McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II crash on Davis Islands - 1966

The tail section of a McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II crash on Davis Islands - 1966. Gandy Collection. Courtesy of the University of South Florida.

The wreckage of the McDonnell Douglas F-4C in the front yard of a home on Davis Islands 2 1966.Gandy Collection. Courtesy of the University of South Florida.

I was on a school bus on South Davis Blvd on May 26th, 1966, just a few blocks from where a McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II crashed into two homes on Davis Islands. We saw some smoke, but didn’t know where it was from. It turns out that a supersonic jet was on a training mission from MacDill Air Force Base when trouble developed on board. The pilots held on as long as they could until they ejected, landing at the tip of Hookers Point. They sustained minor injuries.

The crash damaged five houses on the south side of the islands on Geneva Place, close to Jamaica Ave, around 8:00 AM on the 26th. Miraculously, no one was home or injured. All five homes were eventually repaired. The house with the greatest impact, 695 Geneva Place, stood until early 2025, when it was demolished, presumably due to damage from Hurricane Helene's October 2024 storm surge, which flooded the islands and caused widespread destruction.

Edit. After posting this story, I was contacted by the daughter of the co-pilot, who said, “Besides his broken neck, Daddy sustained a broken back on landing and had an area of permanent nerve damage in his right shoulder. The nerve damage caused his arm to shake for the rest of his life.” Newspaper reports stated that both pilots sustained only slight back injuries.

Brigadier General Frank J. Collins with the US Air Force speaks with Tampa Police Department officials on scene. 1966 Gandy Collection. Courtesy of the University of South Florida.

The wreckage of the McDonnell Douglas F-4C in the front yard of a home on Davis Islands. 1966. Gandy Collection. Courtesy of the University of South Florida.

The remains of the jet engine of the McDonnell Douglas F-4c Phantom II rests in the front yard of one of 695 Geneva Place on Davis Islands. 1966.Gandy Collection. Courtesy of the University of South Florida.

People gather near the crash of McDonnell Douglas F-4c Phantom II on Davis Islands May 26, 1966. Gandy Collection. Courtesy of the University of South Florida.

A firefighter sprays the remains the McDonnell Douglas F-4c Phantom II after a crash at 695 Geneva Place on Davis Islands. 1966.Gandy Collection. Courtesy of the University of South Florida.

One of the homes impacted by the crash of McDonnell Douglas F-4c Phantom II on Davis Islands May 26, 1966. Gandy Collection. Courtesy of the University of South Florida.