| Date: 12 March 1968 |
| Aircraft type: F-8E Crusader |
| Serial Number: 150306 |
| Military Unit: VF-53 |
| Service: USN |
| Home Base: USS Bon Homme Richard |
| Name(s): |
| Lt(jg) Jerry August Weber (Survived) |
| Two Crusaders on a BARCAP mission were diverted to Da Nang due to deteriorating weather over the Gulf of Tonkin. Unfortunately, the weather at Da Nang was no better and Lt(jg) Weber had to rely on his leader as his own radar and TACAN were inoperative. As the two aircraft let down through cloud and rain Lt(jg) Weber suddenly saw trees in front of him and he hit several before ejecting as his Crusader rolled into the ground. The aircraft had just grazed the top of a ridge and crashed into the jungle near the Marine Corps facility on Monkey Mountain, close to Da Nang. However, Lt(jg) Weber had no idea where he was and spent a couple of anxious hours on the ground before he was located and rescued by a USAF HH-43 Huskie. Lt(jg) Weber had to eject again three months later when he ran out of fuel over the Gulf on 24 June. |
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