Pilot Suspended After 3 Dummy Bombs Fall(F-117 Incident)

San Diego Union-Tribune ^ | July 19, 2002 | By Chris Roberts, Associated Press

[TADSLOS]

The pilot did not know his F-117A stealth fighter was carrying the 25-pound practice bombs

Ahem...

[sidegunner]

When I flew there was somthing called a PRE-FLIGHT WALK-AROUND INSPECTION performed by the pilot-in-command. It included looking and shaking everthing that you could access without tools.(If it's gonna' fall off....I hope like hell it falls off now).Somebody blew it...big time.

[Howie]

Imagine this: "I was dry-firing my deer-rifle at a F-117......." Leavenworth here I come!

[cynicom]

Right you are. Must be some enlisted man standing around there someplace to put the blame on. A one man crew is short on others to lay the blame on.

You were 29, 50 or 36s?????

[MickMan51]

Hey folks, let's not rush to judgement here. My understanding is that the dummy bombs were loaded onto the aircraft without the pilot's knowledge. Even a pre-flight probably wouldn't have disclosed them if they were loaded inside behind bombay doors. I don't think that 117's carry exterior bomb loads.

[1rudeboy]

"What they did, that was negligence," said Gloria Aker . . . .

I suspect she did not come up with that word by herself. [smirk]

[cynicom]

Sure changed since my day in Air Force. We surely knew what was on board from visual inspection, it was required. I suppose it is not mandatory if the pilot knows he has hot guns or missiles. Sure has changed.

[TADSLOS]

My understanding is that the dummy bombs were loaded onto the aircraft without the pilot's knowledge

Could be, but the Pilot-in-Command is still responsible for the aircraft and what occurs with it.

[sidegunner]

SEL's(Piper's etc.) My dad drove 29's out of Oki for the 8th AF.

[TADSLOS]

I suspect she did not come up with that word by herself

What, you can't believe that a woman from West Texas could have the sophisticated vocabulary required to include the word "negligence" in it, so a lefty California reporter decided to put words in her mouth? Maybe, but I doubt it. We Texans are a bit more refined than our appearances bear out.

[Mike K]

Hey folks, let's not rush to judgement here.

Why not? Is there any doubt as to who is responsible?

[scooter2]

Hey folks, let's not rush to judgement here. My understanding is that the dummy bombs were loaded onto the aircraft without the pilot's knowledge. Even a pre-flight probably wouldn't have disclosed them if they were loaded inside behind bombay doors. I don't think that 117's carry exterior bomb loads.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but the weapons bay doors are alway left open prior to the pre-flight so the pilot may include this area in his inspection. If the pilot didn't inspect the weapons bay, he blew it big time.

[cynicom]

2...

Maybe he was one of the silkscarf type, kick a tire, smile at the Form 1 and off we go into the wild blue yonder.

[wjcsux]

The big problem w/ F-117's is that all stores are internal. Nothing on pylons because this aircraft doesn't have any.

[Howie]

Would dropping a nuke involve pushing the same button in the cockpit?

[robertpaulsen]

"as he targeted trash bins and other structures"

My first thought was "did he hit was he was aiming for?" If so, maybe that ought to be taken into consideration.

[Salgak]

And more importantly, SOMEBODY had to pull the safety pins in order to allow the bombs to be released in the first place. . . .

[Wm Bach]

What a shame to kill one's own career. It will be interesting to see if he's allowed back into a cockpit
at all. Probably be flying supplies to the Antarctic
in an old silver and orange SAC C-130 for the rest of his
service. A fate worse than death for a fighter jock.

[Wm Bach]

O yeah, and he can't press a "sport" crease the back of his cap anymore.

[TADSLOS]

What a shame to kill one's own career. It will be interesting to see if he's allowed back into a cockpit at all. Probably be flying supplies to the Antarctic in an old silver and orange SAC C-130 for the rest of his service. A fate worse than death for a fighter jock

...something about "flying crates of rubber dog s**t to Hong Kong" comes to mind...;~)