1969 RAF Mildenhall C-130 theft
A pair of C-130Es similar to the stolen aircraft | |
| Incident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 23 May 1969 |
| Summary | Aircraft theft and disappearance |
| Site | English Channel, Northwestern Europe |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Lockheed C-130E Hercules |
| Operator | United States Air Force |
| Registration | 63-7789 |
| Flight origin | RAF Mildenhall |
| Occupants | 1 |
| Fatalities | 1 (presumed) |
| Survivors | 0 (presumed) |
On 23 May 1969, a Lockheed C-130 Hercules of the United States Air Force (USAF) was stolen from RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, England, by a USAF aircraft mechanic who ultimately crashed it into the English Channel. Though some parts of the plane washed up on the Channel Islands within days of the crash, the larger wreck remained undiscovered until November 2018, nearly 50 years later.