Reward Offered in Rocket’s Close Call with Houston Jet

Houston Chronicle ^ | June 15, 2009 | Dale Lezon and Cindy Horswell

[humblegunner]

Sorta like Gorillas in the Mist but different

We have a few of those, too.

I think Leroy down the road is trying to make 'em work in his meth lab.

Cheaper than illegals and unable to testify.

We have heard rumors of monkeys in the trees around here for years.

Ask Xenalyte, she knows.

[Paladin2]

"Just heli over the area thought to be the launch area and look for some scorched field. "

Or crop circles.

[VRWCmember]

Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for information what appeared to be a model rocket that nearly missed a Continental Express jet late last month.

If it nearly missed the jet, does that mean it HIT the jet?

[Bruinator]

Of course it was just some kid making a missle in his garage, you know like Billy Bob in the movie of which the name escapes me. I am sure if it was launched as they say and it being a model, I am sure someone will step forward. People with kind of hobby do not go unnoticed.

[reaganbooster]

Just like the two airplanes that had a “near miss.” Like George Carlin used to say, that’s more like a “near hit.”

[Army Air Corps]

Bookmark

[Cheetahcat]

2 1/2 miles up sounds like a Try or a practice try at hitting the Airliner.??

[BradyLS]

Nearly missed? Wouldn't that mean it hit?

You'd think... IOW, yes—but barely!

[randog]

[Jewbacca]

Launch from a pad and hose it down.

[Jewbacca]

The world’s largest model rocket (a Saturn V duplicate with 8 N class engines and a giant P class engine) reached 4,000 feet.

http://dvice.com/archives/2009/04/largest-flying.php

At 13,000 feet, this was no model rocket.

[bigbob]

So just hypothetically, say this rocket was launched by an evildoer...the official investigative approach is to home someone calls Crime Stoppers??

[Jewbacca]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcWU5PLhU6k&feature=response_watch

[willgolfforfood]

One of the reasons that the Clinton administration said that Flight 800 could NOT have been shot down by a land-based, surface-to-air missle is that none of them could go to 13,000 - 15,000 feet in the air.

But apparently, it's not a big stretch for a hobbyist rocket to get to that altitude.

Very interesting.

[Lazamataz]

So, it didn't happen.

But now it did.

And it's a HOBBY rocket.

Except the FBI is interested.

But it's not terrorism.

Y'see.

[Lazamataz]

A hobby rocket.

Like this older Soviet SAM.

[Jewbacca]

I’ve hunted the “sport” rocket groups.

I couldn’t find any that reached more than 4,000 feet.

[wolficatZ]

[Young Werther]

I have observed amateur rocket launches at the Dallas Area Rocket society launch at Frisco Texas. Since their rockets have reached 22,000' they must get FAA approval to launch their missiles.

The TWA 800 shootdown occurred at about 10,000 feet and the Soviet shoulder fired missiles have the range to accomplish the shoot down.

BTW when the autopsies were being comducted one of the forensic aides observed that the x-rays of the victims showed a great deal of shrapnel! the tech was fired by the FBI chief who was there to interfere with the NTSB crash investigators! I wonder why those xrays were classified!

[sig226]

You need a bigger imagination. The National Association of Rocketry and the Tripoli Rocketry Association are both hobby organizations for high powered model rocketry. These guys are serious, and the ones I've met really love what they do.