Aircraft History
68-0040
The Aircraft, The Incident, The Escape
About This Aircraft
68-0040 was an F-111E — the variant built for the United States Air Force's 20th Tactical Fighter Wing at RAF Upper Heyford, England. Its story is one of the most dramatic demonstrations of the F-111's revolutionary crew escape system — a system that saved lives when it mattered most.
The F-111 was unique among combat aircraft in using a full crew module escape system rather than individual ejection seats. In an emergency, the entire cockpit capsule would separate from the aircraft, deploy a parachute, and land with the crew safely inside.
The complete service record of 68-0040 — unit assignments, flight hours, and modification history — is held by the Air Force Historical Research Agency (AFHRA) at Maxwell AFB. Individual aircraft record cards can be requested via FOIA at afhra.af.mil.
Crew Module Separation
The Incident
When 68-0040 suffered a catastrophic failure, the crew activated the escape system. The crew module separated cleanly from the stricken aircraft, the parachute deployed, and both crew members survived.
The sequence of events was captured in remarkable photographs that document both the aircraft's final moments and the successful deployment of the crew module — a testament to the engineering that went into this life-saving system.
Incident Photography
As Reported at the Time
The incident was covered extensively in the press, with newspapers reporting on the remarkable survival of the crew and the effectiveness of the escape capsule system. These contemporary accounts provide a fascinating window into how the public and media understood this groundbreaking technology.
The Legacy
Today, the crew module from 68-0040 is being preserved and restored as part of this project. It stands as a tangible piece of aviation history — proof that the engineers who designed the F-111's escape system got it right.
If you have information, photographs, or documents relating to 68-0040 or its crew, we would love to hear from you.