Simviation Forum - Thunderbird crash!!!!

Sep 14^th, 2003 at 8:27pm

N505AF Offline
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I was at the airshow my bases was haveing today an one of the thunderbirds went down the pilot is still alive but the plane is a total loss

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Reply #1 - Sep 14^th, 2003 at 9:15pm

cub3pp Ex Member

oh crap, the t-birds were scedualed to come to wichita next. i hope they have backup planes
man i hope that doesnt happen in wichita, because we have one of the best aviation records in the US(not perfect although-in 1983 ithink a kc135 deep sixed into a neighborhood and flattened it)

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Reply #2 - Sep 14^th, 2003 at 10:05pm

Rifleman Offline
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From CNN :

Quote:

MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho (AP) -- A jet in the Air Force's elite Thunderbirds flight unit crashed at an air show Sunday, but the pilot ejected with only minor injuries and no injuries on the ground were reported.

About 85,000 spectators looked on as one of the six Lockheed Martin F-16C Fighting Falcons performing crashed during the "Gunfighter Skies 2003" air show at Mountain Home Air Force Base, about 50 miles southeast of Boise.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [img]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Capt. Chris Stricklin ejected safely and was taken to a medical facility on base. Air force officials would not disclose his condition, though immediately after the crash he reportedly waved to spectators.

According to witnesses, the jet was the last of six to take off and climbed straight into the sky. The pilot maneuvered the jet into a dive and steered toward the crowd. The jet seemed to suffer an engine failure when the pilot tried to pull up, witnesses said.

« Last Edit: Sep 15^th, 2003 at 1:48am by Rifleman »

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Reply #3 - Sep 14^th, 2003 at 10:20pm

Scottler Offline
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I JUST saw them about two weeks ago. Wow.

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Reply #4 - Sep 14^th, 2003 at 10:44pm

Jared Offline
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Glad the pilot is OK, sorry to hear about the plane though...

Cry

Jared

P.S. Thanks for the good info!

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Reply #5 - Sep 15^th, 2003 at 1:26am

N505AF Offline
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from where I was standing it looked like he went into a stall he punched out about 100feet off the ground Sad

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Reply #6 - Sep 15^th, 2003 at 2:20am

Polynomial Offline
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Now that has gotta leave a scar. Embarrassed

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Reply #7 - Sep 15^th, 2003 at 4:11am

ozzy72 Offline
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At least nobody was hurt, that is the main thing.

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Reply #8 - Sep 15^th, 2003 at 4:25am

Hagar Offline
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The important thing is that the pilot got out safely & nobody in the crowd was hurt. The plane can be replaced.

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Reply #9 - Sep 15^th, 2003 at 7:32am

loomex Offline
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Quote:

i hope they have backup planes

Of course they have a back-up plane. The entire fleet of F-16s. Remember the T-birds are line birds that have been repainted

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Reply #10 - Sep 15^th, 2003 at 9:23am

Scottler Offline
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The video I saw also looked like a stall, but it will definitely be interesting to hear the final report.

There's a phenomenon that occurs when you're going towards the ground at a fast rate of speed like that. What happens is, you're descending so fast that it takes you so long to pull out of it you can't do so before you impact. It's not a stall, but more of a momentum issue. Could be as simple as that.

Knowing the talent of performance teams though, especially the Thunderbirds, I doubt that Captain Stricklin misjudged the distance he'd need to pull out of the dive. It just doesn't seem at all likely.

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Reply #11 - Sep 15^th, 2003 at 12:10pm

Tequila Sunrise Offline
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Good to see the pilot is ok.
I always thought the T-Birds had the guns and some other equipment deleted ???

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Reply #12 - Sep 15^th, 2003 at 12:49pm

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Glad to hear the pilot's ok

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Reply #13 - Sep 15^th, 2003 at 1:11pm

Rifleman Offline
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Without getting too rude on this, there is a fine line between a dead hero and a wise pilot.....the dead hero may fight the plane into the ground, but a wise pilot will give it his best shot, know when there is nothing more he can do, and get out to come back and tell "what happened" so nobody has to guess............

This man is a wise pilot............

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Reply #14 - Sep 15^th, 2003 at 1:26pm

Scottler Offline
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Quote:

there is a fine line between a dead hero and a wise pilot...

Did someone mention quote of the month?

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Reply #15 - Sep 15^th, 2003 at 3:00pm

Rifleman Offline
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...........Aw, shucks.......... Roll Eyes

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Reply #16 - Sep 15^th, 2003 at 8:20pm

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It looks like he stalled it. If he is one of the best pilots the AF has to offer I think we'd all better fear for our lives Grin

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Reply #17 - Sep 15^th, 2003 at 8:35pm

Scottler Offline
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Take into consideration that Captain Stricklin stayed with his aircraft so long, possibly keeping it from flying into the crowd of 85,000 people, I'd say we're lucky to have him flying in our Air Force.

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Reply #18 - Sep 15^th, 2003 at 8:53pm

loomex Offline
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Quote:

Good to see the pilot is ok.
I always thought the T-Birds had the guns and some other equipment deleted ???

Basicly that is true. If the need arises a T-bird can be put on-line in less than two days.

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Reply #19 - Sep 15^th, 2003 at 10:51pm

N505AF Offline
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The aircraft crashed right in front of me, he was a good ways off from the croud. When he came in it didnt seem like he had power it was almost like a dead stick but he punched out at the last sec... very clouse call for the pilot. I work on F-16 an F-15's every day but Ive never seen one go down before. As of right now all the thunderbirds aircraft are still sitting on the flight line being guarded around the clock an the crash site is being looked over, theres not much left of the aircraft at all ithe JP-8 jet fule almost burned up ever thing...

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Reply #20 - Sep 16^th, 2003 at 5:09am

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Well, for all of those that wondered why you have to stand so far from the flight line, and aircraft can't overfly the crowd - there's your answer. This could have been much worse, but looking at it now it's had the best possible outcome. No-one was hurt except the pilot's pride, the aircraft can be replaced, god knows the USAF can afford it!

I've seen the video here on UK tv, and it looks like a mechanical malfunction. The angle of attack isn't that high, and his speed is pretty low, so I suspect some sort of engine problem.

I've seen a dutch F-16 pilot stall an F-16 until it was stood on it's tail, light the burner and climb vertically! I suspect if he'd been able to, he would have done the same in this situation. Well, that's just what I think at this point, I'm sure the investigation will yeild some interesting results.

Ric B.

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Reply #21 - Sep 16^th, 2003 at 8:06am

Scottler Offline
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I agree that it was possibly a mechanical malfunction. I just don't think that Capt. Stricklin would have stalled the aircraft to the point of losing control.

My point is simply that the comment that we're all in trouble because he's the best the Air Force has to offer is, to say the very least, very insensitive.

But anyway, one question...when I saw them a few weeks ago, they flew over the crowd multiple times. If they're not supposed to do that, why did they? lol

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Reply #22 - Sep 16^th, 2003 at 2:36pm

RIC_BARKER Offline
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Well, they can overfly the crowd, but it has to be done in a way that if anything was to go wrong, the aircraft would be in a high enough "energy" state to pass right over the crowd....ie, fast and not in a direct dive at the crowd.

I think, feel free to correct me on this...

Ric B.

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Reply #23 - Sep 16^th, 2003 at 4:29pm

CFS2_person Offline
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That's too bad. Hey, where can i find video of the crash?
And another question, when you said the t-birds can go back into service in 2 days do they repaint the aircraft, or does it go into combat with it's red white and blue stripes?

CFS2_person

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Reply #24 - Sep 16^th, 2003 at 10:02pm

RIC_BARKER Offline
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Quote:

That's too bad. Hey, where can i find video of the crash?
And another question, when you said the t-birds can go back into service in 2 days do they repaint the aircraft, or does it go into combat with it's red white and blue stripes?

Video here: http://media.kxly.com/stories/video/2003SEP/CRASH.ram

Oh, yes. The do repaint the planes, they do a pretty shoddy job too, you should see them up close!

Ric B.

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Reply #25 - Sep 17^th, 2003 at 7:26pm

flyboy 28 Offline
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I saw the video on CNN... I didn't know it was a Thunderbird! What # was it? 5 or 6?

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Reply #26 - Sep 17^th, 2003 at 7:39pm

Scottler Offline
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From what I understand, #6.

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Reply #27 - Sep 18^th, 2003 at 2:37pm

Ivan Offline
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The most irritating fact of this crash was the airforce guy bragging about how good the ejection seat is... i think he didn't see some of the Mig-29 and Sukhoi airshow mishaps which would have ended much worse if they had the ejection seat of a F-16 instead of the K-36D

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Reply #28 - Sep 18^th, 2003 at 2:49pm

Dan Offline
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Good for the pilot. Grin

Whos posting the final report!??
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Reply #29 - Sep 18^th, 2003 at 3:52pm

Scottler Offline
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Ivan, all due respect, but I think Captain Stricklin earned the right to be proud of his ejection seat, don't you? Wink

As long as it saves my life, it's all good. It doesn't matter how much better the others are, as long as it gets ME out.

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Reply #30 - Sep 18^th, 2003 at 8:32pm

cub3pp Ex Member

Quote:

The aircraft crashed right in front of me, he was a good ways off from the croud. When he came in it didnt seem like he had power it was almost like a dead stick but he punched out at the last sec... very clouse call for the pilot. I work on F-16 an F-15's every day but Ive never seen one go down before. As of right now all the thunderbirds aircraft are still sitting on the flight line being guarded around the clock an the crash site is being looked over, theres not much left of the aircraft at all ithe JP-8 jet fule almost burned up ever thing...

I though they used JP-4 for all military jets. or is that only the B-1?

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Reply #31 - Sep 18^th, 2003 at 11:31pm

N505AF Offline
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JP-8 on almost every thing...

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