Okinawa

After touchdown at Kadena AFB, the airplane went out of control, veered off runway to the right and came to rest. There were no injuries while the aircraft was written off.

The airplane departed Los Angeles for a flight to Da Nang AFB, Vietnam with intermediate stops at San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, Cold Bay, AK, Tokyo, Okinawa and Cam Ranh Bay. Flight 45 departed Tokyo 09:29 for the IFR flight to Okinawa. The flight proceeded without difficulty to Okinawa, and was cleared for an en route descent to an altitude of 1,000 feet msl to make a precision radar approach to runway 18 at Naha AFB. At 11:31 the flight was advised "... have reduced visibility on final ... tower just advised approach lights and strobe lights are on ....". At 11:32:46, a new altimeter setting of 25.84 inches was given to the crew and acknowledged. The landing checklist, including full flaps. setting of radio altimeters, gear down and locked, and spoilers armed, was completed at 11:33:49. At slightly less than 5 miles from touchdown, the crew was instructed to begin the descent onto glidepath and was cleared to land. The approach continued, with various heading changes and, at 11:34:53, the crew was advised that they were slightly below the glidepath 3 miles from touchdown. Additional vectors were provided and at 11:35:14, 2 miles from touchdown, the crew was again advised "...dropping slightly below glidepath ... you have a 10 knot tailwind." At 11:35:34, the controller advised the crew that they were on glidepath. The DC-8 continued to descend and broke out of heavy rain and low clouds at an estimated altitude of 75 to 100 feet. The aircraft struck the water approximately 2,200 feet short of the runway at a speed of 144 kts.

Shortly after takeoff from Kadena AFB, while en route to Vietnam, the crew informed ground that two engines failed and was initiating a return. Shortly later, the airplane went out of control and crashed into the ocean some 24 km southeast of Kadena AFB. All 11 occupants were killed.

After touchdown at Kadena AFB, the crew encountered difficulties to stop within the remaining distance. The aircraft overran and came to rest in flames. All seven crew members escaped uninjured while the aircraft was destroyed.

The crew departed Kadena AFB, Okinawa, on a flight to Vietnam under callsign Cream 2. During the takeoff roll on runway 05L, the captain decided to abort the takeoff procedure for unknown reason. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the airplane overran, traveled down a grass embankment, hit a large ditch and came to rest on Kadena AB inner perimeter road, sitting on top of an air force police pick-up truck. The wings were torn loose releasing fuel from the wing tanks. Fires started from ruptured hydraulic lines, fuel flowing over hot brakes, and from electrical malfunctions. The aircraft was a total loss and all seven crew members were rescued. Two of them, seriously injured, died on November 26 and November 28.
Crew:
Cpt William 'Billy' Dilworth, pilot,
Cpt Gary B. Sible, navigator,
Alex Damellio, radar navigator,
Cpt Charles David Miller, EWO, †
Austin J. Decker II, EWO,
Al Aroney, tail gunner,
S/Sgt Jerry Nixon Scott, crew chief mechanic. †

Apparently following technical problems, the crew elected to ditch the aircraft few km off the Okinawa coast while on a liaison flight. All 22 occupants were quickly rescued while the aircraft sank and was lost.

Few minutes after takeoff from Kadena AFB in Okinawa, while climbing to an altitude of 12,450 feet, the engine number four began to malfunction and was shut down by the crew who also feathered the propeller. The crew was cleared to return to Kadena for an emergency landing. On final approach, while at an altitude of 2,500 feet, the three remaining engines failed simultaneously. The captain decided to ditch the airplane into the sea, about 5 km offshore. The airplane broke in two and partially sank while all nine crew members were rescued.

The aircraft was engaged in a special flight from Kadena AFB to Yokota AFB, carrying a spare engine to repair another KC-135 grounded at Yokota Airbase. During the takeoff roll, after a course of 2,100 meters, the crew started the rotation when the airplane stalled and struck the runway surface before taking off again. Once it reached the height of 100 feet, it stalled again and crashed in a huge explosion 100 meters to the left of the extended centerline and about 150 meters past the runway end. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 11 occupants were killed as well as one motorist on the ground.

During the takeoff roll, the engine number one failed. The crew elected to abandon the takeoff procedure but due to asymmetric thrust, the airplane deviated from the centerline, veered off runway to the left and came to rest in a grassy area. There were no injuries but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

While on a maritime survey flight in the Okinawa Archipelago, the crew encountered marginal weather conditions when the airplane struck the slope of Mt Rankan and crashed. All 12 crew members were killed.