Yukla 27, a Boeing E-3 Sentry based at Elmendorf Air Force Base. With a crew of twenty six the E-3 was getting ready to join Air Force aircraft for a scheduled training operation. At the time the Boeing E-3 was scheduled to fly for 6.3 hours during this ti,e.
At 0743 local time Elmendorf Air Force base contacted the E-3 to hold short of RWY 06. At the time a C-130 Hercules was departing the runway to join this exercise. As the C-130 departed the Herc crew reported in a flock of Canadian Geese at the end of the runway but tower failed to let the crew know. The E-3 was cleared for take off, as the jet rolled down and began to depart geese were sucked into engine one and two. at 0746:43 the aircraft called into Elmendorf “Yukla two seven heavy has an emergency. Lost ah number two engine, we’ve taken some birds.” Several seconds later the tower confirmed the emergency and replied asking for its intentions. Yukla 27 informed them they were going return to Elmendorf.
As the crippled jet climbed the crew The crew then begin to initiate a slow turn to the left in attempt to return to Elmendorf AFB. The jet was able climb to a max altitude of 250 feet before impacting a hill. Ay 0747 the aircraft impacted the ground killing at the crews.
In total twenty four Americans and two Canadians air force personal were killed in this accident. This was the first lost of an E-3 airframe.
Aircraft 77-0354, was built as an E-3A variant with the Boeing construction number 21554 and line number 933. It first flew on 5 July 1978 and was delivered to the United States Air Force on 19 January 1979. It was later modified by Boeing to E-3B standard. This aircraft was used on the first day of the Desert Storm air war with its crew controlling the intercept and shootdown of four Iraqi fighter aircraft in far western Iraq. The aircraft was also involved in the 14 April 1994 Black Hawk shootdown incident in Iraq, during which its crew were controlling two F-15 fighter aircraft that shot down a pair of US Army UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters, killing 26 military and civilian personnel.