| Date: 2 January 1968 |
| Aircraft type: F-8C Crusader |
| Serial Number: 146989 |
| Military Unit: VF-111 |
| Service: USN |
| Home Base: USS Oriskany |
| Name(s): |
| Lt(jg) Craig Morgan Taylor (Survived) |
| A Crusader from VF-111 was assigned to escort an RF-8 reconnaissance aircraft on a mission over North Vietnam. As the aircraft approached Thanh Hoa the escorting aircraft (call sign Old Nick 106) suddenly lost power and suffered total electrical failure. With the engine providing only partial thrust, Lt Taylor dived the aircraft towards the coastline, which he crossed at 1,200 feet. With little engine power, the aircraft eventually stalled and Lt Taylor ejected over the sea about seven miles from the shore. He saw a number of Vietnamese junks heading towards him but a section of Skyhawks appeared and kept the junks at bay until Lt Taylor could be rescued by a Navy SAR helicopter. It was thought that anti-aircraft fire had hit the aircraft and had caused damage to the engine and may also have caused the undercarriage to drop creating excessive drag. Craig Taylor was on his first combat mission of his tour of duty. Unfortunately, he was killed in a flying accident at Miramar, California, after returning from Southeast Asia. |
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