Tales of the 55th

Review of US Navy P-3 Accident Oct 26,1978

Alan C. Feldkamp, Colonel, USAF RetAndrew C. A. Jampoler, Captain, USN Ret

January 31, 2003

Situation in October 1978

• Cold War on with President Carter in Office

• SALT in place But distrust of the USSR required verification of ICBM testing

•Cobra Ball, Cobra Judy, Cobra Dane,etc. plus various space recce and comm systems on continuous alert

•ASW Patrols in place throughout the Oceans

•Some early vestiges of détente in place between US and USSR

Scone 92 (CB 1) launched off alert on HHQ mission from Shemya 26 Oct 1978 at 1446L Diverted to ditch site at 1511L without carts

First to Ditch Site—began pattern and electronicsearch—located two rafts—no aircraft at 1618L

Stayed with survivors until relieved by P3 XF 675

Performed air refueling without charts

Took over as a communication center for C-130CG 1500 and others involved with the rescue

RTB at 2200L

The 55th (6th) Wing Role in the Rescue of AF 586

RC-135S Aircraft, Crews and Leadership

Cobra Ball One (Acft 663)Circa 1977

24th SRS Crew E 04

FP: Cliff Carter

CP: Bob Rivas

Nav 1: Bruce Savaglio

Nav 2: Gordie Alder

24th SRS Crew E 12

TC: Al Feldkamp

R1: Rick Stotts, Bud Irons

R2: Greg Cummins, Bob Carlson

R4: Bruce Carson, Ron Hood

MT: Hank Lees

PT: Tom Youngblood

ET: Dennis Grundhauser

6985th Security Service

AMS: MSGT Antonik

AMT: SSGTAlexander

OP4: SGT Miller

Op2: SGT Swank

6th SW CC John Dale6th SW DO Bill Perry24th SRS CC Larry Mitchell24th SRS DO Golda EldridgeDet. 1 CC Edgar Winklemann

SRC DOR Bill Ernst Jim BonesJRC

Aircraft 663 (Cobra Ball 1) on the “Rock” mid 1978

-Kelvin’s Coffin

-Project II Sensor Door And Cooling Equipment

-Advanced Telemetry System

-UHF AFSATCOM Configured

-BFCS

Launch of Aircraft 664 (CB II) from Alert at Shemya 1978

A Moment of Pride: CB and AF 586 Crews Rendezvous at Eielson April 1979

Some Closing Thoughts

• Technology is great but like generations of military before and after us we used non optimized equipment to accomplish the successful location of the P3 Alfa Foxtrot 586 survivors

• Aviators will improvise in incredibly creative ways under stressful circumstances when required Ad hoc air refueling Inadequate charts for the rescue area No DF capability Very poor weather conditions Etc.

• In such a situation it is impossible not to have a strong sense of kinship between aviators

• There was great exhilaration on sight of the first flare• We were proud of the small role we played in the rescue but it

was hard to be humble!