F-104G 24+72 JaboG 36 at RAF Greenham Commom July 8, 1980

RF-104G, construction number 683D-8221, company model 683-04-10, built by Fokker
manufactured by North Group (ARGE-Nord); first flight March 6, 1964 coded KG+321 at Fokker-Schiphol; March 6, 1964 to Avio Diepen for RF-104G modification according project "Recce"
April 9, 1964 to Fokker for camouflage scheme "Norm 62" according tech order "TA-196"; acceptance date by BABwFokker (RNAF-MTA) June 22, 1964
to LVR 3 (Luftwaffenversorgungsregiment 3) at Manching AB August 20, 1964 for technical upgrading
EB+120 AG 51 at Ingolstadt-Manching AB delivery date on September 8, 1964; AG 52 at Leck AB on August 12, 1966
IRAN at SABCA on July 10, 1967 with 199 flight hours, back to AG 52 on August 29, 1967
24+72 AG 51 on September 20, 1968; AG 51 relocated to Bremgarten AB in 1969; AG 52 at Leck AB on September 29, 1970
modified to Fighterbomber version F-104G on September 27, 1971; JaboG 36 at Hopsten AB on May 5, 1972; MBB on January 31, 1975
TSLw 1 on June 9, 1975; JaboG 31 at Norvenich AB on August 3, 1976
crashed October 17, 1980 near Brühl, Erftkreis after fire in the engine due to a overheated afterburner fuel pump
pilot ejected safely; written off; struck off charge order (AVA) February 25, 1981.

Project "Recce": included 66 RF-104G from ARGE-Nord, which were converted to RF-104G before delivery. 
They were mainly intended for the second squadron of WaSLw 10, AG 51, AG 52 and project Columbus.

copyright © Grondstein collection

October 17, 1980
Lieutenant Colonel (OTL) Alexander Heuser and his wingman Hauptmann (Hptm) Eckhardt Schwipper are approaching the Nörvenich air base on October 17, 1980 after a routine flight. 
10 miles from the air base, Captain Schwipper sees that flames and smoke are coming from OTL Heuser's F-104G (24+72, W/N 8221) and he informs OTL Heuser about this via radio. 
He checks his instruments and notices the red warning lights in the cockpit. He has Captain Schwipper to confirm the engine fire again. 
He confirms that large flames are coming from the engine. Since the approach to the air base leads over the towns of Kendenich, Fischenich, Vochem and the Hürth-Knapsack industrial area with a chemical plant, 
Lieutenant Colonel Heuser flies a left turn towards a forest above the town of Fischenich near Hürth. Then he gets out using the ejector seat. The wreckage of the machine is scattered within a radius of around one kilometer. 
The engine crashes about 50 meters next to the busy federal highway 265. Lieutenant Colonel Heuser lands with the parachute uninjured. 
As it turns out during the later accident investigation, fuel leaked due to the afterburner fuel pump overheating and caused a fire in the engine compartment.
http://www.rolfferch.de/F104G/html/body_schlagzeilen.html




24+72 F-104G crash photo