Shoulder-Fired Missiles Pose Serious Threat to Passenger Jets

ABC News ^ | March 27, 2006 | BRIAN ROSS, JILL RACKMILL and ERIC LONGABARDI

[csvset]

Weapons Division Team Wins Commander's Award

I saw this article the other day. Interesting to say the least.

[Oorang]

Thanks for the ping RR.

[null and void]

unless the aircraft was targeted during landings or takeoffs when the aircraft was at low altitude and close to stall speed.

Which, oddly enough is within the threat envelope of a shoulder fired SAM...

[eureka!]

bump

[Strategerist]

All pilots regularly train on simulators, and aircraft are designed (even the the two engine ones) to survive the loss of an engine on takeoff or landing.

Situations like that DC-10 in Chicago that had en engine fall off had additional problems with the wing that made the aircraft difficult to control.

Most of the "airliners" shot down with MANPADS the article cited were commuter-sized aircraft in Africa.

It's POSSIBLE for a very lucky MANPADS shot to take down an airliner, but unlikely; may require 10 different attacks before one is successful on a full size American airliner....