F-106 DELTA DART
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Convair
F-106B
590157
1959
300
340 (277 A, 63 B)
1960-08-01
1960-09-01
1977-02-11
unknown
318th,48th
Aug 1960 - 300th F-106 produced by Convair at San Diego CA
12 Sep 60 - To 48th FIS Langley AFB VA 26 Jul 67 - Burn damage, to depot 31 Oct 67 - In commission 15 Jul 68 - To 318 FIS McChord AFB WA 23 Dec 68 - To 48th FIS Langley AFB VA 1976/77 - Slated to transfer to Tyndall to become the First F-106B to be modified to carry and use the 20mm M-61 Cannon/Pod assembly in it's weapons bay. It would have required a new pod encasement, designed a little bit shorter in length than the F-106A due to the F-106B's "Coffin" Rack in the Weapons bay area. The aircraft went through an extensive refurbish in preparation for this modification. Part of that refurb was the incorporation of the Hydraulic Quick Disconnect fittings mounted at the rear of the missile bay for the gun assembly installation. The refurb was complete just prior to its 11 Feb 1977 crash (below). Because of this crash the future of F-106B's being fitted for gun operations unfortunately died. 11 Feb 77 - Crashed 3 miles short of the Peterson AFB runway (fuel exhausted/starvation). One of the 48th FIS pilots, Maj Gerkin, was assigned to transport Brigadier General Francis Humphries, 20th Air Division Commander at Fort Lee, Virginia to Cheyenne Mountain for a meeting. This was to be 59-0157's first official flight after a years long rebuild and testing. Technically a fuel stop would have been required between Langley in Hampton, VA and Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado. Rumor has it BG Humphries in the back seat was in a hurry and ordered Maj Gerkin to skip the fuel stop. He complied and the aircraft ran out of fuel 2 miles short of the runway. Both pilots ejected just prior to the crash and came very near the burning spot where the aircraft crashed. Both survived, but they both landed hard from their chute landings, both suffered broken right legs and when they came off the C-131 that brought them back from Pete Field, they were on crutches.Unfortunately 59-0157 crashed into the side of Cheyenne Mountain. The Rest of The Story: '157 was part of a two ship to Pete Field. The other was F-106A 59-0085 with then Lt. Col. Ronald L. Bernd, 48th FIS Commander. Both aircraft could have easily made it to Pete Field on a Straight to there go flight, but a mission was scheduled as part of the sortie which also included a scheduled top off of fuel with a KC-135 tanker enroute. The mission phase went well but the two ship became separated. Lt.Col. Bernd in 59-0085 was able to locate the KC-135 tanker track and get a top-off, but 59-0157 ended up missing the tanker. The mission was to end up as a two ship at Pete Field with a subsequent conference with General Chappie James. Lt. Col. Bernd made it okay into Pete Field in 0085, but we know what happened to 0157 from the above reading.
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Cheyenne Mountain
Maj Tom Gerkin (LtCol Ret)
BG Francis Humphries
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instruments in 1961. Fuselage cut in half at station 412 (Aft bulkhead missile bay) and a new fuselage, cockpit section, and nose section was installed with the latest production avionics, the same as the last F-106A 590148 and F-106B 590165. A total of 35 aircraft (28 "A" models and 7 "B" models) were converted and reassigned to various ADC units.. Tactical Vertical: Models factory produced w/Tactical Vertical instruments: late 1957 and all 1958, 1959.. F-106 Specifications
31-05-2021
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