560464 Crash by Patrick McGee

Crash of 56‐0464 F‐106A of the 318th Fighter Interceptor Squadron “Green Dragons” McChord AFB, WA

By Patrick McGee

Shortly before noon on 4 Aug 1964 the engine of F‐106A 56‐0464 of the 318th FIS, McChord AFB WA being flown by Air Force pilot Captain Webb H. Huss flamed out. Capt Huss successfully and safely ejected before the aircraft crashed into the wilderness near Lake Ozette, WA. Capt Huss tried repeatedly, but unsuccessfully, to restart the now spun‐down engine forcing his ejection. He parachuted into the lake and was pulled from the water by an unidentified boater and taken to shore, while the F‐106 crashed into a thick forest mountain area just seconds later. A helicopter from Paine Air Force Base flew him to Sedro Woolley where he was hospitalized with minor head and other injuries.

Fifty years later in June 2015 the wreckage was found by 23‐year‐old Austin Lunn‐Rhue. Austin had come from Colorado to Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula for a job as a forester with a timber company. One of his first tasks was to survey a stand of trees that was scheduled to be cut down, which is where he eventually ran across this crashed aircraft.

After the discovery and during the investigation by Austin and friends of what this aircraft was, they were able to find information from several sources, and details from this website www.F‐106DeltaDart.com. Photos of the wreckage were provided and are posted on the websites Photo Gallery under the 318 FIS page. There were and possibly still are questions in the eyes of some. I have seen information posted on Facebook referring to not know what Capt Huss’ mission was, was he carrying an AIR‐2A nuke, was the red X painted on the tail a sign of some weapons removal process 50 years ago etc etc.

While we will probably never find out the Captains exact mission that day, here are some things those of us who worked, flew and performed crash recover of the Six can tell everyone as fact: 1. The F‐106 never sat Alert with AIR‐2A Rockets, AIM‐4 Missiles only. So even if he was scrambled from alert that day he would not have a nuke.

2. The red X on the tail is not a procedure a Crash Recovery team would paint on an aircraft part. So the thought maybe it was put there by the recovery team as part of weapons or classified material removal is false.

Reference: Port Angeles Evening News Thursday August 6, 1964 Smithsonian's Air and Space Magazine article published Nov 2015 Ed Darack Austin Lunn‐Rhue finder of the wreckage in June 2015