Would appreciate you passing this memo on to the OBA members who may have known Mark Hunley, who recently passed away. For example our Field Tech Reps to the squadrons came under Mark and Maj. Bill Beckett/Col K.P. Rice, founders of the OV-10 project, who were inducted into OV-10 Hall of Fame in October, probably knew Mark.

Mark was born August 23, 1927 and deceased November 27, 2007. He was a graduate of Ohio State University and Capital University, both in Columbus, Ohio. He had a long tenure as OV-10 Logistics Manager with North American Aviation/Rockwell International, retiring in 1985 from NAA/RI. He is survived by his wife Nancy of 56 years.

Thank you Jim, I have the greatest respect for Mark and our past association on the OV-10 Program.

Warm regards,
Reuben

In addition to his wife Nancy, Mark is survived by his sons Eric (Jane) Hunley and Matthew Hunley of Dallas, TX as well as John and fiancee Melissa Straub of Berkley, MI, and Matthew of Dallas. He will be interred at Union Cemetery in Columbus, OH at a later date. Contributions to honor Mark may be made to the Bexley United Methodist Church, Bexley Education Association, or Ohio State University.

In response to a fatal accident Monday, the Indonesian Air Force has grounded its remaining six OV-10 Bronco light attack aircraft.

"All the Broncos will be grounded until we know the cause of the accident," Air Force Chief Air Marshall Herman Prayitno told reporters.

One of the Broncos went down shortly after taking off from the Abdurahman Saleh Airport on a routine training flight Monday in the East Java town of Malang killing one of the two pilots, according to China Xinhua News.

"I heard an explosion before seeing one person jump out using a parachute," said a witness who identified himself as Gimin. "The plane then exploded again twice before falling to the ground."

Local media reports engine failure as being the cause of the accident.

When asked if the Broncos would be replaced, Prayitno said "yes, there is such a plan."

This is the second accident involving the Indonesian Air Force's Broncos. The previous one also went down in Malang and was said to have been due to bad weather.

Only a handful of countries still use the 1960s era, US-developed turboprops as part of their active fleets.

Although a preliminary finding has been released, the final report will not be released for several more months, after the NTSB completes its investigation. While witnesses reported that the plane appeared to be flying too low, investigators think that Courtney can be held accountable for the crew's deaths is he is found responsible for the arson.

During a press conference on Friday, November 17 to announce the arrest, Tulare Fire Unit Chief Ed Wristen commended the efforts of the joint investigation team working the case and said that the two deaths had been very difficult on the agencies, families, and friends. "We are looking forward to bringing this incident to a close."

(Lee Griffin also has an article published in "Air Classics" magazine, Vol. 42 No. 9 titled "When the Navy flew Sabres.")

Rick's Bronco is also featured on the cover of June 2006 edition of Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) "Warbirds" magazine, with a centerfold picture, an in-depth article and plenty of pictures of the plane flying over Northern California.

It's always good to see the Mighty Bronco in print, especially on the covers of great aircraft magazines!

Editorial cartoon from the Philippine Star in response to this accident

Rescue crews found a fuel leak and applied a light coat of foam as a precaution against fire. The rescue vehicles were moved off the runway and normal airport operations were able to resume. The three rescue agencies have trained together previously, and were each complimentary of the smoothness of the rescue and the ability of the different units to work together to save lives and protect property. The Philippine Air Force uses their OV-10s for supporting ground troops fighting insurgents in Luzon and the Visayas, for strafing and bombing missions against Abu Sayyaf terrorists based in Sulu, and to patrol the Kalayaan Islands, in the South China Sea.

FMI:

Story in the Sun Star (including aircraft info and damage report)
USMC/AP Photos: Photo 1 - Photo 2
Philippine Star Editorial (Is this the world's first op-ed cartoon featuring an OV-10?)
Story on USMC Website
Philippines Inquirer: Article 1 - Article 2
Article in The Manila Times

The FAA and NTSB is investigating the crash. The OV-10 Bronco Association extends our thoughts and prayers to the family and friends of the victims of this sad incident, and we are sure that we aren't alone in thanking these brave folks who gave their lives in the course of protecting the lives of others.

FMI:

The Bronco took off from Danilo Atienza Airfield in Sangley Air Base in Cavite City at 8:46 am. The Bronco was headed to the former Clark AFB, Pampanga, to participate in a joint training exercise with the U.S. Joint Special Operations Task Force, said PAF spokesman Lt.Col. Restituto Padilla Jr. The Bronco crew's participation in the exercises, known as "Balance Piston", was to undergo training in low-level air delivery at Clark Field.

Capt. Acosta told investigators that they began to experience a problem with the left engine, causing them to lose altitude. They decided to eject at 2,000 ft. but Capt. Amatong decided that the plane might hit a populated area, and stayed with the aircraft. A PAF statement cited Capt. Amatong for "heroism of the highest order" in steering the plane into the middle of a fishpond in the island village of Barangay Binakod, in Paumbong town, Bulacan province. The PAF said that eyewitness accounts confirmed Capt. Acosta's account of the incident.

PAF spokesman Lt. Col. Restituto Padilla Jr. said that Air Force chief Lt. Gen. Jose Reyes had ordered the grounding of the remaining Bronco fleet (about 12-14 aircraft) pending the results of an investigation into the cause of the accident, an action which is standard procedure after a serious incident or crash.

The PAF's Broncos were acquired from the U.S. and later, some were transferred from Thailand's now-defunct OV-10 squadrons. The OV-10 is now the Philippine's main combat aircraft since the decommissioning of the F-5 fighter fleet in October 2005. The PAF uses the OV-10 for close air support, aerial reconnaissance, cloud seeding, and has recently used the Bronco to bomb Islamic terrorist hideouts in the Mindanao area.

Crash Leads to Lawsuits

Reportedly, the Philippine Air Force has offered to pay P150,000 (about $2,850 US) to cover the damages incurred in the crash... but that's not nearly enough, say those who were affected. In early February 2006, the municipal government of the town of Paombong filed a lawsuit against the PAF. The town seeks to recover over P10 million (about $189,970 US) from the Air Force for damages to Mrs. Luzviminda Isidro's fishpond, local waterways, and the local environment which they say were harmed by the crash, largely due to jet fuel contamination. They say that it will cost at least that much to decontaminate the fishpond (which is used by many local fishermen) as well as nearby rivers and other areas.

The Manila Times quoted Paombong's mayor, Donato Marcos, as saying "The fishpond of Mrs. Isidro is severely damaged... we must also consider the fact that the fisher folk's livelihood has been affected due to the jet fuel oil spill."

This plane, which we were proud to host at BroncoFest V, will also be the subject of an upcoming article in Warbirds International Magazine.