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McDonnell-Douglas QF-4S+ Phantom II, BuNo 155749 crashed at the Pt Mugu Airshow on April 20, 2002. Navy Commander Michael Storm Norman and Marine Capt. Andrew Mutt Muhs lost their lives in the crash.
These photographs were the primary evidence used by the Judge Advocate General (JAG) investigation to determine the cause of the crash. They were referred to as "the best sources of information we have on what the control surface position was prior to impact".
The JAG investigation report stated: "The cause of this tragic accident was the failure of the pilot to manage the energy state of the aircraft, and then to recognize a departure from controlled flight at low altitude, and apply the NATOPS recovery techiques."
Shortly after the accident, some people made statements to the press suggesting that the crash was the result of problems with the QF-4 maintenance program at Pt Mugu. The press unquestioningly published those irrelevent claims before a proper investiation of the accident could be performed. Maintenance was not an issue in this crash.
A flight of two F-4 Phantoms and
two Grumman F-14 Tomcats was making an afterburner break into the
landing pattern after a formation pass.
One Phantom and the two Tomcats broke formation
in sequence. The second Phantom began to trail unburned
fuel after it passed the crowd and broke into the turn.
Commander Norman had set the throttle in the afterburner position, but
the left afterburner failed to ignite.
I was concentrating on shooting the F-14s as
they pulled gs in afterburner, generating plumes of vapor from
the leading edges of the wings.
I turned to shoot pictures of the Phantom and saw it belch an unnatural bright orange flame for a moment. It wasn't a normal afterburner flame and something was clearly wrong.
As Commander Norman broke into the landing pattern, he pulled very hard on the stick to make a sharp turn, causing the airplane to slow down too much. The airplane was still flying OK, but then Norman made a second very sharp turn to the downwind leg of the pattern. The airspeed of the QF-4S+ dropped below the stall speed of the wing. Disturbed air flowed into the engine inlet, causing a stall of the engine compressor as well. That produced the puffs of flame that were seen in the video of the accident.
2-1/2 seconds after the engine compressor
stall, the QF-4S+ Phantom II had rolled inverted.
It descended, still nearly
inverted.
The Phantom rolled nearly upright again for a moment, but it
immediately rolled to the right again and pitched nose down.
Radar Intercept Officer
Captain Muhs ejected just 200 feet above the ground.
The Phantom hit the ground, 5-1/2 seconds after
the compressor stall. Commander Norman's ejection was
triggered just after this picture was taken, too late to save him.
Captain Muhs' parachute had not
opened when he disappeared into the expanding fireball.
Composite image of the crash.
Ventura County Sheriff's Bell 205, N205VC
took off and flew directly across to the crash site.
The Ventura County Sheriff's Bell
205 leads a fleet of emergency vehicles to the crash site.
A troop of soldiers marched across
the front of the crowd line to take position for crowd control.
The rest of the day's performances and Sunday's show were cancelled.
A trust fund for Norman's children has been set up and contributions may be made to the Michael Todd Norman Memorial Fund through any Washington Mutual Bank.
Donations to a fund for Muhs will benefit military and Marine Corps charities and should be sent to the Andrew D. Muhs Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 4266, Port Hueneme, CA 93044-4266.
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