916 Starfighter

F-104C "FG-917" 436th TFS of 479th TFW taking-off at Phoenix IAP 1959

F-104C, construction number 183-1205, model 483-04-05, US serial number 56-0917, built by Lockheed
delivery date January 21, 1959; January 1959 to 436th TFS of 479th Tactical Fighter Wing (Tactical Air Command), George AFB, CA
crashed March 18, 1960 near Bermuda, 917 disappeared shortly after takeoff approximately 10 miles north of Kindley AFB, Bermuda.
This accident occurred during deployment from George AFB to Moron AB, Spain with refueling stop at Bermuda.
No trace of the aircraft or pilot was found despite a 6 day Air and Sea search. The cause of the accident remained undetermined.

This F-104C disappeared shortly after takeoff approximately 10 miles north of Kindley AFB, Bermuda. No trace of the aircraft or pilot was found
despite a 6 day Air and Sea search. The cause of the accident remains undetermined.
The pilot was Lt. Morris B. Larson of 479TFW, 436-TFS. This accident occurred during deployment from George AFB to Moron AB, Spain with
refueling stop at Bermuda. A squadron of 18 F-104C aircraft was scheduled to leave Kindley AFB, Bermuda for Moron AB, Spain at 0630 hours.
The first flight of 6 aircraft, including Lt. Larson in 56-0917, took off with numbers 1 thru 4 in left echelon and numbers 5 and 6 in element
500 ft behind. Lt. Larson was number 4. All members of the flight were monitoring channel 17, radar departure frequency, and checked in
on that freq prior to takeoff. Weather in the Bermuda area was improving, 700 broken, 10,000 broken, higher overcast, visibility 7 miles, wind 230 degrees at 10 knots, ceiling ragged.
Take-off in elements appeared normal except that Lt. Larson lagged behind perceptibly and after becoming airborne assumed a steep climb attitude and disappeared into the overcast
before the element leader. Lt. Larson radioed that his landing gear had not fully retracted after takeoff and that he had slowed down and recycled the gear. During this time he separated
from his element leader. Shortly later Lt. Larson radioed that his gear were up. Just after this transmission all radio and radar contact was lost with Lt. Larson. Repeated attempts
to contact Lt. Larson on guard and radar departure channels were unsuccessful. Element lead immediately requested Air Sea Rescue and a helicopter dispatched to the last radar contact
of approximately 10 miles north of Kindley AFB. A search of the area failed to find any evidence of a crash or survivor. Weather in the vicinity of last radar contact was 300 ft and 1 mile
in rain showers; 500 ft and 3 to 4 miles outside rain showers with a ragged ceiling. Radar surveillance of the area gave no indication that he was airborne in the area. A T-33 and F-104C
were scrambled to search at high altitude for possible contrails and to establish visual contact with an aircraft squawking emergency. This emergency squawk was identified as a Navy
P5M Flying Boat. No contrails were discovered at altitude. A comprehensive Air and Sea search was conducted for 6 days by various agencies under the direction of the Coast Guard
but no evidence of Lt. Larson or his aircraft was discovered. The cause of his disappearance is undetermined. Newspaper articles state that the search was later hampered by high winds
and low visibility (IFS).