Harrier Jet Crashes in Yuma, AZ (breaking)

ABC Radio ^ | Jun 15, 2005 | ABC Radio News

[AFPhys]

Just breaking: Harrier, probably Marine Corps, crashed in Yuma, AZ - possibly within the city.

[Bombardier]

We do our mission and we do a damned good job at it....such as the Marines do a damned good job at theirs.

You didn't do it but it burns me when people say the USAF doesn't do anything or never fights.

Amen, Brother, amen. Thanks for taking care of my Air Force for me. SAC still rocks the world, and always will!

[Gunrunner2]

Excellent description for the F-4.

For the ACES II seat, the sequence is about the same and the seat has a pitot tube and a gyro.

The pitot tube determines if the ejection is
a) A hi-speed, hi-altitude ejection. If this is the case, the pilot chute is deployed and the piot remains in the seat, facing down, as he races to wards the ground. When dropping through about 14,000 feet, the main chute deploys and he is separated from the seat.
b) Loe-speed, low-atitude ejection. Less than 250 kts and low altitude and the pilot is immediately flung from the seat and the chute deploys.

The gyro is to stabilize the trajectory of the seat and does not have the ability to make an upside down ejection right side up. The seat fires, the gyro gets about 20,000 rpm by the time the seat reaches the top of the rails. The gyro gives the seat a true zero-zero (no airspeed, no altitude) capability. The body slumps and the center of gravity shifts when the ejection happens so the gyro adjusts the rocket motor to ensure the ejection flight path remains true.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Details are on Fox News this morning. The guy ejected safely and nobody got hurt on the ground.

[narby]

D-ring:AF type face curtain: navy type

AF F4's had both d-ring and face curtain. But I understand that the d-ring was the AF prefered method.

[narby]

the O2 system disconnects

Oh, yeah. I forgot about the O2 system in my dissertation on F4 Martin Baker seats.

It has a small O2 bottle in the seat, and the oxygen mask remains attached to the O2 system until the seat goes below 10k feet and the drouge pulls out the main and the pilot separates from the seat.

Even though the AV8B has been around awhile, it's still newer than the F4, so I'm sure the seats are even more advanced.

[narby]

Any details or photos of your Lancair available for posting?

Don't have any I can post. I need to do that.

Mine's just the teeny O235 version. But it's very efficient. Gets 160+ knots at 6.5 gph. Lots of fun.

[sean327]

That building is probably the health club near the Sky Chief. It's hard to tell from that picture. The hospital is not near the crash site. The closest landmarks would be the Country Club, Sonora Nissan, Napa, and the Wal-Mart on Pacific.

[Tommyjo]

I think you are posting to the wrong person. I was just posting the nations that operate the Harrier.

[tophat9000]

Your right... sorry ...I did the "lazy man" general post from off the last comment in the thread when I got there with out thinking

...I know better too... every one and awhile I will get one like that and think "Why is this guy telling me this?"

[Racehorse]

I was a crew chief on F-4's and the seats are something to be respected.

"Meet your maker in a Martin-Baker."  Wasn't that what was said?  :-)

Not even egress technicians were immune from the damage the rails could and did inflict on a careless or hapless maintenance guy.

[Blue Scourge]

Just curious...what was your job?

[GBA]

Not bad: a Lancair and a great tag line! I love to see some pics. Just curious. How many hours did it take to build?

[ralph rotten]

In late 1967 in was imposible for the A/C if the GIB ejected first----the pilot {A/C} ---- could not eject. The Ventura effect and the 2000#/sq pressure would not eject the canopy.
I can remember debriefing a pilot (Chicago Joe) Had a great line as he tried to punch out in dive with smoke in cockpit 10 times after he order the GIB to eject --- To save my Young ass
i better start flying this aircraft

F4 were mod to add a explosive bolt to remove the canopy

[Smokin' Joe]

I hope no one got hurt....but if it crashed, I suppose it is broke, alright. (breaking...)

[Destro]

Harrier Jets are the deadliest fighters to fly - a real death trap.

[Destro]

Harriers are death traps - flying coffins.

[A.A. Cunningham]

Harrier Jets are the deadliest fighters to fly - a real death trap.

Harriers have a lower accident rate than the following:

A-4
A-7
F-8
F-100
F-102
F-104

That list doesn't even broach the subject of the accident rate of a number of MiG variants.

Now, are you going to wipe the egg from your face and call all those other aircraft death traps as well or are you going to stick with your ignorant remark?

[Destro]

Want to eat crow with your eggs?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4422979

All 217 aircraft, already considered unsafe, could suffer ‘catastrophic’ engine failure.

The Harrier, manufactured by McDonnell-Douglas, is under congressional investigation after records showed that it was the deadliest aircraft in the U.S. military.

Records released last month at a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee showed that the jet’s accident rate in 2003 was 11.05 per 100,000 hours, more than five times the average rate for all military aircraft. More than one-third of the fleet has been destroyed in crashes in the 32 years the Marines have flown the single-seat jet; five Harriers crashed last year alone.

All told, 45 Marines have died in 148 noncombat accidents.

[A.A. Cunningham]

Sit up higher so this doesn't go so far over your head:

The following aircraft had higher accident rates than the Harrier:

A-4
A-7
F-8
F-100
F-102
F-104

If you need a pickup truck rigged to explode, rely on NBC. If you want facts, don't. Your absolute statement "Harrier Jets are the deadliest fighters to fly - a real death trap." is refuted by the facts.

[Destro]

I post verifiable numbers - you do the same.