Patali: Pilot of AA flight dumped fuel prior to crash, in (likely) response to mechanical failures

Gov. Pataki | 11/12/01 | WABC Radio

[Travis McGee]

I agree, but we need to do both since there are millions of them who have by hook or crook become naturalized citizens, and dealing with them will be a tough nut to crack.

[in the Arena]

Your comments that portrayed how easy the shot would be on a moving target are what prompted me to post. Not everyone knows the complicated ballistics involved with launching a projectile at a moving target and it is selective ignorance to make it seem easy.

In this case the target is moving at a high rate of speed, assume 100mph before rotation, that's 146.7 feet per second, or 48.9 yards per second. If the shooter miscalculates the range to target by as little as +/-5 yards (at the approx 2000 yard range) the shot would be +/-11.9 inches high or low. These numbers are based on a .50 AP M2 bullet traveling 2840fps. (BC=.84). A 5 yard error in range equates to an approximate 1/10 second time differential.

In other words, even if the shooter was directly on center line of the intake and there was no movement of the intake in any direction, the shooter would still need to know the exact range to target within < 5 yards the instant the shot was fired and be able to pull off the shot within 1/10th second.

Impossible shot in my book. But does the anti-gun lobby know this ? I doubt it, nor are they willing to believe it.

I'm not questioning your RKBA stance, my response was not a gun control issue. I read your posts in other discussion and believe we are eye to eye on 2A issues.

take care,

Jim

[blam]

"I agree, but we need to do both since there are millions of them who have by hook or crook become naturalized citizens, and dealing with them will be a tough nut to crack."

I heard Pat Buchannan say on H & C tonight that one more terrorist attack on American soil would bring people out with arms and a lot of blood would flow. I say, make life so uncomfortable for them here that they volunteer to leave.

[boxerblues]

go figure ....an accident they can handle but not terrorist's

[Travis McGee]

I am assuming that the shooter knows the spot where the plane is going to take off, the distance from the van to that spot, and has done the simple homework for the shot. The target is not a man's head, it's 12' high and 12' wide!

[bootless]

I hope you're right.

[Travis McGee]

Who can say? We might get a dribble of "unconfirmed" plane crashes and nuisance level anthrax attacks, or we might get a hyper-9-11. A lot depends on the number of casualties etc.

[Travis McGee]

Let me make it simpler.

The shooter is 200 yards past the end of the runway with a 300winmag, firing at the jet engine as it lifts off over him at a range of under 500 yards.

Do you still think it's an impossible shot?

[185JHP]

Actually the shot is doable - right guy at the right place with the right piece. There are .338 Lapua shooters who aim at a 9" gong @ 1500 meters, and they ring it consistently.

[timestax]

How do they know he dumped fuel?? No witnesses reported this. Maybe he did, but why the rush to make this a mechanical failure before they check out the black boxes and cockpit recorders?? It makes them look like they are pulling a con job on us!

[in the Arena]

Crap, I mis-read your original post as a target size of 12 inches, your 12 foot target, well, that would fall into the broad side of the barn catagory...

[Travis McGee]

Glad we straightened that out! ;^)

[Travis McGee]

The "gong" hanging under the wing of an Airbus 300 is 12 FEET in diameter.

[timestax]

Yeah, the Gubment boys have all the answers. And most people will believe them!

[185JHP]

Eminently doable. Your posts fly over the heads of the ignoscenti - bu I like them. FReegars

[timestax]

Absolutely NO proof of a fuel dumping. Maybe true, but no proof cited as of Tuesday morning.

[ipaq2000]

Airbus 300-600 is rated to fly fully fueled on one engine, but there is no fuel dumping capacity built into this type of plane.

[Travis McGee]

I have spent some time directly in the flight path at the south end of the San Diego Int'l Airport runway, not 500 yards from where the jets lift off. (This is on the Marine Corps Recruit Depot). The jets passing over are about 100 yards up, the sound would cover most of a rifle shot, especially if the rifle was fired from within a soundproofed van. Watching those jets coming head on and then lumbering into the air, it just seemed too easy....

[timestax]

It's just as loud as they pass over Ocean Beach !!

[in the Arena]

ignoscenti ? Not the worse thing I've been called, but don't make me get out my calculator again...:O)