Last Known
Activity
2nd Lt. Lieutenant Logan was the pilot of a F-86E Sabrejet fighter
bomber (#50-688) with the 336th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 4th
Fighter-Interceptor Group.
On September
15, 1952, while on a combat mission, his aircraft received a direct
hit by anti-aircraft fire. ...though he bailed out over Cho-do Island,
he drowned during the rescue attempt. A narrative of the incident
can be found at http://www.acepilots.com/korea_risner.html
Then Captain
Robinson 'Robbie' Risner "and his wingman, Lt. Joe Logan, were
leaving the Chinese airfield, the flak caught Joe's fuel tank. Jet
fuel and hydraulic fluid spewed out from the wounded Sabre. Robinson
instantly decided to try an unprecedented and untried maneuver; he
would push the crippled fighter with his, about 60 miles to the UN
rescue base on the island of Cho Do. He radioed Joe to shut down his
engine. He carefully inserted the nose of his F-86 into the exhaust
of Logan's plane and tired to keep the two planes together. The turbulence
kept bouncing and separating the two jets, but Risner was able to
re-establish contact and guide the powerless plane out over the sea.
Near Cho Do, Lt. Logan bailed out, after radioing to Risner, "I'll
see you at the base tonight."
Risner
stayed in radio contact with the rescue helicopter. Joe, a strong
swimmer, landed close to shore, and the chopper tried to blow him
in with the rotors. Tragically, Joe Logan didn't make it; he became
tangled in his parachute lines and drowned."
Note: Brigadier
General Risner is profiled on USAF TWS.