1974 United States Air Force WC-130 disappearance

1974 aircraft disappearance December 2025 January 2025 Swan 38 Disappearance WC-130H 54th Weather Sqn in flight 1977.JPEG 1.16 A Lockheed WC-130H Weatherbird, of the 54th Weather reconnaissance Squadron, in flight over the Pacific Ocean 1974 10 12 y Disappearance South China Sea Lockheed WC-130 54th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, United States Air Force 65-0965 Clark Air Base, Philippines Clark Air Base, Philippines 6 6 6 (presumed) 0 (presumed) USAF WC-130 'Swan 38' was a Lockheed WC-130 aircraft tasked to investigate Typhoon Bess in 1974. It was lost during the mission, with the loss of its six crew. Task In 1974, the newly converted Lockheed WC-130H (Air Force serial number 65-0965) was transferred to the 54th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, the "Typhoon Chasers", at Andersen Air Force Base on Guam. The aircraft, using the call sign Swan 38, was sent to investigate Typhoon Bess after it passed over the Philippines and continued to the northwest.http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19741013-0 Lockheed WC-130H Hercules 65-0965 South China Sea Aviation Safety Network Flight Safety Foundation 2011-06-19 The crew departed Clark Air Base on the island of Luzon in the Philippines.Tom Robison. Whiskey-Charlie! Retrieved on 2011-06-19. Loss After a successful first penetration of the typhoon, they were preparing for a second when contact was lost, the last contact being at about 2200.The Lost Hurricane Hunters: October 12th, 1974 https://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/articles/lost-hurricane-hunters-6 12 February 2026 There was no distress signal. Five aircraft and the USS White Plains (AFS-4) were involved in the search.40th Anniversary of the loss of Air Force reconnaissance plane in Typhoon Bess https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hurricane_blog/40th-anniversary-of-the-loss-of-swan-38-in-typhoon-bess/ 12 February 2026 While some debris was seen 400 mi from Clark, there was no recorded verification of its identity. All six crew members were listed as missing and presumed dead. The Swan 38 crew members were: Capt. Edward R. Bushnell, 1st Lt. Gary W. Crass, 1st Lt. Michael P. O'Brien, 1st Lt. Timothy J. Hoffman, Tech. Sgt. Kenneth G. Suhr, and Sgt. Detlef W. Ringler. Commemoration In 2019, a scholarship was set up in remembrance of the lost crew by the Hurricane Hunters Association.USAF 403rd Wing: Honoring Swan 38 https://www.403wg.afrc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1819689/honoring-swan-38/ 12 February 2026 References Category:Accidents and incidents involving United States Air Force aircraft Category:Missing aircraft Category:Aviation accidents and incidents involving the Lockheed C-130 Hercules Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1974 Category:1974 in the Philippines Category:Meteorological events in 1974 Category:October 1974 in Asia Category:1974 disasters in Asia