916 Starfighter

F-104C "FG-906" (56-0906) 434 TFS George AFB 1959

F-104C, construction number 183-1194, model 483-04-05, US serial number 56-0906, built by Lockheed
delivery date December 12, 1958 to 479th TFW; operated 434 TFS (red flash) 1959; 434 TFS commander aircraft December 1959
crashed on July 19, 1960 with 436 TFS near Cuddeback Dry Lake Range, pilot was killed, written off.

56-906 crashed during an emergency landing on a dry lake bed near China Lake following nozzle problems
They were on a high altitude dive bomb and low-angle strafe mission.
He did his run on the target (live fire, second pass). He rolled back into the pattern (it was a four-ship flight) and called in nozzle troubles.
He told them he was going to land on Cuddeback Dry Lake. He made one last call that he was going to be short.
He missed the approach to the better part of the dry lake to land on. Witnesses saw the big column of dust as he touched down.
They found the pilot "jack-knifed" around the leading edge of the left wing pylon rack and he was apparently dead.

http://www.airfields-freeman.com/CA/Airfields_CA_Mojave.htm
Cuddeback Air to Ground Gunnery Range (AGGR) was one of the ranges in the high desert that was frequently used for live gunnery training by aircraft
both based at and visiting George AFB. Cuddeback was originally established in the 1940's as a World War II artillery range by the US Army.
Sometime during the 1950's the Air Force acquired Cuddeback range and in 1955 purchased an add additional 37.82 acres of adjacent land to Cuddeback.
The Cuddeback range was initially used as a temporary landing site for Air Force Training. In June 1963, the range was converted to
Cuddeback Lake Air Force Range.
This range was utilized until 1983 by all services for pilot proficiency training and primarily consisted of
dropping various types of conventional (non-nuclear) practice ordnance on a total of seven targets constructed within the range.
The ordnance items used and found within the range are: 20 MM TP & High Explosive Incendiary, BDU-33 & MK-76 (25 pound practice bombs),
MK-106 (5 pound practice bomb), and Napalm (firebomb containing a approximately 300 gallons of thickened fuel).
The range had several landfills, ammunition burial pits, and four underground storage tanks.
Cuddeback Gunnery Range is located 50 miles north of George Air Force Base, 7 miles east of Highway 395, 3 miles east of Cuddeback Dry Lake