Photographer not known. On 15 April 1984 '539 was badly damaged when it left the runway on takeoff at Lajes. It veered off the runway and hit a rocky wall. The nose-gear was sheared off, two engines were seriously damaged and the cockpit area was also damaged. All six on board were unhurt. It was repaired using the nose section from C-130E 68-10946, which had crashed at Giebelstadt AAF, in West Germany. After this it acquired the nickname "Frankenherk". among crews. 64-0539 was dismantled at Minneapolis-St. Paul Air Reserve Station, Minneapolis in 2013.