What went wrong?

According to the official USAF Mishap Report, finally released to the public in 2006, pilot Carellas made choices during a "STALL SPIN" mishap that resulted in the crash. Carellas and weapons system operator (WSO) Major Ronald Reppe, then 39, were returning from a routine "single ship sortie". Their Function Check Flight (FCF) ended with a crash at roughly 2:56 pm on a clear and sunny winter afternoon. The report summary notes that: "Because of preflight maintenance delays, the low-level navigation and bombing practice was canceled prior to takeoff." The delay, although not clearly spelled out in the mishap report made available, was due to the installation of two new jet engines. Carellas and Reppe were testing them in flight for the first time.

The legal portion of the USAF report, according to news coverage at the time, seems to have exonerated the pilot of any legal responsibility. That report, however, has not been made public and attempts to obtain it for this article were unsuccessful.

The Mishap Report includes a brief nine-step explanation of what went wrong. First, "the aircraft entered a rapid, unscheduled roll to the left for an undetermined reason." What the pilot did and did not do during the next few seconds caused Carellas to lose control of the bomber. The pilot stopped the roll, but "incorrectly chose to continue the roll left to wings level" the report says. The FB-111A then "departed controlled flight," according to the mishap report, and crashed. Navigator Reppe pulled the lever that ejected the crew escape module less than 10 seconds before the unmanned bomber struck near the apartment complex.

Pilot Peter Carellas had served at Pease just over four years at the time of the accident, logging 2,670 flight hours, 740 of them in the FB-111A and many more in the B-52. Navigator Reppe had served 2,665 hours as a "right seater" in the FB-111A and FB-111. Both pilots had combat experience, presumably in Southeast Asia. Although Carellas was found at fault for the Portsmouth "mishap," he went on to fly with the Air Force for another 14 years and retired with the rank of Lt. Colonel. Reppe was flying again by the time the USAF completed its investigation a few months after the crash.

CONTINUE FB-111A Crash