The best lawn mower money can buy ...

[kimosabi]

Originally Posted by Sternjaeger

it's some kind of brazilian jet..

Military pilots all over the world do that, it's kind of a no brainer when you're 26 and given such a toy.. never seen one flying THAT low though!

Although Norwegian fighter pilots practice low level all the time, they will get grounded if they pull something like that. They have enough complaints from the local farmers already.

That B-52.... What happened except for the overbank?

[Letum]

Originally Posted by kimosabi

That B-52.... What happened except for the overbank?

Wiki says:
The investigation found that as the B-52 entered its final turn sequence around the tower, its indicated airspeed (IAS) was 182 knots (337 km/h, 209 mph). Although Holland applied additional engine power after starting the turn, his input came too late to maintain the aircraft's airspeed, because its turbine engines take up to 8 seconds to respond to throttle movements. Even though the airspeed indicator was available to all four aircrew members, the aircraft's airspeed was allowed to continue to decrease. Eight seconds before impact, the aircraft's IAS had deteriorated to 145 knots (269 km/h, 167 mph) and the aircraft's bank increased past 60°. At this time Holland or McGeehan applied full right spoiler, right rudder, and nose-up elevator, and the aircraft entered a turning flight stall (sometimes called accelerated stall). This phenomenon is a stall that occurs at a higher airspeed than the design stall speed – which always refers to straight and level flight – because the aircraft is turning. Due to the bank of 60° or more, the stall speed for the aircraft was at that moment 147 knots (272 km/h, 169 mph). Thus, flying at 145 knots (269 km/h, 167 mph) IAS the aircraft stalled without sufficient altitude to recover before striking the ground.

Yeah,the accelerated stall was a consequence of their late inputs to correct the manoeuvre: the B-52 is a big bird with a lot of inertial response(throttle lag,sluggish control),which comes more evident at slower speeds. He was probably trying to do a "sling turn",where he would gain momentum from the turn dive,but he was too low/slow, and correcting that on a B-52 was impossible.. the crew probably had the time to realise what's goi g on and tell him "you killed us,r u happy now, asshole?!"..

[kimosabi]

Ok, so pilot screwup then. I was just curious if there was some mechanical failure or something. What's one of the first golden rules again? "Know your aircraft"....?

[carguy_]

Originally Posted by Sternjaeger

the crew probably had the time to realise what's goi g on and tell him "you killed us,r u happy now, asshole?!"..

Yeah, the crew. If there is hell , that guy piloting is in one. Other people should never share the same fate. While driving other ppl somwhere I always keep it super safe and careful. That said, none of them deserved the time to actually think that they`re going to die in a few seconds.

Originally Posted by carguy_

Yeah, the crew. If there is hell , that guy piloting is in one. Other people should never share the same fate. While driving other ppl somwhere I always keep it super safe and careful. That said, none of them deserved the time to actually think that they`re going to die in a few seconds.

I know, it's sad but unfortunately it happens in military life. The ultimate responsibility of an officer is for the life of his men, it was obvious that the guy went gung-ho long before the accidents, there were reports of his reckless flying, but nobody did a thing to ground him. He's as responsible as the men that didn't rip the wings off his flightsuit and bitchslapped him..

There have also been cases of whole formations flying into a mountain or on the ground: when you're busy flying formation you rely on your leader for direction, and if he fails you die with him.

I personally was involved in quite a hair raising experience once, flying a vertical formation with a guy who obviously didn't have much experience, even if he stated the opposite: it was 4 planes flying one under the other, and the guy on the top, who was the leader, didn't seem to realise that BELOW him there were other planes that needed to keep a formation and in the meantime trying not to spread themselves over the countryside.. so instead of keeping it safe and flying at a redundantly safe altitude, he would jerk his plane up and down, so we had to work hard to keep formation and not get killed.. I was flying at the bottom, so I was between a plane and the ground: after a couple of near misses with the trees I pulled out, we flew back to the airfield and had a not so quiet word with the guy, who obviously wasn't as experienced as he said..