Thanks, Ward, for highlighting the links in this accident so comprehensively.

Cdr Carrol enjoy your videos served enlisted on the Ranger and coral Sea on VF 191 and VF 154. Those were the days.. Unless you served you just dont know how dangerous it was for both pilots and crew. Thank you for your service.

Always great to hear your commentary.

I've quickly come to really appreciate the level of detail and explanation of the flying community. Including unfortunately the bad parts. R.I.P. to all involved.

Tough video. It's never easy to adequately represent the facts without jumping to conclusions. You represented the subject matter while maintaining the dignity of the deceased. Job well done. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the victims.

Ward does a great job of explaining some really tough stuff.

Well done covering the facts without emotion. Sad to see when we loose aviators . A tough job that is often unforgiving when mistakes are made. Keep up the good work on the channel. As a P-3 guy, I enjoy what you bring to the table. BZ!!!!

Very Tastefully done, communicated very well thank you so much Commander

I personally remember this timeframe. After all of this chaos, the DoN did a major staff change and brought in CDR Clemente as CO and MMCPO AFCM Keith Holbert, who turned VF-213 around to a Battle-E standard squadron. This was also the timeframe when VF-213 transitioned to Oceana (HGR 500), along with other squadrons from Miramar. It was pretty rough for a while.

Tragic. I remember this incident as we, my wife and I, were at her fathers house just northwest of there when this occurred. Rest easy warriors.

Sobering. Touch of humor on HOB's callsign. An interesting story behind it, I'm sure. Maybe behind Sprout's too. RIP to AllCon.

I live in Nashville and sadly, remember this event very clearly. I had an office near Nashville airport and had witnessed several fun high performance arrivals and take offs. Fortunately, I did not see this event. Additionally, I lived in that part of town, where they came down. Thank you for a clear and neutral presentation of this mishap.

Great job as always, Ward. This one was special to me as Stacy was my first cousin. I attended his Memorial Service at Mirimar and have a copy of the accident investigation report. You did an outstanding job of presenting all of the relevant facts. I can verify that Stacy worked tirelessly and was very proud to be a Naval Aviator. He was not a "hot dog" but was very humble and quiet. He was indeed a fitness, nutrition, and overall health enthusiast. I have a VF-213 patch that he gave me the last time I saw him, a year or so before the accident. RIP to all who perished that day.

My dad was a highly experienced IFR certified CFI pilot with many hours in actual IMC. On this night he was performing a night VFR flight over a populated area so he had a well defined horizon thanks to the city lights below. While rolling out of a bank after a turn the lights bellow along with all outside references suddenly vanished. He knew at once he had flown into an unseen cloud which would not have been a problem but possibly due to the recent turn he felt quite strongly he was in a bank. He checked his instruments and they all said he was wings level, but every fiber of his being was telling him he was in a band. He knew if he tried to correct the bank it would only intensify the feeling, prompting him to increase the bank. This would create a feedback loop ending with the wings coming off or coming out of the clouds in a steep nose down attitude and in a sharp bank. He had never experienced vertigo as a pilot before and was surprised at how strong the urge to correct the bank was. Though he knew from the instruments that there was no bank, this did nothing to lessen the feeling or the urge. Eventually the city lights returned along with the horizon, right where the instruments said it was. The feelings of vertigo vanished at once but it left him badly shaken, and for the first time he understood why the spiral of death is so common. It gave him a great story to pass to his students. The human vestibular system was never meant to work on an airplane, and it really sucks in that environment. It makes the "seat of your pants" a lying ass. It is critical if you find yourself in IMC, even if you are not IFR qualified, to trust your instruments and ignore that urge to correct what you feel the airplane is doing. What you feel it doing, it's not doing that. Even a student pilot on their first solo should have to ability to use the attitude indicator and or the turn and bank indicator to orient the airplane in space. That is all you need to do. You don't need an IFR rating to do that. Once you get the plane settled call a mayday on the radio and get help from the ground. That is what they are for. VFR into IMC is an emergency, especially if the pilot is not IFR qualified. Worry about the trouble you might be in after you land. You have to be alive to be in trouble, so in a case like this, you actually *WANT* to be in trouble. These bad weather accidents are 100% avoidable so long as you are prepared. And you really have no business in the cockpit if you are not prepared. Fly safe

My buddy an AOCS signed safe for flight for that bird. He very distraught thinking he made a mistake until report came out.

As always, great job,Mooch! This was heartbreaking

Mooch, Another brilliant historical account that goes above and beyond the contemporary news of the day. Thank you for your honorable and insightful tribute to those who perished.

I thoroughly enjoy all of your videos. You especially handle the tragic human elements very well and without personal judgment. Thank you.

Another great video Ward, thanks

Thanks for the video Ward. Very sad and tragic for all involved.

I was there at the time of the crash -- almost literally. From what I've been able to work out, they passed low over the apartment buildng where I was sleeping (worked a night shift at the time), and either the noise of the close pass or the explosion woke me. They must have stayed with the plane to avoid the multiple dense apartment complexes on that side of I-24, and crashed about 900 meters from me.... "Eternal Father, strong to save...."

Great video Ward. This is a story ive been waiting for. You fill out all the blanks with your videos Ward. Keep em coming.

Another great video, done very with a lot of taste and respect.

Masterfully presented factual presentation of a tragic aircraft event.

Great commentary. Thanks

Thank you Ward.

Nicely done, Mooch

Excellent video Mooch, I like the tribute at the end

What a tragedy! As always, a great, detailed presentation Mooch!

Good work Ward, as usual.

Oh snap Nice Hat! Longtime follower, I'm getting my LP this summer- Salute!

Good job telling a difficult story. I think you’re the right person to tell these stories that might otherwise be lost to history. RIP to everyone lost that day.

Excellent presentation! And educational. Thank You, Sir!

Respect to all of you aviators. Well put together and informative video.

Thank you Ward. Another great, heart felt video. Always remembering there are real people involved and affected here. Aloha.

Outstanding breakdown over what happened.

Thanks Ward. You are a great storyteller. I asked you to do this story a while back. I knew Bates when I was in his sister squadron, and talked to him in VF-124. He was a cool guy.

Nicely done, Mooch. Beautiful touch, closing with the Navy Hymn.

I remember this incident. I was living in Mobile, AL just fired/‘let go’ from a training program. Also remember I talked to someone later on, maybe a day or two later. Fortunately, I dodged two bullets as both companies were belly up.

well presented, thanks

Thank you sir for this episode it means a lot to me

Love Ward's videos

Well done Ward. Super sad story that needed to be told.

You keep impressing me with your stories and fairness in tellig them thank you

Watched this previously... Definitely worth watching it again today...

Sad story. Dangerous work by brave people. Forever grateful.

Beautiful ending. Total class act, Sir. Thanks for another great brief.

Another well told story. Thank you

Well done, as always Ward, thanks a million.

Excellent video and analysis of a very sad and tragic incident. I remember the controversy of retreads while I was at the Rag Vf101.

Absolutely Tragic. Rest easy aircrew & civilians.

Another great video.

Great episode, especially enjoy the information coming from an insider with first hand knowledge….

I saw that crash happen. I was driving east on the bridge above I-24. I saw into cockpit as they did all they could before hitting the houses. Two admirals came to my house to interview me about what I saw.