Lockheed aircraft can "shed" a tail too.


On 23 March 1967, the worst ground aviation accident of the Vietnam War occurred at Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam when a traffic controller cleared USMC A-6A Intruder, BuNo 152608, of VMA(AW)-242, MAG-11, for takeoff but also cleared USAF C-141A-LM Starlifter, AF serial number 65-9407, of the 62nd Military Airlift Wing, McChord AFB, Washington, to cross the runway. The A-6's crew saw the Starlifter at the last moment, veered off of the runway to try to avoid the collision, but the A-6's port wing sliced through the C-141's nose, which immediately caught fire. The load of 72 acetylene gas cylinders ignited and caused a tremendous explosion, only the loadmaster escaping through the rear hatch. The A-6 overturned, skidded down the runway on its back, but both crew, Capt. Frederick Cone and Capt. Doug Wilson survived, crawling out of the smashed canopy after the jet stopped. Some of the ordnance load of bombs and rocket packs went off in the ensuing fire. Military Airlift Command crew killed were Capt. Harold Leland Hale, Capt. Leroy Edward Leonard, Capt. Max Paul Starkel, SSgt. Alanson Garland Bynum, and SSgt. Alfred Funck. This was the first of two C-141s lost during the conflict, and one of only three strategic airlifters written off during the Vietnam War.[1