That's a big ND!

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Marnoot

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I haven't had an AD/ND yet personally, but hopefully if/when I do it's nothing like this:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,137632,00.html

F-16 Accidentally Fires on School
Thursday, November 04, 2004
LITTLE EGG HARBOR, N.J. — A National Guard F-16 fighter (search) jet on a nighttime training mission strafed an elementary school with 25 rounds of ammunition, authorities said Thursday. No one was injured.

The military is investigating the incident that damaged Little Egg Harbor Intermediate School in southern New Jersey shortly after 11 p.m. Wednesday. The school is a few miles from a military firing range.

Police were called when a custodian who was the only person in the school heard what sounded like someone running across the roof.

Police Chief Mark Siino said officers noticed punctures in the roof. Ceiling tiles had fallen into classrooms, and there were scratch marks in the asphalt outside.

The pilot of the single-seat jet was supposed to fire at a ground target on the firing range three and half miles from the school, said Col. Brian Webster, commander of the 177th Fighter Wing of the New Jersey Air National Guard (search), which is responsible for the range. He did not know what led to the school getting shot up.

The plane was 7,000 feet in the air when the shots were fired. The gun, an M61-A1 Vulcan cannon (search), is located in the plane's left wing. It fires 2-inch-long bullets that are made of lead and do not explode, said Webster.

"The National Guard takes this situation very seriously," said Lt. Col. Roberta Niedt, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. "The safety of our people and the surrounding communities are our foremost concern."

The jet that fired the rounds was assigned to the 113th Wing of the District of Columbia Air National Guard, based at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. The plane returned there after firing the shots, Webster said.

He would not identify the pilot or detail possible disciplinary measures.

Mike Dupuis, president of the township's Board of Education, said school workers are mindful that the firing range is nearby.

"Being so close to the range, that's always in the back of our minds. It is very scary. I have children in that school and relatives that work there," he said.

Schools in New Jersey were closed Thursday because of a teachers convention.

The 2,400-acre Warren Grove range, about 30 miles north of Atlantic City, has been used by the military since the end of World War II, long before the surrounding area was developed.

In 2002, an Air National Guard F-16 that had been practicing attacks at the range crashed along the Garden State Parkway. The plane's pilot ejected safely, and no one on the ground was hurt.

Errant practice bombs were blamed for forest fires that burned more than 11,000 acres of the Pine Barrens near the range in 1999 and more than 1,600 acres in 2002.
EDIT: Added more informative article
 
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Guys, the election is over. Let's not forget the name of this forum and keep gloating about how you should bomb children of people who disagree with you, smiley face or no smiley face.
 
From what I remember (heard about this on radio this evening) The pilot was at 7000 FEET? Isn't that kinda high for strafing run? I would (assume) he would be going at least 400 mph at the time? So how many seconds of innattention after going weapons hot then look down to taget and there is building....... 3 miles is not that dang far at those speeds/height. Glad nobody hurt.
 
Yes it is a terrible, terrible thing


BUT


When I was in elementary school I would have LOVED to have seen my school get shot and hopfully have taken my spelling book with it.

I know, I'm hanging my head in shame for even thinking that.

:evil:
 
Let's see here, 6,000 rounds a minute, 100 per second, that's a .25 second burst. Some mighty fine trigger control. I didn't think a burst that size was possible.
 
Folks here with kids...

Do children still sing that anti-school song that was set to tune of the "Battle Hymn of the Republic"? Starts off with...


My eyes have seen the Glory of the burning of the school....

Thats all I can remember of the song though.. :(

From the Washington Post article:
The school was scheduled to be closed yesterday and today because of a teachers convention. The school is to reopen Monday.

Boy, are THOSE kids gonna have alot to talk about Monday.
 
We have tortured every teacher we have broken every rule...

They still did in my days, anyway. My first kid's due any day now, so I guess in a coupla years I'll be able to answer that.
 
Is this really a ND? Pilot thought it was the range and opened up. I'd understand ND if he was up flying and accidently hit the annihilate button on his stick while reaching for adjust tracking button. Yup, this pilot had da switch.
 
Lots to critique here, but I'm smiling by the luck of it being a vacation weekday in the school. Very, very high risk of someone getting killed and so far it doesn't look like it happend. Still, some unfortunate flyboy will be giving his wings (and possibly more) for this.
 
Is this really a ND? Pilot thought it was the range and opened up.

He may very well have intended to push the "Press to Kill Stuff" button. But he most definitely forgot rule #4!:eek: No matter how sure he was he was shooting at a target on the range, he wasn't sure enough. That's the one benefit of shooting stationary or carried weapons, at least you know where you are!;) I do imagine its harder to be sure of your target when you're at 7000' going 400MPH; all the more reason to be super-cautious with live ammo when training near inhabited areas.
 
(thanks to Fark ;) )

cal_f1501a.jpg
cal_mis01a.jpg
Was Calvin anywhere in the area?

I can't imagine any air to mud pilot doing a strafing run from 7000', 700' perhaps :scrutiny: .

My guess is the guy went weapons hot as he was getting set up for his run & bumped the trigger. Now it is just a game of distract/divert & CYA for everyone involved.

Greg
 
My eyes have seen the Glory of the burning of the school...
We have tortured every teacher and we've broken every rule,
We have ransacked every office and we've hung the principal,
our gang goes marching on.

Glory glory Hallelujah, teacher hit me with a ruler......

(there's more but I forgot that part.. had to do with a can of gasoline)

I was singing that back in the 50's and everyone knew it and no one got suspended for singing it ! Imagine today.......
 
Let's see here, 6,000 rounds a minute, 100 per second, that's a .25 second burst. Some mighty fine trigger control.
You mean, other than hitting an unintended target, right? :p
 
Lots of variations:

Mine eyes have seen the glory,
of the burning of the school.
We have tortured every teacher,
we have broken every rule.
When the principal tried to stop us,
we just flushed him down the stool.

Glory, glory hallelujah!
Teacher hit me with a ruler.
I hit her in the bean with a rotten tangerine,
and she ran right out the door.

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the burning of the school.
We have tortured all the teachers,
We have broken all the rules.
We have planned to hang the principal,
Tomorrow after school.
Our truth is marching on.

Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Teacher hit me with the ruler.
Met her in the attic
With a German automatic.
And she aint my teacher no more.


Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Teacher hit me with the ruler.
So I hid behind the door,
With a loaded 44,
And she aint my teacher no more.

Just imagine what would happen if a busload of kids started sing that!
 
Chorus:

Glory Glory Halleleuja, Teacher hit me with a ruler.
I met her at the door with a loaded .44
And she ain't my teacher no more......

Oops, too late.
 
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