37

9 July - 1967

Now comes the story of my near - demise
First real [?] beginning of my
career -

Mss #107 with MAJOR Coward bingoed
from CH 109 as they had no targets for us
a controller and Den "D" had to fly to
stacked up waiting - Joyride gave us
a secondary with Hellix 34 - 167/32
from Chu Lai. About 12-15 north of Chu Lai
an engine noise attracted my attention
looking at the engine instrument I found the
oil pressure gauge reading zero?
After reducint power to 85% I
called my leader and turned toward the
water - told him the situation and that
I was going to drop my ordinance (8-D2)
in the sea - I got rid of my kneeboard and
the plastic binder I was strapped to my
left knee - storing them in the aft left
& right control sections - I asked MAJOR
Conart if it was clear below - he said
there was a ship at 12:00 and to turn
090 - I turned about 20-30 degrees
when the engine noises increased in
intensity - Not wanting to go any further
away from the field I rolled up on my

right wing - looking below the area looked
clear except for a ship about 10:00 - well clear.
Originally I was going to chain off everything
except the tank - but as all ordinance [?]
were all [ca?] except the master arm - I found it
on & pickled. The nose & tail arm [?] and
I remember [?] asking to [?] abort explosives
north of the field during my approach - exact
[?] [?] . I turned back to the field and
called a freq change to tower. - Interpting
somebody I declared an emergency. Told him
my position & started getting set up for an
HPA - Getting closer in I felt hight & too close
so put out speedbreak. (Power was still at 85%
with grinding noises) An 32F or C1A was
making a straight in approach and was
relly baring down on him. I remember him
making a call to tower and my saying "get
him out of the way" - was greatly relieved
when he got out right. At this time the engine
noise increased drastically decelerating
more - Observed the RPN falling off and
the TPT going up - As it [?] 650 and
rising rapidly I shut the engine down and
pulled the emergency generatlro handle.
Judging by my [?] to the [sog?] and