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Branch/Rank: United States Navy/O2
Date of Birth: 23 June 1947
Home City of Record: FORT WALTON BEACH FL
Date of Loss: 24 October 1972
Country of Loss: North Vietnam Over Water
Loss Coordinates: 260212 North 1101801 East
Status (in 1973): Killed In Action/Body Not
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: A6A
Other Personnel in Incident: Bruce Kallsen,
survivor
Refno: 2019
Source: Compiled by P.O.W. NETWORK from one or
more of the following: Dave Anderson, raw data
from U.S. Government agency sources,
correspondence with POW/MIA families, published
sources, interviews and CACCF = Combined Action
Combat Casualty File.
REMARKS:
CACCF CRASH/OTHER AIRCREW
From - Tue Jul 14 07:11:12 1998
I was a veteran of the air war over North Viet
Nam and took an interest in the POW NET
biographies page of your site. I noted the lack
of information for Mike Bixel and thought I would
pass along what I remember and you can decide if
it is useful. I was acquainted with a number of
officers at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island who
manned the A-6A squadrons deployed on Pacific
Fleet carriers. I deployed with Attack Squadron
ONE FOUR FIVE (VA-145) on the USS RANGER just
prior to the start of LINEBACKER II. I knew, for
a time, several men on the POW/MIA list; Fred
Holmes, Harry Mossman, Rod Lester, and Bob
Randall. I lived across the street from Robert
(Al) Clark who was lost just weeks before the
cease fire. He left behind a son that he never
saw. It is known by many in Naval Aviation that
Al had a distant connection with the basis for
the opening scene in the movie, "Flight of the
Intruder." Al's pilot on the night they were
shot down was Mike McCormick. Several months
before being lost, Mike had flown a mission with
LCDR Ray Donnelly. Ray died from a round from a
large automatic weapon that struck the cockpit
and hit him. Mike brought him back to the USS
MIDWAY for what must have been the hardest night
landing in Naval Aviation history. Also in that
same squadron (VA-115 on USS MIDWAY) was Mike
Bixel. Mike and I trained together at Whidbey
Island before deploying. Mike was lost during a
night carrier landing accident on the USS Midway.
His pilot was Bruce Kallsen who survived the
accident. It was a horrible accident in which
several men died on the carrier deck from the
crash and the subsequent fire. Bruce and Mike had
landed in a sideslip which sheared off one of the
main landing gear of the A-6A when it touched
down on the deck. The plane continued up the
axial deck to impact the planes parked on the bow.
Mike ejected just prior to hitting the parked
planes. The pure heroism of the flight deck crew
in quickly putting out the fire limited damage to
the ship and saved lives. Mike was not seen
after the ejection. It is uncertain if his
parachute had time to open. Most agreed that
Mike had time to make a safe entry into the water.
The search for Mike and others who may have gone
into the water was unsuccessful. Mike Bixel was a
fine shipmate and excellent officer who deserves
to be remembered. Sometimes it seems that the
absolute best amongst us didn't come home.
Dave Anderson
July 1998
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