Article

2018-10-15 Europe

Pictured: Moment $19m F-16 fighter jet EXPLODES and another is damaged in Belgium after mechanic repairing a third jet accidentally opened fire with its Gatling cannon

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Posted by Anomalous Sources 2018-10-15 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11136 views ] Top

#1 Yeah, those cannons will deafen you. So sorry to hear that happened to those poor people.

Posted by Herb McCoy 2018-10-15 01:41|| 2018-10-15 01:41|| Front Page Top

#2 Was the mechanic's name Mohammed?

Posted by Glenmore 2018-10-15 01:54|| 2018-10-15 01:54|| Front Page Top

#3 Stealth plane? Oh yeah, it's the Daily Mail.

Posted by Zenobia Clart9643 2018-10-15 04:20|| 2018-10-15 04:20|| Front Page Top

#4 I guess he just couldn't see the other jets.

Posted by CrazyFool 2018-10-15 04:22|| 2018-10-15 04:22|| Front Page Top

#5 Why was the plane armed during maintenance?

Posted by Ebbavirt Clunk4147 2018-10-15 04:54|| 2018-10-15 04:54|| Front Page Top

#6 And John McCain wasn't there.
(See: USS Forrestal, accidental missile firing on deck, massive fire, etc)

Posted by ed in texas 2018-10-15 07:05|| 2018-10-15 07:05|| Front Page Top

#7 101 ways NOT to do maintenance.

Posted by DarthVader 2018-10-15 09:14|| 2018-10-15 09:14|| Front Page Top

#8 Do not attempt at home. Done by paid professionals on a closed circuit.

Posted by Procopius2k 2018-10-15 11:00|| 2018-10-15 11:00|| Front Page Top

#9 I'm curious as to how something like this happens.
Don't recall the type, but I've read of a fighter with a powerful air search radar in the nose that was equipped with a safety interlock that kept the radar off when there was weight on the nose wheel so as not to microwave the maintenance guys. I would assume something similar exists for guns.

Posted by SteveS 2018-10-15 13:07|| 2018-10-15 13:07|| Front Page Top

#10 I would assume something similar exists for guns.

It does. It's called the weight on gear switch. However,
if it is faulty or installed wrong it woun't interrupt the firing circuits. Then BAD things happen.

Posted by Ebboting Bluetooth1554 2018-10-15 14:34|| 2018-10-15 14:34|| Front Page Top

#11 I would assume something similar exists for guns.

It does. There are 'safety pins' (clips with numbered tags) that keep everything that needs to not work from working. (Weapons, landing gear, radar, ejection seat,...) The crew chief normally pulls them and hands them to the pilot right before take off. The pilot counts them and then stows them.
The problem arises when you do maintenance on something. Some one has to take the safety pin out. There's supposed to be a 'double check' program in place to make sure it's OK to remove the pin.
Of late, the Air Force has been failing safety checks at an ominous rate. (Generals have been loosing their jobs...)

Posted by ed in texas 2018-10-15 17:04|| 2018-10-15 17:04|| Front Page Top

#12

Posted by Skidmark 2018-10-15 17:50|| 2018-10-15 17:50|| Front Page Top

#13 please do not forget 1988 nimitz fire: va-147 intentionally disabled safety circuits on an A-7 so they could do maintenance on a liaded gun using the engine rather than hydraulic genny. blew my KA6D up and started a helluva fire. killed 2.
147’s name was argonauts, we called them arsonauts.
their co made captain at next board.
pictures on the intertube

Posted by USN, Ret. 2018-10-15 21:23|| 2018-10-15 21:23|| Front Page Top

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