ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 331484
| Date: | Thursday 5 June 1969 |
| Time: | 10:22 |
| Type: |  Boeing RC-135E Rivet Amber |
| Owner/operator: | United States Air Force - USAF |
| Registration: | 62-4137 |
| MSN: | 18477/C43 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1962 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 3350 hours |
| Engine model: | Pratt & Whitney TF33-P-5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 19 / Occupants: 19 |
| Aircraft damage: | Aircraft missing, written off |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | ca 400 km E off Shemya, AK, USA [Bering Sea] -
 Pacific Ocean
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Shemya AFB, AK (SYA/PASY) |
| Fairbanks-Eielson AFB, AK (EIL/PAEI) |
RC-135E "Rivet Amber" was at that time the most sophisticated reconnaissance plane of the US Air Force. It was converted to this configuration in 1963 to fly reconnaissance missions against the Soviet re-entry range off the Kamchatka Peninsula. On June 5, 1969, Rivet Amber departed Shemya for a flight to Fairbanks for routine maintenance. About thirty minutes after departing Shemya, Rivet Amber (callsign Irene 92) transmitted the following message to Elmendorf AFB: "Elmendorf Airways, Irene 92 experiencing vibration in flight. Not certain of the emergency. We have the aircraft under control, Irene 92." This was the last radio contact with the flight. Unidentified microphone keying clicks continued until 10:22. The aircraft crashed at sea.
After more than three weeks of intensive search and rescue operations, the efforts were called off. Neither a single piece of wreckage nor any personnel were ever found.
Sources:
A Tale of Two Airplanes by King Hawes
Location
Images:
photo (c) USAF; in flight (publicdomain)
Revision history:
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