What if.....

[Jimmytee]

So your comment was commenting?

What if... it was?

[Heatnbeat]

As sad as it is they were lucky to save 1. Not good odds.

[53driver]

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.

[53driver]

What if...
...."And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, “Fear not! For, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ, the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

And THAT is what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown. ♥

[jm21ddd15]

What if...
...."And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, “Fear not! For, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ, the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

And THAT is what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown. ♥

I'll second that!

[Heatnbeat]

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.

[53driver]

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.

[jm21ddd15]

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.

[Heatnbeat]

Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night!

[taxfree4]

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