Portal:Aviation/Anniversaries/September 1

September 1


 * 2012 – Heavy fighting takes place between Syrian government and rebel forces at the Syrian Air Force college at Rasm al-Abboud and at the Syrian Air Force base at Abu ad Duhur, and rebel forces overrun a government air defense building in Deir ez-zor.


 * 2009 – Slovak airline SkyEurope suspends operations.


 * 2007 – Radom Air Show crash: Two aerobatics aircraft collided during Radom Air Show, two pilots died in a crash.


 * 2006 – Iran Air Tours Flight 945, a Tupolev Tu-154, crashes while attempting to land in Mashad, Iran, killing 28 of 154 on board.


 * 1983 – Korean Air Lines Flight 007, a Boeing 747, is shot down by Soviet fighter planes near Sakhalin and Moneron Island after straying into Soviet airspace; all 269 people on board are killed.


 * 1983 – A Boeing-Vertol UH-46 Sea Knight loses power on lift-off from the deck of Spruance-class destroyer USS Fife during her first deployment, strikes the NATO Sea Sparrow missile mount, leaving the stricken helicopter hanging over the ship's starboard side. Fife's damage control teams quickly lash the UH-46 in place and all 16 personnel are rescued without serious injury. After pulling into Singapore to crane off the damaged helicopter, the warship sails west to Diego Garcia to receive a new Sea Sparrow mount.


 * 1975 – Egyptian Air Force Tupolev Tu-16K11-16 Badger, 4403, crashed over the Menya area of Egypt. It had a left engine fire and the bullets of the second navigator's gun were exploding. Pilot Wing Commander Mohamed Keraidy refused to bail out as he tried to rescue his crew. The intercom was disabled due to the fire. Co-pilot Fl. Lt. Adel El Fiky bailed out safely. Major Samir Abdel Fattah, 1st Navigator, died while trying to eject. Captain Salah El Menshawy, 2nd Navigator, died instantly from the explosion of the oxygen thermos behind him in the bomber. Keraidy finally bailed out several minutes after putting the bomber in a dive position into the river Nile in order to reduce the explosion. Gunner and radioman did not escape the aircraft and were KWF. The pilot was taken by a helicopter to the Maadi military hospital in Cairo and died in the ICU several hours later. This crash was the longest emergency case in the Egyptian Air Force. Wing Commander Keraidy was the first Egyptian officer to be given the Golden Military Bravery Medal, first Category, without dying in a battle.


 * 1974 – The U. S. Air Force SR-71 Blackbird 61-17972, flown by Major James Sullivan (pilot) and Major Noel F, Widdifield (reconnaissance systems officer), crosses the Atlantic Ocean from New York City to London in a world record 1 h 54 min 56 seconds at an average speed of 1,806.96 mph (2,909.76 km/h).


 * 1974 – The Sikorsky S-67 Blackhawk company demonstrator N671SA crashed while attempting to recover from a roll at too low an altitude during its display at the Farnborough Air Show, United Kingdom, killing its two crew.


 * 1970 – A Vought F-8J Crusader from VF-24 suffers ramp strike on the USS Hancock and explodes during night carrier qualifications, killing Lt. Darrell N. Eggert.


 * 1967 – The U. S. Navy's first dedicated search-and-rescue squadron, Helicopter Combat Support Squadron 7 (HC-7), is commissioned at Atsugi, Japan; it operates UH-2 Seasprite helicopters. Previously, all Navy search-and-rescue had been performed by helicopter antisubmarine squadrons. HC-7 will make its first rescue on October 3 in Haiphong Harbor, North Vietnam.


 * 1966 – Britannia Airways Flight 105, a Bristol Brittania, crashes on approach to Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport in Ljubjljana, Slovenia. 98 of the 117 passengers and crew on board were killed.


 * 1961 – TWA Flight 529, a Lockheed Constellation L-049 propliner, abruptly pitches up and crashes shortly after takeoff from Chicago's Midway Airport, killing all 73 passengers and 5 crew on board; a 5/16 inch bolt which fell out of the elevator control linkage just before the crash is blamed.


 * 1953 – The sole YB-47F Stratojet modified for probe-and-drogue refueling is refueled by the sole KB-47G in the first jet-to-jet aerial refueling


 * 1953 – The first scheduled international helicopter service begins between Belgium and France. The service is operated by Belgian airline Sabena.


 * 1952 – In the largest carrier air strike of the Korean War, 144 U. S. Navy aircraft from the aircraft carriers USS Essex (CV-9), USS Princeton (CV-37), and USS Boxer (CV-21) attack the oil refinery at Aoji, Korea. Attacks on industrial targets at Munsan and electrical plants at Chongjin are also conducted. All U. S. aircraft return safely.


 * 1952 – Several tornados sweep across Carswell AFB, Texas destroying Convair B-36B Peacemaker, 44-92051, and damaging 82 others of the 11th Bomb Group, 7th Bomb Wing, including ten at the Convair plant on the other side of the Fort Worth base. Gen. Curtis LeMay is forced to remove the 19th Air Division from the war plan, and the base went on an 84-hour work week until repairs were made. 26 B-36s were returned to Convair for repairs, and the last aircraft deemed repairable was airborne again on 11 May 1953.


 * 1951 – No. 443 Squadron was reformed at New Westminster, BC.


 * 1951 – No. 439 Squadron was reformed at Uplands and equipped with North American Sabre fighters.


 * 1950 – The number three engine of the Trans World Airlines Lockheed L-749 A Constellation Star of Maryland, operating as Flight 903, catches fire, then falls off the wing, while the aircraft is flying near Cairo, Egypt. The crew attempts an emergency landing near Ityai el Barud, Egypt, but the aircraft crashes, killing all 55 people on board. Among the dead are architect Maciej Nowicki and an Egyptian film star.


 * 1948 – First flight of the Saab J-29, Sweden's first jet


 * 1946 – Using Douglas DC-4 aircraft, Northwest Airlines initiates service between Seattle, Washington, and Anchorage, Alaska, as the first leg of its proposed United States-Japan North Pacific route.


 * 1946 – Entered Service: Vickers Viking with British European Airways (G-AHOP)


 * 1943 – Due to the vast distances involved, land-based American aircraft have flown only 102 combat sorties in the Central Pacific Area since January 1.


 * 1943 – U. S. Navy aircraft from the carriers USS Essex (CV-9), USS Yorktown (CV-10), and USS Independence (CVL-22) fly six strikes totalling 275 sorties against Marcus Island, destroying several Japanese Mitsubishi G4M (Allied reporting name “Betty”) bombers on the ground in exchange for the loss of four American aircraft.


 * 1943 – U. S. Army Air Force Fifth Air Force aircraft conduct a major raid against the Japanese airfield at Madang, New Guinea.


 * 1943 – The U. S. Army Air Forces disband the Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command, although some Army antisubmarine squadrons will operate until November.


 * 1943 – The Civil Air Patrol is relieved of maritime patrol duties off the coast of the United States.


 * 1943 – (1-11) The aircraft carriers USS Princeton (CVL-23) and USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24) and Canton Island-based U. S. Navy PV-1 Venturas cover the unopposed American landing on Baker Island. On three occasions, F6F Hellcats from the carriers shoot down an approaching Japanese Kawanishi H8 K (Allied reporting name “Emily”) flying boat. A U. S. Army Air Forces fighter squadron arrives on Baker Island on September 11.


 * 1942 – (overnight) Due to heavy German jamming of Gee, Royal Air Force Bomber Command Pathfinder aircraft go astray, marking the wrong city, and the force of 231 British bombers that sets out to attack Saarbrücken instead bombs Saarlouis 15 km (9.3 mi) to the northwest.


 * 1940 – First flight of the North American P-64 (NA-68)


 * 1939 – During the predawn hours of the day, a Luftwaffe Junkers Ju 87 “Stuka” dive bomber flown by Leutnant Frank Neubert of I Group, Sturzkampfgeshwader 2, scores the first aerial victory of World War II, shooting down a PZL P.11c fighter flown by Polish Captain Mieczysław Medwecki. Twenty minutes later, Medwecki's wingman, Second Lieutenant Wladyslaw Gnys, flying a PZL P.11c, scores probably the first Allied aerial victories of the war, shooting down two German Dornier Do.17E bombers of Kampfgeschwader 77 over Zurada, near Olkusz, Poland, although some authors have claimed that Polish antiaircraft artillery shot down the bombers.


 * 1939 – Germany invades Poland. The Luftwaffe plays a key tactical bombing role in neutralising Polish defences.


 * 1939 – Second prototype Saro S.36 Lerwick twin-engine flying boat, L7249, sinks at pierside mooring at Felixstowe, Suffolk, when, after flight test at the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment (MAEE), a hatch is left improperly secured attempt by crew to save it fails as it had already shipped too much water - salvaged for static tests only.


 * 1937 – First flight of the Bell YFM-1 Airacuda


 * 1937 – Air Canada, Canada's largest airline, began operations.


 * 1937 – Douglas Aircraft Company acquires the remaining 49 percent of the shares of its Northrop Corp. subsidiary and begins operating the facility in August 1938 as the Douglas El Segundo (Calif.) Division.


 * 1937 – Supported by 250 aircraft, Spanish Nationalist forces begin an offensive against Republicans inn Asturias. The absence of the Condor Legion, which is deployed in Aragon, is felt; Nationalist progress is slow for the first six weeks.


 * 1934 – Formation of Nos. 15 (Fighter) and 18 (Bomber) Squadrons on Non-Permanent Active Air Force at Montreal, Quebec, was authorized.


 * 1931 – Trenton Air Station was opened by the RCAF.


 * 1930 – Curtiss XF6C-6 racer, A-7147, crashes during the Thompson Trophy race in Chicago, Illinois, killing U.S. Marine Corps pilot Capt. Arthur H. Page. The only military entry, Page gained and increased an early lead but on the 17th of 20 laps, crashed to his death, a victim of carbon monoxide poisoning.


 * 1925 – After modifications, the aircraft carrier HMS Furious returns to service with the Royal Navy as the first ship ever to be equipped with a round-down Located at the after end of her flight deck, the round-down, which improves air flow and gives pilots landing aboard Furious greater confidence, will become standard on aircraft carriers.


 * 1923 – The Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carrier Amagi is heavily damaged by the Great Kantō earthquake while still under conversion from a battle cruiser. She is scrapped, and the battleship Kaga is selected for conversion into an aircraft carrier instead.


 * 1923 – The Royal Australian Air Force is formed.


 * 1921 – President Warren Harding authorizes the creation of the Navy Bureau of Aeronautics, with Rear Admiral Moffet as its chief.


 * 1914 – The Wakamiya arrives off Kiaochow Bay, China, to participate in operations during the Siege of Tsingtao. It is the first combat deployment of an aviation ship by any country.


 * 1914 – The first U. S. tactical air unit, the First Aero Squadron, is organized because of the August outbreak of war in Europe. Based in San Diego, California, the unit has 16 officers, 77 enlisted men, and 8 airplanes.


 * 1913 – Frenchman Adolphe Pégoud does the first upside-down flight.