“The crash left a huge hole in each of our hearts and psyches, which is still 

there to this day...I will never, and can never, forget their faces and their 

personalities. That is a personal treasure for which I am eternally grateful.”

 Retired U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jim Rosado

TSgt Ernest R. Parrish was born in Tampa, Florida on December 17, 1962. He 

began his US Air Force career in 1980, and after basic training and studying at the Defense Language 

Institute, he traveled the world serving in a variety of cryptologic-related positions. In 1982 he was 

assigned as a radiotelephone operator and communications analyst for the 6912th Electronic Security 

Group at Tempelhof Central Airport in West Berlin. In March of 1985 he moved from the 6912th to the 381st 

Intelligence Squadron at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska. 

During his time in the Operations Division at Elmendorf, he served as a Voice Systems Operator, Tactical 

Reporter, Plaintext Weather Processor, Voice Systems Controller, Voice Analysis Manager, and Airborne 

Linguist. By 1995, Ernest had been in the air force for 15 years, and over time had become a seasoned pro at 

providing and protecting critical communications. 

As part of an AWACs (airborne early warning and control) E-3B Sentry Aircraft crew, Ernest was involved 

in providing long-range airborne surveillance, detection, identification, and command and control during 

deployed operations. These flights were not only used to collect and analyze tactical intelligence in real 

time, but strategic information as well during the post-Cold War era.

On the morning of September 22, 1995, the 24 members of the crew of flight 77-0354, call sign Yukla 27, were 

preparing for an upcoming routine training flight. It had rained heavily the previous night, but the inclement 

weather had subsided, and it was almost 60 degrees by the time they headed to the flight line. By 7:30 they 

were on the runway patiently waiting for a C-130 aircraft in front of them on the taxiway to take off. Pilot and 

crew did not notice that as the plane left the tarmac, it disturbed a large flock of geese near the end of 

the runway. 

When Yukla 27 took off shortly after, the plane was airborne for less than a minute before two of the plane’s 

massive engines ingested two of the birds, causing the aircraft to lose altitude, and prompting pilot and 

crew to quickly begin emergency procedures. Efforts were made to jettison fuel and to turn around for an 

emergency landing, but it was too late. At 7:47, the crew radioed that they were going 

down. Shortly after the final transmission, the plane crashed into a forest 3500 yards 

northeast of the base. It was the first time that an AWACs aircraft had been lost in the 

line of duty. Ernest, along with the other 23 crew members (including two Canadians), 

perished in the disaster. 

THEY SERVED IN SILENCE

The Story of a Cryptologic Service and Sacrifice

The Loss of YUKLA 27

TSgt Ernest R. Parrish
MP 33610

The entire Elmendorf base community was devastated by the loss of the crew. A year later, in an effort to 

remember the service and sacrifice of those who lost their lives on that tragic day, Yukla 27 Memorial Park 

was constructed in front of the 3rd Wing Headquarters building on base. Twenty-four bronze plaques 

engraved with the crew members’ names were displayed along the arcing memorial wall, encircled by 24 

spruce trees — one for each of the lost crew members. 

It is also worth noting that the crew is remembered in other (perhaps more practical but nonetheless 

important) ways. Due to the events of that morning, it is now required of all AWACs pilots and flight engineers 

to go through the Yukla 27 crash scenario on a flight simulator as part of their initial qualification training. 

The training is centered on preparing crews to follow the proper technical procedures should they ever find 

themselves in a similar situation. Thus, even though the crew of Yulka 27 is gone, they still continue to teach 

and inspire future generations.

TSgt Ernest R. Parrish is buried at Fort Richardson National Cemetery on Fort Richardson, Alaska.