F-100C Crash South of Shepherdsville

[LyleW]

This one is about 12-15 miles from our house. David tells me that military aircraft were instructed to head towards Ft. Knox if there were problems This guy was performing in an airshow/demonstration at Standiford Field in Louisville KY. Pilot ejected safely and survived with minor injuries.

Again, if anyone can dig out more information, I'd appreciate it. Looking at images of Thunderbird F-100 aircraft, I haven't seen any a/c sn on the tails...or that i've been aboir to sde. They have a small display on this...




Date: 16-SEP-1959
Time: 14:05
Type: F-100C
North American F-100C-20-NA Super Sabre
Owner/operator: Thunderbirds USAF (Thunderbirds United States Air Force)
Registration: 54-1882
MSN: 217-143
Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: In a US Army range area South of Sheperdsville KY - United States of America
Phase: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature: Military
Departure airport: Louisville-Standiford Ap
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources
Narrative:
Heavy landing Gear failure and impossible landing, the pilot, Capt Griffin Herman E. manage the aircraft in a unpopulated area and ejected safely.

[keavdog]

An odd link but here's a reference to the pilot and what looks like a reference (Replica In Scale) with that reg #

https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/a-thu ... gold-rolex

[keavdog]

Here's a link to the reference. BTW Pilots name was Herman Griffin.

https://www.westover.afrc.af.mil/Portal ... 113837-980

[LyleW]

John, those are facinating links. I need to go see what they have at the museum (i'm told they have a folder) on this. My guess is the articles from the newspaper. They do have a piece of some sort of cording and perhaps a couple other artifacts from the crash.

[Stikpusher]

It appears to depend upon the air show season year, as to if a serial number was worn or not on the aircraft. Have a look here

https://www.f-100.org/hun010.shtml

[LyleW]

It does, Carlos. The C models in 1959 would appear to have the sn on t he sides, where the D models went to t he flight number.