Michael Eugene Mangold (October 10, 1955 – December 6, 2015) was an American aviator whose career spanned the United States Air Force, commercial airlines, and aerobatics.

[1] Mangold began his aviation career in 1974 as a skydiver while attending the United States Air Force Academy.

degree, and eventually attending the United States Air Force Fighter Weapons School.

During his military career, Mangold served in the Pacific and CONUS theaters, flying nuclear, conventional, smart weapons, and air intercept missions in the F-4 Phantom, including the F-4G Wild Weasel variant.

His Aero L-39 Albatross crashed due to engine failure and exploded shortly after takeoff at about 2:20 p.m. from Apple Valley Airport, California, killing Mangold and one other person on board Geza Decsy.