FORT RILEY, KN. – 30mm round fired by a M230 chain gun mounted on an AH-64A Apache helicopter 17 Jun 2005. (Missouri Army National Guard photo/SSG Randy Burford)
Bang.
Posted on 11/17/2020 3:41:00 AM PST by servo1969
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The incident reportedly took place at Wattisham Flying Station in Suffolk on Nov. 6, 2020. The AH-64D in question had returned to this base the day before after experiencing a malfunction with the gun during live-fire training. As such, it had been loaded with practice rounds, which have solid projectiles, rather than high-explosive or high-explosive-incendiary shells.
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The exact circumstances of the incident, including how the M230 went off, are still unclear. It's also not known if British Army personnel were actually working on the gun at the time of the discharge. There are unconfirmed reports that ground crew personnel at Wattisham had noted that an ammo counter on the helicopter had indicated there was still one more round in the gun, but had believed this to be in error and had reset it to zero.
The M230 is an electrically-driven chain gun that has one barrel, but uses a rotating mechanism that functions in a broadly similar manner to the rotating cylinder in a revolver. Ammunition is fed into the system at one end and rounds are fired as they align with the barrel, after which the mechanism continues to rotate and the spent cartridge cases are ejected. There is the potential for the weapon to fire accidentally if a live round is moved into the firing position.
There is also the possibility that whatever the nature of the malfunction was with the gun the day before had resulted in a misfired round stuck somewhere in the action, which subsequently went off as work began on the helicopter or due to a shock from it being moved out of a hangar at Wattisham where it had been reportedly sitting overnight. There could be other explanations for the mishap, as well.
(Excerpt) Read more at thedrive.com ...
FORT RILEY, KN. – 30mm round fired by a M230 chain gun mounted on an AH-64A Apache helicopter 17 Jun 2005. (Missouri Army National Guard photo/SSG Randy Burford)
Bang.
Rule 1: Guns are always loaded.
The maintenance guy who ASSUMED it was not loaded needs to be transferred to some job where he is less likely to get his team mates killed.
There was an accident at a chain gun demo years ago, a gun had jammed, and so some one tried to turn it manually, and it brought a round onto battery and fired it.
Long hangfire!
“The exact circumstances of the incident, including how the M230 went off, are still unclear. It’s also not known if British Army personnel were actually working on the gun at the time of the discharge. There are unconfirmed reports that ground crew personnel at Wattisham had noted that an ammo counter on the helicopter had indicated there was still one more round in the gun, but had believed this to be in error and had reset it to zero.”
What? Who resets the round counter and doesn’t check the weapon?
John McCain returned from the dead? USS Forrestal when his “Plane” for unknown reason fired a missile hitting another plane killing 134 men. What he an anarchist by any chance?
I was an employee of General Dynamics, which was demonstrating its new remote weapons station on the Stryker to a general. Fortunately, the gun was pointed downrange. The gun suddenly opened fire and continued firing despite efforts to shut it down. During the entire episode the general stood watching, expressionless. After the final round he turned to the GD represent and said, “fix it.”. He turned and walked away. GD put a huge number of people on that charge account even though we had nothing to do with the weapon system to demonstrate they were working the issue. Worst case of corporate embarrassment I ever witnessed.
So, If they had in-flight stoppage, why wasn't the aircraft parked near the butts (impact area) and the gun physically cleared - (with the cleaning rod inserted all the way through the breech) before the aircraft and the gun were verified as safe?
These "accidents" always begin their lives as "stupids".
No just a long term idiot.
Someone should have SAFED THAT WEAPON!!!
UNPLUG THE MOTOR POWER/TRIGGER WIRES.
If there isn’t a Steel Locking Pin to go in the Cylinder then someone needs to create one.
UNLOAD ANY ROUNDS IN THE CHAMBER/CYLINDER WHEN IT COMES IN FOR SERVICE THAT INVOLVES A WEAPON MALFUNCTION. Teatime can wait...
Cool video of 30mm chain gun in action.
AC-130 Gunship 30mm Chain Gun Fire - Inside View
It’s an AC-130, but it’s harder to get a cameraman inside an Apache’s gun!
Remember, each one of them is a high velocity explosive bomblet!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyijqvyCNKY&ab_channel=USAMilitaryChannel
Rule No. 1 in aircraft maintenance: PULL THE DAMNED CIRCUIT BREAKER!
Bang.
BANG!
My buddy fly’s these beasties.
That could ruin your whole day........................
yeah me too I was wonder if John McCain had kin in that branch of service.
Oops.
L
I know an officer from the Forrestal that was there that day. Ship was saved by a Seaman with the presence of mind to activate a number of shipboard firefighting systems.
He was there to see it. Recounting the Seaman’s actions that day makes him tear up.
The only circuit breakers that I remember were switches. I also heard about someone blowing the nose gear off of an F-4 with a centerline cannon, while on the ground.
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