{"id":24671795,"date":"2026-09-25T15:12:54","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T13:12:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/f-14-shot-down-usaf-rf-4c-1987-display-determination\/"},"modified":"2026-09-25T15:13:51","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T13:13:51","slug":"f-14-shot-down-usaf-rf-4c-1987-display-determination","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/f-14-shot-down-usaf-rf-4c-1987-display-determination\/","title":{"rendered":"F-14 vs RF-4C: The Tomcat That Shot Down an American Phantom"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\r\n\r\n<p>The exercise phrase was &ldquo;red and free&rdquo;. Every other crew in the Mediterranean that morning understood what it meant: you are cleared to simulate an engagement. Call the shot, do not take it.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>On 22 September 1987, off Sardinia, a US Navy <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f-14-tomcat\/\">F-14A Tomcat<\/a> of VF-74 heard those words and fired a live AIM-9 Sidewinder into the tail of a US Air Force RF-4C <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f-4-phantom-ii\/\">Phantom II<\/a>. Two American airmen ejected at around 550 knots. One of them never really recovered.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Twenty-five years later, the man who fired the missile was nominated for promotion to rear admiral, and the man he shot down found out about it from a phone call.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f4f6f8;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:18px 22px;margin:26px 0\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;font-weight:700;color:#0d1117;font-size:17px\">Quick Facts<\/p><p style=\"margin:5px 0\"><strong>Date:<\/strong> 22 September 1987<\/p><p style=\"margin:5px 0\"><strong>Where:<\/strong> Mediterranean, off Sardinia, during NATO exercise Display Determination 87<\/p><p style=\"margin:5px 0\"><strong>Shooter:<\/strong> F-14A Tomcat of VF-74 &ldquo;Be-Devilers&rdquo;, from USS Saratoga (CV-60)<\/p><p style=\"margin:5px 0\"><strong>F-14 crew:<\/strong> Lieutenant junior grade Timothy Dorsey, pilot; Lieutenant Commander Edmund Holland, radar intercept officer<\/p><p style=\"margin:5px 0\"><strong>Target:<\/strong> USAF RF-4C Phantom II, callsign Vodka 51, 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, Zweibr&uuml;cken<\/p><p style=\"margin:5px 0\"><strong>RF-4C crew:<\/strong> Mike Ross, pilot; First Lieutenant Michael Sprouse, weapons systems officer<\/p><p style=\"margin:5px 0\"><strong>Weapon:<\/strong> One live AIM-9 Sidewinder<\/p><p style=\"margin:5px 0\"><strong>Outcome:<\/strong> Both crew ejected and were recovered. No fatalities<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">A Perfectly Ordinary Morning<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>The Phantom&rsquo;s job that day was mundane. Display Determination was a NATO exercise, and Vodka 51 had been sent to find USS Saratoga and read her hull number. That was the mission: get close enough to identify the ship visually, and go home.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Finding a carrier meant flying at a carrier, which meant the carrier&rsquo;s fighters would come out to meet you. That was the whole game, and both sides had played it for years.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/usaf-rf-4c-phantom-ii-tactical-reconnaissance.jpg\" alt=\"USAF RF-4C Phantom II reconnaissance aircraft\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">An RF-4C Phantom II, the unarmed reconnaissance version of the F-4 with cameras in a lengthened nose. This is the type, not the aircraft involved. Photo: U.S. Air Force<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>It is worth pausing on what an RF-4C was. It carried no guns and no missiles. The nose that would have held a radar held cameras instead. The crew&rsquo;s entire defence was speed, and the confident knowledge that nobody in a NATO exercise was going to shoot at them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jaTzrJPZDlU\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Two Words, Two Meanings<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>The F-14 intercepted. Its radar intercept officer called a simulated shot, which is what the exercise required. Strike control passed a weapons status of red and free.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In exercise phraseology that authorised a simulated engagement. Dorsey appears to have taken it literally. Accounts of the exact words exchanged in the cockpit differ between sources, but they agree on the substance: Dorsey questioned whether he was being told to shoot, his back-seater answered in the affirmative without grasping that the question was about a live missile, and Dorsey fired one.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>The Sidewinder took the Phantom&rsquo;s tail off. Ross and Sprouse ejected into the Mediterranean at high speed and were picked up by a helicopter from the ship they had been sent to photograph.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/uss-saratoga-cv-60-underway.jpg\" alt=\"USS Saratoga CV-60 underway at sea\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">USS Saratoga, the carrier Vodka 51 was trying to identify, and the ship whose helicopter pulled its crew out of the water. Photo: U.S. Navy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">What the Navy Concluded<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>The finding was unusually blunt. This was not filed as an accident.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #d32f2f;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;The September 22, 1987, destruction of USAF RF-4C was not the result of an accident, but the consequence of a deliberate act. His subsequent reaction demonstrated an absolute disregard of the known facts and circumstances&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>U.S. Navy investigation<\/strong> &mdash; Findings on the 22 September 1987 shootdown, as reported by the Washington Times<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>The same review described an &ldquo;illogical act&rdquo; that raised &ldquo;substantial doubt as to his capacity for good, sound judgment&rdquo;. Dorsey kept his wings but never flew a Navy aircraft again. He left active duty in 1991, took a law degree, and continued to serve as an intelligence officer in the reserves, where he was promoted steadily.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/usuOgvWg5oY\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The Two Careers<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>Mike Ross, the Phantom&rsquo;s pilot, spent the following decade having his spine repaired. He was medically retired in 1997. He eventually retired as a colonel.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In 2012, Dorsey&rsquo;s name went forward for promotion to rear admiral. Ross learned of it and did not keep quiet.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #1565c0;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;I almost got sick. He ruined my life&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Mike Ross<\/strong> &mdash; Retired U.S. Air Force colonel, pilot of the RF-4C shot down in 1987<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Ross also pointed out the obvious institutional failure: somebody had put a name forward for flag rank without anyone checking what was in the file. The Senate Armed Services Committee, once it knew, declined to act on the nomination. Dorsey retired in 2014 without the star.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RBYCMTPpJLw\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Why It Still Gets Told<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>Friendly fire is usually a story about fog: bad information, bad weather, a target that genuinely looked like something else. This one has none of that. The weather was fine, the Phantom was exactly where the exercise said it would be, and everyone involved knew it was an exercise.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>What failed was a phrase. Two words that meant one thing to everybody in the Mediterranean and something else to one man in one cockpit, with a live missile on the rail and three seconds to decide.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em>Sources: Washington Times reporting by Rowan Scarborough, 2012 and 2013; The War Zone; We Are The Mighty; The Aviation Geek Club; Wikipedia (VF-74).<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\r\n\r\n\r\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>Did a US Navy F-14 really shoot down a US Air Force Phantom?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Yes. On 22 September 1987, during the NATO exercise Display Determination off Sardinia, an F-14A of VF-74 flying from USS Saratoga fired a live AIM-9 Sidewinder at a USAF RF-4C Phantom II. The reconnaissance aircraft was destroyed and both crew ejected.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What does red and free mean?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">It is weapons-status phraseology. In the context of that exercise it authorised a simulated engagement, and every other participant understood it that way. The F-14 pilot interpreted it as authorisation to fire a real missile.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Did anyone die in the 1987 Saratoga shootdown?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">No. Both crew of the RF-4C ejected at around 550 knots and were recovered by a helicopter from USS Saratoga. The pilot suffered severe spinal injuries that required years of surgery and ended his flying career.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What is an RF-4C Phantom II?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">It is the unarmed tactical reconnaissance version of the F-4 Phantom II. The nose that would carry radar on a fighter carries cameras instead. RF-4C crews flew with no guns and no missiles, relying on speed and altitude.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What happened to the pilot who fired the missile?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Timothy Dorsey kept his wings but never flew a Navy aircraft again. He left active duty in 1991, qualified as a lawyer, and continued serving as a reserve intelligence officer, rising through the ranks over the following two decades.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Why was Timothy Dorsey not promoted to rear admiral?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">He was nominated in 2012. The pilot he shot down, Mike Ross, objected publicly, and once the Senate Armed Services Committee became aware of the 1987 findings it declined to act on the nomination. Dorsey retired in 2014.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What did the Navy investigation conclude?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">That the destruction of the RF-4C was not an accident but the consequence of a deliberate act, and that Dorsey reaction showed an absolute disregard of the known facts and circumstances. It described an illogical act raising doubt about his judgement.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Can civilians fly in a fighter jet today?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Yes. MiGFlug has flown civilians in genuine fighter jets for over twenty years, including the MiG-29 to the edge of space and the L-39 Albatros. Current aircraft and prices are on the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/flights-prices\/\">MiGFlug flights and prices page<\/a>.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\r\n\r\n\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Did a US Navy F-14 really shoot down a US Air Force Phantom?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes. On 22 September 1987, during the NATO exercise Display Determination off Sardinia, an F-14A of VF-74 flying from USS Saratoga fired a live AIM-9 Sidewinder at a USAF RF-4C Phantom II. The reconnaissance aircraft was destroyed and both crew ejected.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What does red and free mean?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"It is weapons-status phraseology. In the context of that exercise it authorised a simulated engagement, and every other participant understood it that way. 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It described an illogical act raising doubt about his judgement.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Can civilians fly in a fighter jet today?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes. MiGFlug has flown civilians in genuine fighter jets for over twenty years, including the MiG-29 to the edge of space and the L-39 Albatros. Current aircraft and prices are on the MiGFlug flights and prices page.\"}}]}<\/script><div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/f-15-streak-eagle-time-to-climb-records-1975\/\">Streak Eagle: The F-15 That Climbed to 98,000 Feet in 3:27<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/thunderbirds-1982-diamond-crash-indian-springs-t-38\/\">The 1982 Diamond Crash: Four Thunderbirds, One Jammed Stabiliser<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The exercise phrase was &ldquo;red and free&rdquo;. Every other crew in the Mediterranean that morning understood what it meant: you are cleared to simulate an engagement. Call the shot, do not take it. On 22 September 1987, off Sardinia, a US Navy F-14A Tomcat of VF-74 heard those words and fired a live AIM-9 Sidewinder [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":24671249,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[666,664],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24671795","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history-and-legends","category-military-aviation"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>F-14 Shot Down an RF-4C: The 1987 Incident | MiGFlug<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In 1987 a US Navy F-14 fired a live Sidewinder at a US Air Force RF-4C during a NATO exercise. 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