Gy9fingers

That is I!!!

I was on BOB when the pod caught fire. We were 45 miles out on the refueling track (16,000feet) profiling F-4 for their upcoming deployment to Iwakuni, Japan. The left receiver was in the stabilized position and came across the radio stating that the hose was leaking. I checked the hose starting at the drogue and followed it up to the pod and saw fuel spewing out of every crack and crevice on the left pod. The receiver moved outwards from the hose and as soon he cleared the hose, the hose departed. The fuel vapors were going into the exhaust trail of number one engine and started torching off behind the plane. I advised the Aircraft Commander of the torching and after the third time, the flames followed the fuel vapor up to the pod and caught it on fire. A emergency was declared and we flew straight back to MCAS Beaufort. The F-4 stayed with us off of our left wing. While making a rapid decent, the number four generator failed and we had to shut it down. The pods remained on fire until we were able to depressurize the aircraft as the pod fuel shutoff valve remained open. We made a 3 engine landing with crash crew ensuring that the fire was out in the pod. The date was 13 November 1986 and it was on this date in 1979 that my youngest brother had died. My parents, who live in Beaufort, would have been devastated if we had crashed.