Thunderbirds Eject/Crash -- How It Happened

AVweb's Glenn Pew http://www.glennpew.com takes a look at the factors leading to the crash. This video includes all previously released footage and images made available to AVweb in January, 2004, plus the results of the official investigation.

USAF Thunderbirds ejection at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho.

For more, see: http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/briefs/186633-1.html

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• investigation
• ejection
• USAF
• thunderbirds
• stricklin
• crash
• airplane
• jet
• aerobatics
• glenn
• pew
• f-16
• mountain
• avweb
• aviation
• air
• force
• 2003

[sonicfan1996]

sure you lost a jet, but you saved millions more on training another pilot's ass when he ejected, quit crying

[Lamb00FGoD]

Towards my last comment... Alot of respect to this guy. These guys are triained to never just dump,or give up on the aircraft. They were mentioning how his arm never left the stick till the split second before it wrecked. I know he knew long before he ejected that he was going to loose that plane,but fought for it all the way till the end.

[001looker]

That pilot sucks, i would have easily keep the plane from crashing.

[halokris13]

Damn aero dynamics, you scary!

[kLeRrks]

how it happened? it was a WOMAN flying the jet. thats all. ;-)

[atomhammer1]

We lost that money the second we built those pointless jets in the first place. Must be nice playing "acrobat" on the public dime. Our country is drowning in debt, but we MUST borrow billions from the Chinese for a "defense" budget as large as the next nine powers combined? And seven of those powers are allies? Our military is just a big government jobs program that builds nothing.

[riderpoet]

In any airplane except one equipped with a superb modern ejection seat (such as a P-51 Mustang or an Extra 300, for example,) he would have paid the ultimate price for his mistake. I think he knows that, and that's good enough for me.

[zackeone]

@iostream999 He's still flying and is one heck of a pilot. It's a one crime Air Force, not a one mistake Air Force, and he's a perfect example of that.

[aratidwell]

This boggles my mind. I don't know how the air force expects such from pilots being rush-trained in extreme performance aircraft and set out to combat. I think many of these pilots forget some of the simpler parts of flying.

[EragonLea]

OK. Maybe my words/opinion are not correct. (like my english skills XD) but i have to say, this is an accident. accidents happens. yesterday, today and tomorrow. the important thing is that the pilot is still alive! i don't understand people who write about nationality or money what you need to pay the damage. it was an airshow. people fly to have fun and many people come to watch and have fun. the airshow cost a lot of money without an accident! no one died at this accident! thats important!

[TubularOnfire]

i was there... it was crazy