F16 Crash update...

[I_Fly]

Some of you may have caught the fact that the Thunderbirds had an accident last fall. Well apparently the Air Force has released it's findings and a photo taken by an enlisted person standing on the catwalk of the control tower (probably an official AF photographer). As it isn't my image or video, I'm hesitant to post direct links to any of them but you can read more about the story and check the links to several interesting photos and movies at http://avweb.com/newswire/10_06a/briefs/186633-1.html.

I hope I'm not violating any www protocol, I know I just don't feel right posting directly to the images/videos since it "robs" the sponsors of avweb their opportunity to advertise to visitors. Wouldn't do it to PR so....

If you choose to visit, I'd encourage you to view the videos, especially the one from inside the cockpit, it shows you how little time he had to decide to depart the aircraft and how quickly an ejection happens.

Hopefully this post makes sense, I'm on painkillers for some hand surgery I had last week. I know I'm a little loopy!

[Pete]

Some of you may have caught the fact that the Thunderbirds had an accident last fall. Well apparently the Air Force has released it's findings and a photo taken by an enlisted person standing on the catwalk of the control tower (probably an official AF photographer).

That is simply an amazing photo.

[Dave E.]

WOW! Thanks for sharing that!

-Dave-

[Photo-John]

That photo is ridiculous. I'd wet my pants if I took it. Evem more amazing is that it's technically perfect, too. And that video is intense. Thanks for posting that link, Mr. Fly.

[ichiu]

Yeah, that's a once in a lifetime shot! I'm with Photo-John on this. If that plane was heading at the tower that I was on, my pants would be a little wet. Either that or I'd have jumped off the tower. Forget the picture!


Ivan

[Speed]

Some of you may have caught the fact that the Thunderbirds had an accident last fall. Well apparently the Air Force has released it's findings and a photo taken by an enlisted person standing on the catwalk of the control tower (probably an official AF photographer). As it isn't my image or video, I'm hesitant to post direct links to any of them but you can read more about the story and check the links to several interesting photos and movies at http://avweb.com/newswire/10_06a/briefs/186633-1.html.

I hope I'm not violating any www protocol, I know I just don't feel right posting directly to the images/videos since it "robs" the sponsors of avweb their opportunity to advertise to visitors. Wouldn't do it to PR so....

If you choose to visit, I'd encourage you to view the videos, especially the one from inside the cockpit, it shows you how little time he had to decide to depart the aircraft and how quickly an ejection happens.




Hopefully this post makes sense, I'm on painkillers for some hand surgery I had last week. I know I'm a little loopy!

That is an incredible photo! And the video is rather un-nerving. He had a split second to eject and he did so - 8/10's of a second before his F-16 hit the ground! Now that's a close call. In the still photo's, you can see that he landed just behind the fireball. He's very lucky to be alive. All that Air Force training came in handy when it counted!

I read an account of his ejection in an aviation magazine. It said he ejected, landed, rolled up his chute, waved at the crowd, and then collapsed. Do you suppose the stress of a near death experience might have had anything to do with that? :-O

I'm just thankful that he survived the experience.

[Pete]

I'm just thankful that he survived the experience.

It's too bad that he's flying a desk at the Pentagon now though.