Pilot error caused a U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds F-16 to crash at an air show on Sept. 14 at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, the Air Force said on Wednesday. (See below for in-cockpit video of the crash.) The pilot incorrectly climbed to 1,670 feet AGL instead of 2,500 feet before initiating the pull-down to the Split-S maneuver, according to the Air Force news release. The pilot, Chris Stricklin, 31, apparently flew by mistake to the MSL altitude used when practicing the maneuver at his home base, Nellis AFB in Nevada, which is 1,000 feet lower than the Idaho field elevation. The pilot ejected just eight-tenths of a second before impact, after reportedly making an effort to steer the aircraft away from the crowd of about 85,000 ...
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http://www.avweb.com/newspics/tbirdcrash.mpg
Thunderbirds F16 Crash Cockpit Movie
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Terenia,
The camera probalby didn't survive. During displays of the Thunderbirds, the groundground crew has six movie screens from inside the cockpit of every of the six F-16's, recording every movement of the pilots. So this is the movie from inside the cockpit, recorded from the ground.
The three days prior to this crash, the Thunderbirds were at the Reno Air Races, where I was able to see this video system, and see from the ground every movement from each of the pilots in their cockpits.
If you want to see some of the latest pictures of the Thunderbird "6" in action -taken on september 13th, day before that crash- , visit the "News" item of my website.
The camera probalby didn't survive. During displays of the Thunderbirds, the groundground crew has six movie screens from inside the cockpit of every of the six F-16's, recording every movement of the pilots. So this is the movie from inside the cockpit, recorded from the ground.
The three days prior to this crash, the Thunderbirds were at the Reno Air Races, where I was able to see this video system, and see from the ground every movement from each of the pilots in their cockpits.
If you want to see some of the latest pictures of the Thunderbird "6" in action -taken on september 13th, day before that crash- , visit the "News" item of my website.
Chris,
The picture is taken by one of the Thunderbirds groundcrew standing on the control tower.
Due to the large telelens the picture give a little optical illusion as the A/C is coming right to the photographer.
However I can imagine that it must have been frightning to see that A/C coming your way. And as far as I know the photographer is still alive and kicking
The picture is taken by one of the Thunderbirds groundcrew standing on the control tower.
Due to the large telelens the picture give a little optical illusion as the A/C is coming right to the photographer.
However I can imagine that it must have been frightning to see that A/C coming your way. And as far as I know the photographer is still alive and kicking