Thunderbird going down!

[Mr. Bones]

you all probably know that on September 14 last year, a Thunderbird 6 crashed at Mountain-Home during an airshow. well i found a really interesting shot about this crash...hope you like it...i sure do!




the full size image can be found here: http://www.af.mil/media/photodb/photos/ ... 0C-002.jpg

[Omag 2.0]

Ouch, costly crash!

Reminds me off a documentary on National geografic channel  about an accident with two Russian SU-something jets ( the ones that come to a stop in midair) on an airshow. it demonstrated the fabulous ejectionseats they had created. Impressive.

[Mr. Bones]

[quote]Ouch, costly crash!

Reminds me off a documentary on National geografic channel

[Scottler]

Wow....

I saw the T-birds perform just a few weeks prior to this incident.  So glad the pilot was uninjured.

[Politically Incorrect]

Unbelivable!!!
Judgeing from the shot he was extremly close too the ground! Not too much time to think!
Were any spectators injured?

[Jared]

wow! That's a VERY good shot, thanks for sharing it with us!

[737NGCapt]

Incase you haven't heard:

LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. -- Pilot error caused a U.S. Air Force
Thunderbirds
F-16 aircraft to crash shortly after takeoff at an air show Sept. 14 at
Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. The pilot ejected just before the
aircraft
impacted the ground.

According to the accident investigation board report released today, the
pilot
misinterpreted the altitude required to complete the "Split S" maneuver.
He
made his calculation based on an incorrect mean-sea-level altitude of
the
airfield. The pilot incorrectly climbed to 1670 feet above ground level
instead
of 2500 feet before initiating the pull down to the Split S maneuver.

When he realized something was wrong, the pilot put maximum back stick
pressure
and rolled slightly left to ensure the aircraft would impact away from
the
crowd should he have to eject. He ejected when the aircraft was 140 feet
above
ground -- just eight--tenths of a second prior to impact.

He sustained only minor injuries from the ejection. There was no other
damage
to military or civilian property.

The aircraft, valued at about $20.4 million, was destroyed.

Also, the board determined other factors substantially contributed to
creating
the opportunity for the error including the requirement for
demonstration
pilots to convert mean sea level and above ground level altitudes and
performing a maneuver with a limited margin of error.


(i'm not sure if that's all of the report, or of it's source, it was sent in an e-mail and could have been cut off)

[Politically Incorrect]

At least he was quick thinking enough to be sure the plane would crash away from the crowd!

[Mr. Bones]

today i found a video from inside the cockpit during the last seconds of his flight...if you want, i'll post that too!  ;)

[Scottler]

That would definitely be interesting to see...

[Mr. Bones]

here it is: http://www.avweb.com/newspics/tbirdcrash.mpg

if you keep an eye on the pilot closely, you'll see he doesn't panic or doesn't overreact. he just keeps sitting there like there's nothing wrong and suddenly he's gone. this shows how fast those people have to take that decision  8)

[C]

He's looking quite calm and collected in that shot too

I wonder if the cameraman was? (I hope he was using a long telephoto lens...

Also I believe the Mig crash at Fairford (nearly 10 years ago!) was made more "fun" by the fisticuffs that followed...

Charlie

[N505AF]

Ha a pic of my base,  I was at that airshow.  I got out of weekend duty to go that week end, good show up tell that point.