A couple of former VF-32 squadronmates join Mooch at HOOK ’26 in Reno, Nevada to recount the night their F-14A Tomcat spit the shuttle during a catapult shot on the USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67). Ultimately the investigation uncovered that the hook-up man hadn’t ensured the launch bar was properly seated even though it was lowered into the shuttle. When the cat fired the launch bar broke and snapped back into the nose strut. The F-14 failed to gain the speed necessary for flight off the end of the catapult. This is the first time this pilot and RIO have told this story on YouTube and the details of that night are harrowing. More than anything else, the bond between this pilot and RIO is timeless, moving, and inspirational.
