Mechanic ‘Accidentally’ Fires Vulcan Cannon & Obliterates F-16 Sitting on the Runway

War history online ^ | Mar 19, 2020 | George Winston

[Lazamataz]

The F-16, hit by the cannon fire, caught fire and exploded having recently been refuelled and made ready for a training sortie due to take place later that day. Another aircraft received minor damage.

If anyone ever needed a reminder of the lethal dangers of working with live munitions, then a recent incident at Florennes Air Base in Belgium is the ultimate wake-up call.

It is thought a maintenance worker accidentally activated the six-barrel 20mm Vulcan M61A-1 cannon hitting another plane parked on the runway.

No-one was in the line of fire, but two technicians were taken to the medical centre on the base suffering from noise related effects

[NonValueAdded]

A lick of paint, a lick of paint

Love, O’Riley

[Old Yeller]

Hey y’all watch this one.

[thefactor]

This is a big violation of firearms safety. Don’t point it at anything you aren’t ready to destroy.

[Grampa Dave]

Whose air force did this plane belong to?

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Hold my beer and watch this...

[Lazamataz]

Well my question is severalfold.

1) How did they have a loaded A-10 sitting on the runway pointing at ANYthing.

2) How was the gun not locked out?

3) Was the mechanic named “Mohammad”?

[NonValueAdded]

McCain is somewhere snickering

[Night Hides Not]

Damn straight, Vulcans are LOUD. I was in a composite Chaparral/Towed Vulcan battalion decades ago in Germany. They’re capable of spitting out 3000 rounds a minute, quite a sight to see...and hear...lol.

[chrisser]

What plane had the cannon? Another F16?

Looks like it. From Tweet cited in article:

"A BELGIAN Air Component F-16 fighter has been destroyed and another plane has been left damaged. It is reported that the accident was caused by the negligent discharge of the six-barrel 20 mm Vulcan M61A-1 cannon on another F-16."

[bigbob]

Bet those two had to be extracted from soiled raiments as well.

[budj]

[babble-on]

Some of us wonder what our tax dollars pay for.

That particular guy will never have to wonder.

[epluribus_2]

Bet he gets a pay cut.

[BBQToadRibs]

Pretty sure that mechanic had to change his shorts when that thing went off.

[xp38]

Congratulations on posting a non virus thread.

[Night Hides Not]

Based on my experience, you don't just "accidentally" fire a Vulcan.

I was a Vulcan platoon leader for about a year, and we used two guns as part of a reserve force at a nearby Nike Hercules site. During those exercises, we left the motor pool with both guns loaded with live ammo to the breech. Naturally, I took two of my best gunners for the exercise.

No doubt, it would have been bad for the guns to "accidentally" fire into a bunker containing nukes. lol

[gibsonguy]

part of his pay check deducted each pay period”

The guy might not live long enough to pay it off.

[SunkenCiv]

This is obviously due to the Coronavirus and Climate Change. Oh, and racism. And sexism. And failure to recognize more than two genders.

[kalee]

Ping

[chaosagent]

Don’t they have red flagged “safety pins” for this? We did 50 years ago.

---

Was wondering about this. When I was a DOD contractor back in the 70’s, most/all of the ordinance was interlocked to the landing gear, so that if weight was on the gear everything was locked out.