Originally Posted by
moose135
Back in the late 1970s, we lost a KC-135 due to a cow strike...well, multiple cow strikes. They were doing night pattern work at Beale AFB, CA. A number of cows from a nearby field got onto the runway through a broken section of fence. The tanker was performing a touch and go, and as they accelerated to take off, they suddenly saw the cows illuminated by the landing lights, and were unable to stop or avoid them. From what I remember, the first cow hit the nose gear, causing it to collapse. The aircraft struck five or six cows and slid off the runway. The nose gear ruptured the forward body fuel tank, and the aircraft burst into flames. All seven crew members evacuated safely, but the aircraft was destroyed.
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