Rivet Amber, an RC-135E, 62-4137, operating out of Shemya AFB

Shemya

Shemya or Simiya is a small island in the Near Islands group of the Semichi Islands chain in the Aleutian Islands archipelago southwest of Alaska, at . It has a land area of 5.903 sq mi , and is about 1,200 miles southwest of Anchorage, Alaska.The Russian vessel Saint Peter and Paul wrecked at...

, went down in the Bering Sea

Bering Sea

The Bering Sea is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises a deep water basin, which then rises through a narrow slope into the shallower water above the continental shelves....

 on June 5, 1969. Despite a thorough search of the area, no wreckage and no survivors were ever found. The best theory is that the plane suffered some sort of catastrophic mechanical failure, as the last radio contact from the aircraft mentioned "vibration in flight". Rivet Amber was returning to Eielson AFB

Eielson Air Force Base

Eielson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska and just southeast of Moose Creek, Alaska....

 for maintenance with a crew of 19 on board.

Last Radio Transmission

The last radio contact with Rivet Amber began about 45 minutes after takeoff at 0936 Local/1736 Zulu

Coordinated Universal Time

Coordinated Universal Time is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. Computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC for that purpose...

. Rivet Amber was under the call-sign Irene 92.

1736 Zulu:

Rivet Amber: "Elmendorf Airways, Elmendorf Airways, Irene 92, Irene 92, over."

Elmendorf AFB: "Irene 92, Elmendorf, Go Ahead."

RA: "Elmendorf Airways, Irene 92 experiencing vibration In flight. Not certain of the Emergency. We have the aircraft under control, Irene 92."

1737 Zulu:

EAFB: "This is Elmendorf. You say you're not declaring an Emergency. Is that Charlie?"

RA: (Keying-XMTR, followed by heavy breathing)

RA: "Roger … Ahh …" (Keying-XMTR) … "Ahh …" (Keying-XMTR, then silence) …

RA: "Crew Go To Oxygen."

EAFB: "This is Elmendorf. Say again? Irene 92, Elmendorf?"

RA: (Keying-XMTR)

EAFB: "Irene 92, Elmendorf?"

1738 Zulu:

RA: (Keying-XMTR)

1739 Zulu:

EAFB: "Irene 92, Irene 92, Elmendorf, Elmendorf"

RA: (Keying-XMTR)

RA: (Keying-XMTR)

RA: (Keying-XMTR)

Unidentified key clicks (Keying-XMTR) continued until 1822 Zulu. No further positive contact with Rivet Amber was made after 1737 Zulu.

Post Incident

Unable to make contact with Rivet Amber, Col. Leslie W. Brockwell, commander of the 6th Strategic Wing, initiated a search and rescue. Both planes and Coast Guard searched the waters from Shemya to the Alaska mainland. For two weeks, the water was patrolled for any sign of the plane or survivors, but nothing was ever found. The entire crew was presumed lost at sea.

List of Crew

• Lt Col Charles B. Michaud, Aircraft Commander
• Maj Peter S. Carpenter, Co-pilot
• Maj Richard N. Martel, Navigator
• Maj Horace G. Beasley, Raven (Electronic Warfare Officer)
• Maj Rudolph J. Meissner, Raven
• Capt James F. Ray, Raven
• Capt Michael E. Mills, Navigator
• MSgt Herbert C. Gregory, In-flight Maintenance Tech
• TSgt Donald F. Wonders, In-flight Maintenance Tech
• TSgt Hervey Hebert, Aircraft Maintenance
• TSgt Charles F. Dreher, Aircraft Maintenance
• TSgt Eugene L. Benevides, Security Service
• SSgt Robert W. Fox, In-flight Maintenance Tech
• SSgt Lester J. Schatz, In-flight Maintenance Tech
• SSgt Roy L. Lindsey, Security Service
• SSgt Richard J. Steen Jr., Security Service
• Sgt Douglas Arcano, Security Service
• Sgt Sherman E. Consolver Jr., Security Service
• Sgt Lucian A. Rominiecki, Security Service