F-104A "FG-810" (56-0810) 319th FIS Homestead AFB, Florida of Air Defense Command (ADC) about 1964 F-104A, construction number 183-1098, model 183-93-02, serial number 56-0813, built by Lockheeddelivery date May 28, 1958; 337th FIS May 1958-December 1958; 83rd FIS Hamilton AFB, CA December 1958-August 1960 197th FIS August 1960-September 1962; 151 FIS/134 FIG Tennessee ANG September 1962-April 1963 319th FIS ADC Homestead AFB, FL April 1963-November 1966; crashed November 17, 1966 after a flame out in the landing pattern at Homestead AFB, pilot ejected but he released the parachute too high and was killed; written off. copyright © Mühlböck collection Primary cause: Fuel starvation due to erroneous fuel indication. Pilot was 2/3 of the way around the downwind to final turn when his engine flamed out from fuel starvation at about 500-800 feet AGL. He ejected successfully and got a good and fully deployed parachute. But for reasons unknown he opened the quick-release fittings on his harness and fell to the ground from a height great enough to kill him. The area under him was flat farm land that had just been plowed but not harrowed and thus was covered with big clods of fresh dirt. There were 100+ KV high-tension power lines supported by pylons crossing the final approach about half a mile from the threshold of Runway 05. The board concluded, since he had lost his glasses during the ejection, that deceived by the apparent size of the dirt clods on the ground below him, he misjudged his height above ground, thought he was much lower, and released the chute's canopy to avoid drifting downwind into the power lines. We estimated he fell about 50-60 feet. As for the fuel gauge reading of 600 pounds, that was from the paint trace left by the fuel gauge's needle upon the dial when the aircraft impacted. The burn mark on the ground was about one meter in diameter indicating the fuel left was essentially zero.
