Elk County Forum

My wife and her friend are out horse back riding and just observed a jet explode and start flying crazy and crash. I looked to the north and saw black smoke coming from the ground. There is another jet flying around but I can't see it. 


All I know is it is north of Moline, I don't know how far north.

My wife said the plane had an explosion and then started falling down to the ground.
It stayed horizontal to the ground but was spinning nose to tail.

I have been told the pilot ejected and parachuted safely and has been picked up by one of our ambulances.

The accident happened in a pasture between roads 13 and 14 near Harvest Road.

That's all I have for now.

KAKE is reporting the crash occurred at Harvest and Road 13, which would be about two miles north of the North Moline Lake.

KOTV 6 (Tulsa) is reporting three F-16's landing at Tulsa International after mid-air incident:

"Osage SkyNews 6 HD pilot Will Kavanagh said three Air National Guard F-16 fighter jets were on a training mission when the incident happened. He said it appears two of the F-16s collided, but the collision was minor and all three jets landed safely.

Only one of the single-engine, high-performance jets was met by emergency vehicles when it touched down. It was towed to the hangar while the other two F-16s taxied under their own power.

There have been no reports of any injuries.

The 138th Fighter Wing of the Oklahoma Air National Guard flies F-16s and is based at Tulsa International Airport. So far the wing has not commented on the incident."

Posted: Mon 4:07 PM, Oct 20, 2014
By: KAKE, Nick Viviani

MOLINE, Kan. —  UPDATE: The Oklahoma Air National Guard has confirmed that two F-16 Fighting Falcons were involved in a midair collision during a training exercise southwest of Harvest, Kansas.

One of the planes crashed into a field, but the pilot was able to eject. The other plane safely returned to its base in Tulsa.

Colonel Max Moss with the Oklahoma National Guard said neither pilot was seriously injured.


Read more at http://www.wibw.com/home/headlines/F-16-crashes-following-midair-collision-in-eastern-Kansas-279830852.html

More than a few years ago a jet fighter crashed north and close to Howard near 99.

I think it was out of McConnell in Wichita when McConnell was a TAC base.

I think it might have been an F-86.

Maybe some old timers can remember that event.

I remember it, but none of the details except that Janet and her deputies had to guard it until the Air Force could take over.  It was east of 99.

Thanks Flint, Tulsa news kept saying it crashed near Howard, Kansas. Thankfully no one was hurt of worse, killed.

Hmmm, Wilma. If she was sheriff then it was more recent than I thought and an F-86 could not have been involved.

Maybe, I thought it was an F-86 when it might have been 1986.

The F-86 Sabre was obsolete by then.

When I was working at McConnell from 75-80, they were flying F-105 fighters.

I recall that when reading about it in a newspaper, the story was datelined: "HOWARD, KAS." I was impressed.

This should clear things up a bit.  It was June 28, 1989 and it was an F -16.

http://www.bizjournals.com/wichita/news/2014/10/20/report-f-16s-collide-over-eastern-kansas.html (http://www.bizjournals.com/wichita/news/2014/10/20/report-f-16s-collide-over-eastern-kansas.html)

http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1989/Pilot-Ejects-Safely-As-F-16-Jet-Fighter-Crashes/id-ef3df83d573975b1f3eebd4969723c54 (http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1989/Pilot-Ejects-Safely-As-F-16-Jet-Fighter-Crashes/id-ef3df83d573975b1f3eebd4969723c54)

Good going, Flint.

I recall that I could not wait to talk to my uncle, the barber, about it. I do remember we discussed it in his shop at a later date but I did not retain any of the details.

I sure aint positive but I think that 89 crash was just a tad east of Busby cemetery---which would be south of Fall River. Janet would know for sure.

There was a accident west of Howard in the early to mid 70's. It was a training exercise my Grandfather Guy Denton was involved in. A pilot lost control, crashed, and was killed. I'm not sure of the date or what planes they were in, I know grandpa flew a few different plane during his time in Air Force / Guard. I'm sure he flew F-100 and F-86's. May be someone else can recall this?

Ahh, now, this is making more sense. I was sort of taken aback when '89 was mentioned. But thought that due to all the senior moments I have been having lately, that was the year.

I originally thought the crash I was thinking about was before I went to work at McConnell in 1975 and thought the crash might have been in the sixties.

I also seemed to remember the pilot was killed.

That seems to bring up another question or observation: Is there a "Bermuda" Triangle in Elk County, which is bringing all these aircraft down around Howard?

One of our channels explained to us last night about why these planes are in this area.  There is an area east of Wichita and somewhere east of Elk County that is designated as an area for practice flights.  McConnel and the base in Oklahoma both use this area and are restricted to this area.  Sure wish I could remember what it was called.  It extends north quite a ways and of course south.  Commercial flights stay out of it.  Maybe some one more proficient than I am can figure out what I am talking about.  It was the first time I had heard of it.

In about 1967 there was an AF jet crash about 8 or 10 miles west of Howard.  Can't remember if the pilot lived.  I saw the site on the west side of the county road.

You are right it was in the late "60's. Also one in the 80's north of Piedmont.

There is a flash video of the brning carcus of the jet at:

http://www.newson6.com/clip/10739365/f-16s-collide-over-kansas-one-crashes-one-returns-to-tulsa

Janet tells me that the crash west of Howard in the 60's killed the pilot.  She got it from an eye witness.

I read about it in Germany in the Independence, Mo Examiner, which I subscribed to during the three years I was over there. It took awhile before I was able to get to Howard and talk to my uncle the barber about it.


The late Johnnie Miller of Howard was my uncle on my mother's side. He crashed a light plane in Elk County flying out of the Elk County airport in the early to mid-fifties. He was not badly hurt.

He had fought in WWII and was called up again and was part of the invasion of North Korea when the Chinese hordes attacked.

I guess he thought two wars was not enough danger. However, after the flying accident, he did not fly again but turned to motor cycling for several years.

I stand corrected on where that F-16 crashed in 89. Talked to a Busby resident yesterday and she said it crashed on C. Thomas's place, not B. Thomas's place like I had been told. So it was several miles north of Busby. I bet it was ol Sarge who gave me that false info !!!

Jarhead, you are correct that it was on Charlie Thomas' place in 1989. Pilot ejected and was safe.  Live ammo on that plane, too. I don't remember if we had much of a pasture fire in 1989, but we certainly didn't stay in the area at all. I didn't even go to the crash site. I stayed up on the road at the gate until the AF got there. The pilot of the 1989 crash was taken to Flint Oak and an AF helicopter landed there to transport him back to McConnell. Those were the days. LOL

Things just happen. Prayers for all the military, the emergency medical workers, and the law enforcement officers that are working with this crash.