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-Lurid Crime Tales-
(YIKES!) SUV Taken Out by F-16 in UTAH
2008-06-14
Phenomenol pic at link.
Last April 9th, at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah, two soldiers were driving a rented SUV about five kilometers from the part of the range used for live firing. It was at night, and an F-16 that thought it was firing at something in the live fire area, lit up the SUV instead. Only 70 20mm rounds were fired. Fortunately, the two people in the SUV were only injured (both from flying glass, the passenger got a dislocated shoulder as he rapidly exited the vehicle when it quickly turned off the road and stopped.) The investigation of how this happen has not been completed.
SUVs are evil!
They are destroying the planet!
This is your last warning!
Posted by:Atomic Conspiracy

#16  Consider this: if this incident had been the result of a UAV pilot error, you could hear the USAF brass bitching all the way to Kalamazoo. No enlisted pilots, all officers, and then there would be the two recent USAF firings to think about (I can hear them now: "I told you so. Neener, Neener")
Posted by: USN,Ret. (from home)   2008-06-14 22:48  

#15  Looks to me the F16 was just trying to shoot out the tires...
Posted by: bingo!   2008-06-14 21:25  

#14  Oops.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2008-06-14 20:30  

#13  "Speed Limit Enforced by Aircraft"

I'd take that sign a little more literally from now on.
Posted by: CrazyFool   2008-06-14 19:53  

#12  ....Many air to ground ranges have derelict cars, trucks and other vehicles littered all over the place. Without question if he was FIVE clicks off the range some remedial training is is in order, but it's not an entirely impossible occurrence.
Now, the Lawn Dart driver who zapped a school last year was another story entirely...

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski   2008-06-14 19:37  

#11  He failed to hit what he SHOULD have been aiming at, that's FAR more important.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles   2008-06-14 16:04  

#10  The question is, did they decline the rental insurance?
Posted by: Intrinsicpilot   2008-06-14 15:46  

#9  Nah, don't sack him, he DID hit what he was aiming at, but a refresher in target recognition is clearly in order here.
Posted by: Redneck Jim   2008-06-14 14:02  

#8  IMHO the pilot should be sacked.
Agreed, piss poor shooting.
Posted by: George Smiley   2008-06-14 13:53  

#7  That's all 70 20mm shots will do to a Suburban?

The article says 70 rounds fired. It isn't likely that all 70 rounds hit the vehicle.
Posted by: One Eyed Ulese1266   2008-06-14 12:07  

#6  IMHO the pilot should be sacked.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles   2008-06-14 11:27  

#5  In my ignorance that looks like pretty precise firing -- not one hole through the front seat where the two were sitting. The article says it was a rented vehicle, though, so any payments will go to the rental company. I'd call the thing totalled, on general principle.
Posted by: trailing wife    2008-06-14 10:50  

#4  The two people in the SUV are very lucky. There is a lot of damage to the vehicle. If the vehicle is not considered "totaled," fix-up costs would be considerable. It's not clear what the interior damage looks like. My brother-in-law has one of these vehicles. At the price of gas, he would probably offer his up for F-16 target practice if the pricer were right. These vehicles are, however, flex fuel vehicles and will burn 85% ethanol if you can find it.
Posted by: JohnQC   2008-06-14 10:04  

#3  That's it?
Seems rather minimal damage for that kind of firepower...
Posted by: john frum   2008-06-14 09:48  

#2  That's all 70 20mm shots will do to a Suburban? Haji and Muji would drive that baby off the lot in a Baghdad minute.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2008-06-14 09:31  

#1  What a horrible screw-up! We really need to work on target recognition.

I mean, what kind of incompetent would mistake a rented Suburban for a VW busload of peaceniks or a media van?



Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy   2008-06-14 09:09  

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