F16 Down in Iraq -- update

[Papa9571]

Returning airmen of the 180th TFW have shed some new light on the crash.

The crash was not caused by insurgents or mechanical failure of he aircraft.

F-16's take off in pairs. His wingman looked over at the aircraft during the takeoff roll  and noticed the pilot slumped over, possibly passed out, but definitly not in control of the aircraft. When the f16 crashed insurgents shot up the wreckage and the body. Only a portion of the pilot's body was recovered, flown home, and buried with honors.

Current speculation is an anurism burst or he had a heart attack.

[spitfire boy]

Aich.

Respects and condolences to his family and friends

[Isak922]

Is this referring to the same incident a few months back where an F-16 went out of control and crashed into a large open area while on a mission?

[JA 37 Viggen]

No. The F-16CJ from a few months ago was most likely shot down by a stinger or grail SAM. A shame. The USAF has lost quite a few bird recently.

How bout the navy loses some super hornets! Make me happy.

[Isak922]

No. The F-16CJ from a few months ago was most likely shot down by a stinger or grail SAM. A shame. The USAF has lost quite a few bird recently.

How bout the navy loses some super hornets! Make me happy.

As happy as I'd be to see a Super Hornet go down, I hope they don't.

It's still US metal being shot down by shoddy weaponry that's probably older than the plane itself!

It's not the Bug Pilot's fault he's a misguided person who chose to live on a boat and fly a bug; instead of staying on land and flying a Real Bird.

[Stormtropper]

My grandmother can take off on a 2 mile long runway...it takes a real man to do it in 400 feet on a wabbly runway...

[ATI_7500]

It's not the Bug Pilot's fault he's a misguided person who chose to live on a boat and fly a bug; instead of staying on land and flying a Real Bird.

Flyboys...always thinking that they're the ones who can win a war.  ::)

[2992]

RIP

[Firezone53]

RIP...  :'(

Could be unconscious when he tried to take off.  :-/

[Ivan]

[quote]RIP...

[BFMF]

[quote][quote]RIP...

[Ivan]

[quote][quote][quote]RIP...

[machineman9]

it sucks to crash, but crash without having any control in what happens and then getting your plane shot at after sucks even more

still, great motivation for me to go into the RAF or similar when im older  :-/

[BFMF]

Not even in your shoes? or did they blast every square meter with DDT each morning?

From what i know, only the cobra's and the vipers stay out of the cities... the rest of the creepy crawlies can be found anywhere. And for the honeybadgers... these arent as rare as the original story said they were, but never came to the cities before.

Not even in my boots. I've seen a few small camel spiders since i've been here, and quite a few mice, but nothing else as far as small critters around the living areas. Mosquito's and sand flies are only things that i've been bitten by.

I havn't seen any snakes, but at night, you can see hedge hogs running all over the place with night vision,IR, and thermal imaging...

[beaky]

That really sucks (the F-16 accident, that is). It's easy to forget how many military fliers have lost their lives to accidents like that. But he was there, doing his job, so he deserves the honors. The disrespect shown to his remains doesn't even put a dent in that, although it makes me angry.