How is this for an exciting moment

[RevRick]

A friend of mine sent me this one. I had to pass it on.
It's called "Wrong Button"

[Xargun]

ORIGINAL: RevRick

A friend of mine sent me this one. I had to pass it on.

I must assume thats a live missile laying on the flight deck.... Did the pilot fire it ?

Xargun

[RevRick]

Got the second shot - and it is.. umhh .. illuminating

[byron13]

I'm no military pilot, but I'd have to believe he pushed more than one wrong button. I would guess that they're not supposed to be in an air-to-air mode until after launch. Bet he's not flying anymore.

[dtravel]

I suspect the only one who did the right thing there was that flight deck crewman. [:D] "Oh, SH**!!!!!"

[Ron Saueracker]

Isn't that how Forrestal went up?

[Tankerace]

Guys guys guys.... It's just an example of budget cuts. They can't affor to fly, so they fire the missiles in training while still on the deck.

As to the Forrestal, IIRC it was a large AP bomb that went *thud* on the deck. Don't think it was a missile.

[Feinder]

Byron, while I would be surprised, "something" probably malfunctioned with the missile, and it cooked off on it's own. The pilot probably then just jettisoned it.

-F-

[Tankerace]

Jettisioned it saying "Please GOd, don't kill the Admiral, please God don't kill the Admiral". or "How am I gonna dress this up on the ol' performance review."

[mogami]

Hi The "Forrest Fire" was started when Zuni missile was connected to aircraft while stray voltage was in circuit.

Is that a AIM-9? Since to launch normaly you need a lock and a second command I'd say the rocket motor just went off for what ever reason not a pilot pushing a wrong button.

Normal lauch is you aquire a target and hold down a key. When missle aquires target it squeals to let you know and you then "pull the trigger" to fire.

[mogami]

ORIGINAL: Mogami

Hi The "Forrest Fire" was started when Zuni missile was connected to aircraft while stray voltage was in circuit.

Is that a AIM-9? Since to launch normaly you need a lock and a second command I'd say the rocket motor just went off for what ever reason not a pilot pushing a wrong button.

Normal launch is you aquire a target and hold down a key. When missle aquires target it squeals to let you know and you then "pull the trigger" to fire.

[Tankerace]

Hey Mogami, when did you and Mr. Frag become moderators? Or am I just blind.

Congrats!

[mogami]

Hi, Yeow I just noticed that as well. Beware my power now.

[Tankerace]

Uh-oh.... lol.

[Twotribes]

The most likely thing that happened is that as the aircraft was arrested and trapped on landing the missile broke free of its mount. If it had fired no camera man would have had time, at the speed it travels, to take 2 pictures of it traveling the deck.

[kew]

ORIGINAL: Twotribes

The most likely thing that happened is that as the aircraft was arrested and trapped on landing the missile broke free of its mount. If it had fired no camera man would have had time, at the speed it travels, to take 2 pictures of it traveling the deck.

Good point, does not look as though there has been any iginition of the missle. No smoke at all.

[MadmanRick]

I must assume thats a live missile laying on the flight deck

Appears to be a live 'Winder to me, iirc the navy uses blue (as does the USAF) to mark a training round. So it should either have a blue body or blue bands on it to signify that it is inert. I can see no such markings. Also being that close to the A/C, if the rocket had ignited it would be readily appearent. This seems to me to be a missle that broke loose when the A/C arrested. Also, I don't think that a picture that clear would have been possible if the rocket motor had ignited. Although I suppose these could be frames from a video feed?

Rick

[Barlock]

I've seen and heard the story of that shot before but I'm not sure of the accuracy...

Anyway, what I'd heard IIRC is that the Hornet tried to fire the missile in-flight but the missile was somehow jammed on its rail and didn't fire.

When the Hornet landed back on deck the force of the landing shook the missile free of its rail. Once off the rail (since it had already been armed) it activated as normal and shot down the deck and over the side. [X(]

Also - for what it's worth, I'm pretty sure that most, if not all, combat aircraft have a weight on wheels sensor that inhibits the master arm switch - preventing pilots from triggering ordinance while on the ground. Of course, switches do sometimes go bad or get disabled for whatever reason.... [:-]

[CoffeeMug]

ORIGINAL: Mogami

Is that a AIM-9? Since to launch normaly you need a lock and a second command I'd say the rocket motor just went off for what ever reason not a pilot pushing a wrong button.

Normal lauch is you aquire a target and hold down a key. When missle aquires target it squeals to let you know and you then "pull the trigger" to fire.

Hi,

actually, you dont need to lock on the target. You can fire the missile without locking, shouting MADDOG (brevity) over comms, so every friendly knows whats happening. [:)]

The missile then homes on the hottest target (the sidewinder is a IR missile) within sensor gimbal limits.

Cheers,

Coffeemug, old (v) viper driver on Falcon 4 SP4 BMS2 [8D]

[strawbuk]

ORIGINAL: Tankerace

Guys guys guys.... It's just an example of budget cuts. They can't affor to fly, so they fire the missiles in training while still on the deck.

Check lates UK defence cuts - we don't even have the missile for training (we have a simulator: the pilot leans out cockpit and throws a pepr dart).