PHANTOM PHAN
The one thing I was always curious about was the noise they made on approach: ROAR with grinding metal overtones.
The only explanation I can offer is that the Phantom weas flown at optimum Angle of Attack on the approach, so the wings were working pretty hard, causing a lot of aerodynamic drag and buffet. This, coupled with the relatively high power setting and, possibly, the noise of air being bled from the engines and blown over the flaps (Boundary Layer Control) may have produced the noise you describe (unless it was the rapid grinding of metal on metal as the pilot moved the controls around in a rapid panic!). Hope this helps.