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The Crash of the F-86H
aka - "The McConnell Site"
25 August 1954
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The leading jet ace of the
Korean War was Capt. Joseph
McConnell, Jr. who scored his first victory on January 14, 1953. In
a little more than a month, he gained his 5th MiG-15
victory, thereby becoming an ace.
Joseph McConnell, right, talks to a ground crewmen after a flight.
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Ten F-86Hs had been delivered by the end of June
1954, but operational testing was delayed by accidents. There were
problems with both the airframe engine, with the J73 not being able to
meet its 150-hour qualification tests. The most notable of these
accidents was the crash on August 25, 1954 in which Capt Joseph
McConnell, the leading Korean War ace (with 16 aerial victories) was killed.
During the
flight, the aircraft suffered a complete hydraulic failure caused by a
missing bolt. McConnell had to fly the plane using the elevator trim.
Rather than bailing out and losing the airplane, he tried to fly it back
to a landing at Edwards. Several miles short of the lakebed, the attempt
failed. McConnell bailed out, but he was too low for his parachute to
open. He died upon impact with the desert floor, his Sabre cartwheeling
into a fireball a couple hundred yards away.
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We are
currently searching for photos of the crash site taken during the
investigation. If you have any - please contact us.
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This crash, plus some
other accidents, caused a delay in the operational testing of the F-86H.
It was not until October of 1954 that operational testing of the other F-86H
aircraft was resumed.
Hollywood memorialized him in the
movie The McConnell Story,
starring Alan Ladd, and June Allyson. Before shooting was completed on this
film, McConnell was tragically killed in a test pilot accident. A new ending was
then written and shot.
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The Crash Site Today
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Like many crash sites, a pit or hole in the ground marks the main point of
impact.
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Take a 360 virtual tour of the site.
(Requires QuickTime)
HI
RES
Version 1.5 MEGS
LOW
RES
Version 500K |
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For the size of aircraft,
debris is spread over an amazing large area, at least the area of one or
two football fields with most if it being to the west of the crash site.
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