4 December 1953
S T A T E M E N
T
Lt Moncla and I had been on five minute alert on
Monday afternoon 23 November 1953. The fifteen minute crews came on at 1700,
stayed until 1745 and then left for dinner. They returned about 1815, and
were about to takeover 5 min from Moncla and I when the scramble horn blew
once and Lt Moncla was airborne about 1820. My R.O. and I left the alert
hangars for dinner at 1825, returned about 1900, and I called Naples
requesting a C.A.P. mission. Permission was received immediately and we were
airborne about 1915. I called Naples on channel 10 at 1918 and was told to
vector 330 degrees, angels 20, assigned call of Avenger Black, informed that
radio & radar contact had been lost with Avenger Red and to attempt contact
with him on channel 10. Until I was told to return to home plate my R.O.
made continuous attempt to contact with him on VHF channels I, 9, 10, 11, 1,
and guard. During the climbout I encountered a broken ceiling at about 3000
feet, and subsequent layers of overcast to angels 20, where I requested an
altitude change from GCI to angels 30. Permission granted I continued the
climb and broke out above all clouds at angels 29. No icing encountered on
climb. At about 1935, heading 330, altitude 25,000 my R.O. and I both
believe we heard a short transmission from Avenger Red, recognizable as his
voice, for about 5 seconds on channel 10. He seemed to be in the middle of a
sentence when his transmission broke through, and therefore meaning was
unintelligible. We called him back several times and received no reply.
Shortly after this we were vectored 270, cruising at angels 30, and control
was passed to Pillow.
My radio reception was very good, since I was clearly reading
Naples vectoring Avenger Purple where I was 150 mi from home plate. Pillow
vectored me over the area where contact had been lost by them with Avenger
Red, and requested that I letdown in that area to investigate. Kinross
weather had forecast moderate to heavy icing and snow showers for the local
area, and since I was not sure that my anti icing system was operative, and
did not have retractable engine screens, I hesitated to letdown into icing
conditions that perhaps had given trouble to Avenger Red. Also snow showers
combined with a low ceiling over the lake would have rendered effective
search impossible in that area. I was informed that the request for me to
letdown had come from Horsefly, and therefore Pillow nor Naples could do
anything but have me orbit the area and continue to attempt radio contact
with the lost aircraft. Finally, when Avenger Purple had come within 30
miles of my position, we were both told that Horsefly requested we return to
home plate and land. A normal letdown at Kinross was accomplished under
Naples control, light icing encountered between 17,000 and 6,000 feet, and I
landed at 2055.
WILLIAM MINGENBACH
Lt., USAF
A02234770
AS CERTIFIED TRUE COPY
David C. Collins
DAVID C. COLLINS
Captain, USAF
Aircraft Accident Investigation Officer
23 November 1953 A/C NO 51-5853A Lt. Moncla
