THE DERELICT

[Music] [Music] my name's Simmons Paul CM that afternoon we were on a routine transfer flight near the Bearing Sea a short circuit had started a fire flames were close to the oxygen minines if they went the whole ship would go the fire was getting bigger every second [Music] [Music] this is an instrument of flight the b47 jet bomber not long ago a ship like this using the code name Spar plug was ready to leave on what was supposed to have been a routine flight transferring the aircraft to a base in northern Alaska in its flight over this critical area of the world the aircraft would pass through several radar warning lines these networks of radar stations are constantly on the alert any planes either approaching or leaving the North American continent are brought under instant scrutiny their identities are checked and the course is plotted in addition Airborne radar planes are constantly on patrol adding their own ant ping to the warning system like the aircraft major Paul Simmons was also being transferred to a new station although a senior pilot he was also a qualified Observer and would travel in that capacity Paul hi Geor good to see you again Tom hello Paul hope you don't mind an observer well the only one that minded was Anderson oh did he want to go along too he knows a nurse that was transferred up there when would the wife and kids be joining you Paul two weeks soon the school's out I'll bet you'll miss them I sure do oh come on let's get moving Paul you're triple rated aren't you you fly much as Observer been quite a while well you notice there's no ejection seat on this your only exit is through the Escape patch okay George is a warrior I got you it's too bad the scenery so dull I like RAR Scopes yeah [Music] [Music] [Applause] go [Music] is [Music] our flight was routine until we approached the Alaskan defense area we were near the Bearing Sea then things began to happen Park plug to duly control spark plug to dly come in dly this is dly spark plug go ahead dly control this is spark plug over checkpoint zebra at5 P the hour 30,000 ft estimating IP at 28 Roger on your position spark plug expect approach time 34 hold Northeast Roger duly understand expect that approach time 34 newly out [Music] observe it to aircraft Commander go ahead Paul radar is not operating properly power is not coming through can you take it out I'll try on that radar problem I can't place it but I think there's a short somewhere I'll have it yanked when we get down you better go forward Paul letting down in 5 minutes Roger Captain I'll take over Tom Roger spark plug to duly control over IP at 28 setting up holding pattern Northeast Roger spark plug you are clear to descend immediately to and maintain 15,000 report passing through [Music] [Music] 18 duly control this is spark plug passing through 18,000 continuing descent [Music] to stand by dly stand [Music] by AC to Observer we got a fire major see if you can located Roger captain dly this is spark plug we have an electrical fire on board we'll get back to you stand by dly standing by there's your radar short [Music] I'm not getting to it the fire is inside the cables be careful the oxgen lines running through there you telling me if I can get these cover plates off I [Music] can how's it look Paul I'm trying again come on Paul it's enough if that oxgen fluid goes you'll go with it this is dly spark plug do you read me go ahead dly don't try any heroics up there head the aircraft out to sea and bail out it can't be done can you make it with those don't worry about me let's get out of here okay you'll have to to go through the hatch Roger hello dly we're going on automatic altitude 15,000 she'll be over the Bearing Sea when she goes down leave your parot on squawk 2 spark plug ground units will be alerted Roger have radar track that ship make sure she maintains a course out to sea prepare to abandon aircraft prepare to abandon aircraft abandon [Music] aircraft major the seat won't eject I'm going through the hatch with you [Music] he [Music] [Music] hello spark flug come in please hello hello hello spark flug come in please hello [Applause] hello no answer they've gone Channel's dead transmission power must be out well she's blown up no not yet radar has a new fix 7° off course Ross winds [Music] probably if the aircraft maintains that course and doesn't go down in the drink she might go over unfriendly territory that plane's loaded with classified equipment let's contact air division see what they want to do go [Music] ahead yes for security reasons they want to make sure that plane doesn't fall into unfriendly hands what do they want us to do scramble a flight and shoot her down spark plug was a derck aircraft and no one knew I was still on [Music] board getting a good radar return holding course and altitude scramble Blue flight and tell them they've got 12 minutes get her and they better not miss [Music] going [Music] [Music] oh [Music] w [Music] [Music] BL leader to duly control this is blue leader with four chicks what's our mission duly control to Blue leader steer 264 to intercept and Destroy repeat destroy derel b47 the crew has abandoned the aircraft altitude 15,000 buster for security reasons You Must Destroy aircraft overwat new heading 249 your target is now 12:00 90 M understand mission is to destroy a der b47 make a positive identification blue leader and then don't waste any time spark plug will still be over the water [Music] the Blue flight this is blue leader anybody see anything not Chip he's up here someplace when we make contact I'll lead in let's blow her up Roger jully controls this is sparkplug do you read me jly control this is spark blood blue leader blue leader [Music] they weren't receiving I had to crawl down to that co-pilot seat plug into His Radio and see if I could make contact and stop them there was a 400 mph wind trying to suck me out of the plane two burned hands and a numbing coal like I'd never felt before [Music] [Music] [Music] not [Music] [Music] blue leader to dly Blue leader to dly this is dly go ahead T ho the baker 47 is 12:00 low moving in to make positive identification don't waste any time blue leader Roger Blue flight you guys hold back while I make positive [Applause] identification ler is that her I'll tell you in a minute [Music] [Music] spark club took blue leader do you read me come in BL leader okay der b47 let's go get her no blue this is spark PL come in come in can't you hear me can't you hear me go leader let's take a 3 second separation blue leader is rolling in now hello hello spark but to Blue leader come in please please somebody doly blue leader this is spark blood jly control I'm going in hot no no I'm here this is spark blood listen take take a last look awful pretty isn't [Music] she do you read me come in go lader SP a BL leader do you read me blue two rolling in no look at me can't you see [Music] [Music] no blue two hold Fire spark plug's acting up he's going out of control come [Music] on negative don't you see her her wings are waggling come in BL leader hey you don't suppose somebody's flying that [Music] thing do you read me blue leader this is dly what's going on up there that's what we'd like to know stand by I'm going in to take another look you guys take a real good look [Music] good Lord Blue flight there is a guy on that ship blue leader we have no radio contact with spark plug his transmitter's out but he may be receiving try visual contact Roger hello spark plug hello spark plug do you read me wagle your wings If you're receiving spark [Music] plug good boy spark plug can you fly that thing okay buddy you've got a personal escort hello dly this is blue leader we're bringing him [Music] in by the Interceptor planes maor Simmons was able to nurse his b47 to a safe landing in Alaska and survive some of the most harrowing moments in the story of [Music] flight I w [Music]