Thu, Dec 02, 2004
Pilot Punches Out, Has A Tale To Tell!
ANN has confirmed that a Blue Angels F/A-18 twin engine jet
fighter has gone down, during routine training, in the Gulf of
Mexico.
The aircraft went down in the Gulf, near Perdido Key, at
approximately 1445 local time, Wednesday. Another Blue Angels
Hornet was in the air with the stricken aircraft when the pilot,
whose name has yet to be released, punched out of the jet just
before it impacted in the Gulf, some 6 miles off the coast and
about 10 miles from Pensacola NAS. No cause for the ejection has
been confirmed, though some local media sources are reporting that
the pilot encountered mechanical problems. One eyewitness also
claims that the aircraft lost power.
The pilot was evac'ed within 10 minutes of impact to the
Pensacola Naval Hospital and appeared to be "in good condition."
The $18 million Hornet has been located but is considered a total
loss. This was the first week of training for the 2005 Blue Angels,
according to Lt. Garrett Kasper, speaking for the Blue Angels.
Flights earlier in the day put four other aircraft in the air and
it is rumored that the flight that went afoul was a practice run
for Blue Angels 5 and 6, the lead solo demo pilots who "usually fly
together during practice flights." The 2005 team has added two new
pilots and four new support members to their roster and are getting
ready to head west for their annual winter practice sessions in El
Centro, CA.
This is the first serious accident for the Blue
Angels since 1999 when two pilots, Lt. Cmdr. Kieron O'Connor,
35, of Burtonsville, Md., and Lt. Kevin Colling, 32, of Castle
Rock, Colo., lost their lives on Oct. 28, 1999 near Valdosta,
Ga.
Blue Angel F/A-18 Specs
|
| Powerplant |
Two 16,000-pound thrust GE F404-GE-400 low-bypass, turbofan
engines |
| Length |
56 feet |
| Height |
15.3 feet |
| Wingspan |
40.4 feet (with missiles) |
| Wing area |
400 square feet |
| Speed |
Mach 1.7+ (1,200 mph) |
| First Flight |
November 1978 |
| Crew |
One (two in two-seat trainer version) |
| Combat radius |
500-plus nautical miles |
| Combat ceiling |
50,000 feet (approx.) |
| Fuel |
approx. 11,000 lbs. internal, 16,000 lbs./external tanks |
| Maximum takeoff weight |
56,000 lbs. (approx.) fighter escort missions |
We'll have more information as we develop this
story.
Note: Part Four of the Eclipse Owner's
Conference series will be presented at a later date so that we can
chase down the details of this breaking news story.
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