Posted on 05/26/2016 10:16:58 AM PDT by PghBaldy
NORFOLK, VA. (NNS) -- Two F/A-18F Super Hornets assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 211 flying off the coast of Cape Hatteras were involved in an in-flight mishap at approximately 10:40 a.m. local time. The flight was part of a routine training mission.
All aircrew have been recovered and are en route to medical facilities for evaluation.
The F/A-18F is a two-seat aircraft. VFA-211 is based at Naval Air Station Oceana.
A safety investigation will be carried out to determine the cause of the accident.
http://wtkr.com/2016/05/26/report-of-plane-collision-off-north-carolina-coast/
Fishermen became fishers of men.
Well done, lads.
All 4 pilots alive:
http://wtkr.com/2016/05/26/report-of-plane-collision-off-north-carolina-
How is at that two tiny, tiny, tiny objects under control of pilots and ground control manage to run into each other? The sky is mighty, mighty big.
(if that is what happened)
When flying in formation they may be only a few feet apart in that big old sky.
Thank you,Lord.
We can build more planes.
Usually once a year as both schools’ schedules allowed, we would meet at Nellis or Miramar for an exchange of the latest information and to do a little 1 V 1 flying. During one of these exchanges I remember going out into the SOCAL restricted airspace area in an F-16N with an F-15C. As I recall, most of the engagements ended up relatively neutral… except for one.
On this particular engagement I, with probably less than 100 hours in the F-16, was rapidly becoming offensive on the F-15, whose FWS instructor pilot probably had 2000 hours in the Eagle. Something was just not adding up, but I accredited it to my superior airmanship, and that was a mistake! He started going vertical and I, slightly in lag, started right up behind him. As we were pointed straight up, I saw this barn door size panel open on the top of his jet (speedbrake) and quickly realized that I had a lot of closure on him. At that point I transitioned to panic and collision avoidance mode. I successfully streaked right past him vertically, and as I did I noticed the barn door closing.
Within a few seconds I had gone from a windscreen full of F-15, to looking back over my shoulder, straight down at him, trapped exactly where he wanted me to be; completely in control, at my six o’clock. He had baited me, and I had taken it hook, line, and sinker. We both had a good laugh about it in the debrief and I’ll bet he’s told that story a hundred times since!
Ya gotta love it...he must have had to change his underwear! Things can happen pretty dang fast up there...
They are not under ground control. The area where they were flying is a Warning Area (W-122) where military aircraft are free to maneuver. It is what is called MARSA (Military Assumes Responsibility for Separation of Aircraft) meaning it is visual and onboard RADAR. They were, most-likely doing defensive tactics (DEFTAC) and impacted during the merge.
Bravo Zulu to the quick response of the rescue teams. As a former ABH, I would rather lose 2 Super Hornets than 4 aircrew Men, planes can be replaced pilots can’t!
Absolutely, TBM...absolutely.
Refueling is another possibility
Would not have affected both aircraft. Formation flying would have damaged both aircraft but probably not bad enough to ditch unless -2 was closing too fast. If that were the case, then the WSOs from both a/c were at fault as well as the pilot in -2.
Tiny objects? Guess you’ve never been close to an F-18. : )
I saw the Blue Angels perform at an Air Force Base near me a couple of years ago.They were flying so fast...so close to the ground...so close *to each other* that I was fully expecting a shower of aircraft parts and pilots' bodies before the show was over!
Sometimes the wingman tucks in for a "parade pass". Too close and the airflow between planes will suck them together. Some of those just rip and dent, some cause catastrauphic damage.
Amen to that!
Couldn’t agree more with you! These pilots are the best of the best for our country and living in Virginia Beach and working at NASA Langley in Hampton, I have the chance to see the USN and the USAF planes flying out each day for training off of the coast. Our country’s defense rests on the shoulders of these incredible people and I am thankful for what they do to protect all of us. Pray for their safety and if you get a chance to meet one of them, thank them for their service. For those of us who have served, we know the burden and sacrifices paid by our service members that permits all of us to sleep more easily at night.
“Thank you,Lord.
We can build more planes.”
Once Trump gets in and they get the money to build more planes.
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