ID of jet that crashed?

[Idaho45guy]

I was on the Barry Goldwater Range in AZ last week and visited three plane crash sites.

The first was easily identified as an F-4...

Attachment 297177

The second was also easy and obviously an F-14...

Attachment 297178

However, the third plane went in nose first and I have no idea what it could be. It was a single engine jet, with white paint, so likely a Navy jet from the `70's. A-7? The largest piece is the front strut assembly, and I am not familiar with the various designs.

Any ideas? It made an impressive crater...

Attachment 297179

Attachment 297180

[abunaitoo]

Now that is interesting.

[Winger Ed.]

I'm surprised the govt. left them there.

No fatalities, but we had three crashes on land when I was in the fleet.
We had to go out and pick up everything.

One of the guys commented that we were probably doing as good of a job as they did at Roswell.

[corbinace]

I'm surprised the govt. left them there.

No fatalities, but we had three crashes on land when I was in the fleet.
We had to go out and pick up everything.

One of the guys commented that we were probably doing as good of a job as they did at Roswell.

Unfortunately, I too was on one cleanup of an F4 and its resultant double fatality. Huge black hole and other things that will forever be in my memories. I should not have clicked on this thread.

[imashooter2]

I'm surprised the govt. left them there.

No fatalities, but we had three crashes on land when I was in the fleet.
We had to go out and pick up everything.

One of the guys commented that we were probably doing as good of a job as they did at Roswell.

Those strike me as stripped out aerial targets as opposed to actual crashes.

[Winger Ed.]

Those strike me as stripped out aerial targets as opposed to actual crashes.

Being on a range, that would explain why so much was left there.
To test some of the real sophisticated and expensive anti-aircraft weapons, they'd set up old, obsolete birds from the boneyard
like a RC model plane and try to shoot it down.
The new weapons system had to be proved out in as close to real world situations as possible before it went into production.

[Idaho45guy]

Found info on the F-14 crash.

https://www.aircraftarchaeology.com/f14goldwater.html

[Mytmousemalibu]

Don't think thats an A7 strut. The A-7 and the F-8 both Vought aircraft, had castering nose gear and a pretty beefy strut. Most naval jets had pretty tough gear for obvious reasons.