Thunderbird crash at Boise airshow

tv

[djf]

An F-16 Thunderbird went down at an airshow near Boise. Pilot ejected right before impact and is OK. Pretty dramatic video available, if anyone can find a link.

[El Gato]

. From what I've heard about ejecting, I think I might rather crash!

It's not as bad as it onced was. On earlier jets, the seat was fired out by what amounted to an artillery round. Now they use rockets, which give a longer, but gentler shove.

[El Gato]

A few years ago during practice, the leader's controls stuck when he was supposed to be pulling out from a loop

Like about 20 years! Time flies when you're having fun. Or when you're getting old. If you're doing both, more power to you.

[djf]

Still, they gotta get you out fast enough to clear the tail. What is it, like 9 or 10 g's?

[Jeff Gordon]

Like about 20 years!

Really? I could have sworn it was only five or sex years ago. Wasn't it during Carter's presidency? :-)

[Diddle E. Squat]

Really? I could have sworn it was only five or sex years ago. Wasn't it during Carter's presidency? :-)

Sex years ago would have been during the Clinton presidency...

[Jeff Gordon]

Sex years ago would have been during the Clinton presidency

LOL. Good catch!

[spodefly]

Your droll storytelling made me laugh ... now I feel bad.

[Jeff Gordon]

I have never been able to bring myself to watch the Thunderbirds since 1972. The Blue Angels are a different story. They used to fly parts of their show over my house - until the state's ultra liberal representitives caused Moffitt NAS to be shut down.

I am sorry to have made you sad.

[Knightsofswing]

So the now the BLUES train at Imperial NAS [kaliforina] I used to see them while I was stationed at MCAS Yuma, AZ.

[Atchafalaya]

I caught that too, but decided to stay stealth. Readers Digest had an article about it YEARS ago. The cause I beleive was mechanical involving a pin or such for the elevator in the #1's plane. I have no idea where the final report laid the cause (maintenance, structural failure, piolet error. etc.). Oh to be so recent, mean I'd be around 35-40. I could handle that!

[Atchafalaya]

Think higher!

[Atchafalaya]

Walking and chewing gum can be a bitch at times. I hate when that happens.

[Jeff Gordon]

I still think the Thunderbirds should switch aircraft. The F16 may look cool, but they really should use heroic bird. Just think how great of a show they could do with A10 Warthogs.

[Jimmy Valentine]

Some crah. That one is going to be in the shop for a while.

[Rays_Dad]

My family and I are from Mountain Home and my sister-in-law was at that air show. She kept saying to my parents I am really worried about the show today. I have feeling something bad is going to happen. My parents, both retired air force, reassure her there was nothing to worry about. Kinda weird. Thankfully everyone is safe.

[rabidralph]

Pilot ejected right before impact and is OK.

Good, because it would have cost us taxpayers $6M to rebuild him.

[El Gato]

Still, they gotta get you out fast enough to clear the tail. What is it, like 9 or 10 g's?

Probably more than that. Heck the F-16 can pull 9-Gs when everything is working. The airplane might be able to do more than that, but that pilot can't without blacking out. Most people will black out at even lower G levels, but pilots have special gear and special "straining" tecniques to increas their G tolerance. The fact that the F-16 seat leans back quite a bit also helps, by shortening the "vertical" distance between the heart and the brain.

[El Gato]

Good thing though - there was absolutely nothing left of that plane.

Actually there was a rather large something that went tumbling out in front the general conflagration. You could see it, and then see it kick up a big cloud of dust just before it passed in front of the tower. Probably the engine core.

[El Gato]

I have no idea where the final report laid the cause (maintenance, structural failure, piolet error. etc.).

I think they laid it on a nut or other FOD left inside the cockpit which fouled the control linkages.

[Spyder]

My husband and son saw them just a couple of weeks ago at Hickam AFB. Glad it didn't happen there... I'm not sure it could have happened here without serious injuries to people on the ground. I'm so glad the pilot was able to eject.