Posted on 09/07/2017 4:47:32 PM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity
The Two Aircraft of the 57th Wing Were On Routine Training Mission.
Early reports and a release from Nellis AFB say two Fairchild Republic A-10C Thunderbolt II attack aircraft, referred to as the Warthog, have crashed northwest of Las Vegas in the Nevada Test and Training Range.
Both pilots of the single-seat ground attack aircraft ejected safely and were transported to the Mike OCallaghan Military Medical Center at Nellis for evaluation.
The accident occurred at approximately 8:00 PM local time in Nevada on Wed. Sept. 6. Sunset in the region was reported as 6:58 PM. Weather in the region was reported as cloudy with light winds. No cause of the crash has been released.
The two A-10s belonged to the 57th Wing (57 WG) of the United States Air Force Warfare Center at Nellis. The unit provides realistic tactical air combat training for all units visiting Nellis including those participating in routine training and the Red Flag combat simulation exercises.
Would be my first guess, but I’m not a member of the military.
These are hard to bring down, and for two to go in, I’d think they had to be related.
Air Force press release here, but it really doesn’t say anything more: http://www.nellis.af.mil/About/Press-Releases/Display/Article/1301763/two-a-10s-crash-on-nevada-test-and-training-range/
I agree that it’s great the pilots made it.
Good...
Ummm, Air Force/Marine aircraft cannot stay in the air.
Is there a pattern? Thank the Lord that these pilots are safe.
When I was 9 years old,1964, I attended an elementary school in Las Vegas. During recess in the playground around 2pm an F-105 Thunder Chief crashed a couple of blocks from the school killing the pilot and eight people on the ground. Apparently the pilot lost hydraulic control and was nose up vertical,full after burner.It melted the roof flashing on the school.It was quite a sight.From what I heard later was that he stayed with the jet so as not to hit the school.Talk about a hero.
Sounds like a midair collision.
Thank the Lord both pilots are okay.
2nd. Pilot: Whut? Blang!
Ummm independent variables Ummm.
Having worked at the Nellis range for over half my USAF career, my *guess* would be the aircraft were on ingress to the range complex using NOE flying rules and ran out of luck and altitude at the same time.
The ACES II is a robust, zero-zero seat and proved again to be up for the task at hand....
Very happy to hear both pilots got out in one piece. I’ve cleaned up a lot of downed aircraft in and around the range complex - always hard work and if the pilot was lost, heartbreaking....
we've got sailors running into cargo ships and planes crashing....
Realistic training leads to more accidents. I saw a lot of that on Reforger in Germany. My jeep was “kissed” by an M-60 tank. Lol
Glad the pilots are okay. These planes are irreplaceable I wonder how many we have left now that we lost two more?
One thing we do know, they didn't hack the flight controls of the A-10!
True, but how many of us, including me, thought “damnit! We aren’t building those great birds anymore. We can’t afford to lose any!”?
ditto
We need to restart the production lines.
“I’m not touching you! I’m not touching you!”
When two go down at once, a midair collision sounds likely.
Too few men and machines spread too thin and asked to do too much.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.