http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...eling-sending-both-into-waters-off-japan
Total of seven personnel. One has been rescued but no word on status.
A sad day.
Total of seven personnel. One has been rescued but no word on status.
A sad day.
USMC Mid Air Collision off Japan.
- Thread starter PimTac
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wemay
Site Donor 2023
Terrible news. I've always wondered how that doesn't happen more often.
Yes, especially in the dark at 2 am. Can't imagine.
Whipcitywrencher
Site Donor 2024
Sad news,
Hopefully there all found.
Hopefully there all found.
Sad news.
Locally we have KC-135's fly constantly over us as they are stationed near our home. I have an odd fear as they occasionally fly low of them falling out of the sky and full of fuel with a vision of Sept 11 explosions x10.
Locally we have KC-135's fly constantly over us as they are stationed near our home. I have an odd fear as they occasionally fly low of them falling out of the sky and full of fuel with a vision of Sept 11 explosions x10.
Night time flying is dangerous. Years ago I asked a friend of mine remarked that they would "scatter and pray" when their formation of blackhawks flew into cloud cover.
Originally Posted by BMWTurboDzl
Night time flying is dangerous. Years ago I asked a friend of mine remarked that they would "scatter and pray" when their formation of blackhawks flew into cloud cover.
Well...OK, that's Army helicopters at night.
We (USN) used to fly in weather at night. Sucked. But we did it. If you've seen the Blue Angels, you know that formation flying is something Navy pilots do well.
As far as air refueling at night, did that, too. Close formation flying involving actual contact with another airplane. At night. In the weather.
In fact, one night, during Desert Storm, in the clouds, I rendezvoused on a KC-10 over Southern Iraq. "Multiple targets" said my RIO, and I slowed the closure rate to 10 knots. In the gloom, approaching on a 45 degree bearing line, I found myself on the wing of an F/A-18 and stopped my approach to the tanker there. As the tanker flew out of the clouds, I found that I was one of about 6 fighters on this tanker. All Navy, all flying close echelon formation in the clouds at night, and at least the outer three guys, including me, were unable to see the KC-10 itself, we just stopped getting closer when we found ourselves flying on the wing of the guy who was next in line.
So, back to the post... if this was a night refueling mission, and both airplanes collided, and subsequently did not return to base, then I am afraid the one survivor is the only survivor. Probably the F/A-18 driver. The ejection seat likely saved him/her. The C-130 crew has poor odds in a mid-air collision. Bailout requires donning a parachute, and making your way to a door. That's hard (nearly impossible) to do if the airplane is damaged and out of control.
Night time flying is dangerous. Years ago I asked a friend of mine remarked that they would "scatter and pray" when their formation of blackhawks flew into cloud cover.
Well...OK, that's Army helicopters at night.
We (USN) used to fly in weather at night. Sucked. But we did it. If you've seen the Blue Angels, you know that formation flying is something Navy pilots do well.
As far as air refueling at night, did that, too. Close formation flying involving actual contact with another airplane. At night. In the weather.
In fact, one night, during Desert Storm, in the clouds, I rendezvoused on a KC-10 over Southern Iraq. "Multiple targets" said my RIO, and I slowed the closure rate to 10 knots. In the gloom, approaching on a 45 degree bearing line, I found myself on the wing of an F/A-18 and stopped my approach to the tanker there. As the tanker flew out of the clouds, I found that I was one of about 6 fighters on this tanker. All Navy, all flying close echelon formation in the clouds at night, and at least the outer three guys, including me, were unable to see the KC-10 itself, we just stopped getting closer when we found ourselves flying on the wing of the guy who was next in line.
So, back to the post... if this was a night refueling mission, and both airplanes collided, and subsequently did not return to base, then I am afraid the one survivor is the only survivor. Probably the F/A-18 driver. The ejection seat likely saved him/her. The C-130 crew has poor odds in a mid-air collision. Bailout requires donning a parachute, and making your way to a door. That's hard (nearly impossible) to do if the airplane is damaged and out of control.
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The latest news says a second crewman was found after ten hours of search. No word on the status. Both crewmen that were found were from the fighter which Astro touched on above.
Edit to add: one crew member has died. It's not clear which one.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181207_02/
Edit to add: one crew member has died. It's not clear which one.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181207_02/
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The two recovered crew, one survivor, one not, were both from the F/A-18.
Sadly, I don't think there is much hope for the C-130 crew.
Sadly, I don't think there is much hope for the C-130 crew.
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