Fighter Jet Crash...

[blacksheepdiesel]

happened today here in SW Indiana/SE Illinois. Last I heard one plane fell on the Indiana side of the Wabash River and another fell on the Illinois side. Haven't heard the details yet. I was preparing to mow at an airport about 10 miles south of the site when I heard a loud explosion. Wasn't a sonic boom, didn't sound like dynamite either. Heard later on the radio what happened. The jets fly low and dogfight quite a bit around here.



When I was a kid plowing beans with a Farmall M along the White River here the jets would fly low along the river dodging radar. After sitting all day long watching the bean row go by and all the sudden "WWWHHHAAAAMMMM" I thought the tractor had blown up or the world had ended. Then I would realize the jets were just goin' by again.



Hate it that this happened today. Unfortunately there is sometimes a great price for freedom.



Trent

 

[Peter Campbell]

Did the pilot eject? Military aircraft have ejection seats for a reason- they are operating closer to the "edge" than an airliner does. There are certain losses of control that there is limited time to eject F-14 flatspin is one.

 

[blacksheepdiesel]

Peter,



Unofficial word is both pilots ejected, one died. Apparently they hit in midair. There is allegedly radioactive material so the Hazmat teams were called in.



Trent

 

[Peter Campbell]

Too bad. Back when I was on a carrier (peacetime) we still lost a pilot every cruise/deployment on average just from the risky nature of the flight operation. Ramp strikes, arresting gear malfunctions, aircraft malfunctions and bad ejections. The radar systems sometimes have a little radioactive material. The other radioactive material that could be there is "special" And is used in "devices" .

 

[klenger]

What kind of airplane?

 

[The patriot]

Hazmat team could be there for just about anything. Fuel, hydraulic oil etc.

We mostly have KC-130's around here stationed @ Mc Guire.

I have seen some fighter jets here latley. F-15 or F-18, not sure.

They have a range at Warren grove for the NJANG. Those A-10's are really neat when theyre practicing with the cannon.



I hate to hear things like this happen to our guys.

Eric

 

[blacksheepdiesel]

F16's from a National Guard unit out of Terre Haute, IN, 70 miles west of Indy. 2nd pilot is in the local hospital, don't know his condition.



Trent

 

[Ncostello]

Wow... Terre Haute is our National Guard locally... the 181st Tactical Fighter Wing. I've got two friends there. They served time in Iraq at the beginning last year and they also protect the skies overhead at the Newport Army Chemical Depot just up the road (home to 1300 tonne VX cylinders). I used to go out between classes in college and watch them take off and land. It was relaxing to me to watch them. Very sorry to hear that.

 

[Dsul]

I live about 5 miles from the crashsight in IL. I originally thought a storm was moving in. It was a very odd sound, like two sonic booms followed by a rumble. If I was quick enough to turn around, I probably could have seen one of the plane's smoketrail based on what I've heard so far.

andy

 

[blacksheepdiesel]

Update,



The pilot that died is from Tennessee, William Burchet (real unsure on spelling), mid 30's, leaves a wife, two kids, and a third on the way. Strong Christian man. God bless his family.



Trent