Only 2 found so far, 1 alive & stable.
Breaks my heart.
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Only 2 found so far, 1 alive & stable.
Breaks my heart.
As sad as it is they were lucky to save 1. Not good odds.
Concur. They found the pilot (dead) and the backseater (alive) from the F-18. None of the Hercules crew has been found.
This is just me hypothesizing from this point forward....
C-130s are INCREDIBLY robust aircraft and the ways to take them out are to run them out of fuel or cripple the flight controls and actuators (i.e. pilots, controls, cockpit)
I think they went "beak to beak" and the F-18 went into the cockpit of the C-130.
The F-18 has ejection seats, the C-130, not so.
If the rear pilot in the F-18 actuated the ejection, the front pilot may have been already "beyond hope."
Weather near Japan this time of year ABSOLUTELY SUCKS and at 0200 local time weather is hard to discern.
Again, just my hypothesizing.
I read a theory that the fuel nozzle had a leak ( hard to detect under the conditions), the F18 engines picked up the extra fuel and accelerated into the tanker. The person speaking seemed to have some knowledge of such things, but I'm clueless.
Plausible. Helluva leak to cause that much acceleration.
I've plugged several times behind a C-130 and once plugged, you take station above the C-130's wing.
If a large amount of fuel leaked at just the right time, they could have hit the wing I suppose...
It's still heart breaking.
C-130s are a great aircraft, and been around for a very long time. Durable as h###. I served in the 82nd
Airborne Div, out of Fort Bragg, so most of my flights were just one way. Up. We flew thru so terrible storms and windy conditions. Bounced around, but they held together, but no aircraft can survive a head on collision. My prayers to the missing and their families.
What if...
...the Federal Reserve actually convinced anyone they are being helpful?
What if...
...I HAVE to go neighborhood caroling now?
(gotta find the flask...)