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In November 1991, while flying from the USS Eisenhower (CVN 69) in the Persian Gulf, a VF-142 F-14B lost its radome when the latching mechanism failed as the airplane was executing a supersonic dash. The radome hit the forward half of the canopy and shattered the front cockpit windscreen, breaking the pilot's right collarbone and partially blinding him, especially in his right eye that was badly cut. The pilot, LCDR Joe "Reb" Edwards, ably assisted by his RIO, LCDR Scott "Grundy" Grundmeier, showed amazing professionalism and airmanship by bringing the jet aboard the ship for an "OK 3-wire" landing in spite of the fact that he was injured, his forward visibility was severely restricted, and he couldn't communicate because his mask had been damaged by the impact of the radome. After landing, LCDR Edwards was medevac'd to Bahrain for eye surgery. He later became a NASA astronaut, eventually spending 8 days in space aboard the Space Shuttle. Both Tomcat crew members received Distinguished Flying Crosses for how they handled the emergency. The mishap investigation revealed that the radome latching mechanism had failed due to improper maintenance procedures. The aircraft was ultimately returned to flight status at a cost of $120,000.

"Reb" Edward joins this episode to tell his story in his own words.