Only in America! (US fighter fires on school)

[Victor]

http://www.theage.com.au/news/World/US-fighter-fires-on-school/2004/11/05/1099547364443.html?oneclick=true

[350HP930]

Can you copy the story, the site required registering.

[Victor]

Sure:

A National Guard F-16 fighter plane mistakenly fired off 25 rounds of ammunition at the Little Egg Harbour Intermediate School in South New Jersey overnight.

The pilot was meant to fire the rounds about five kilometres away at a military target range, Lieutenant-Colonel Roberta Niedt of the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs told reporters in the Jersey shore township's police headquarters.

No-one was injured as school was out and a lone custodian was inside the building when the bullets hit.

Damage was minimal, with the non-exploding, 20 millimetre bullets leaving puncture marks in the school's roof and the asphalt outside the building.

The fighter jet was part of the 113th Wing, District of Columbia Air National Guard assigned to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.

An investigation was being conducted into how the pilot mistook the school, located on Frog Pond Road, for a target range.

- Reuters

[928ram]

A NJ National Guard pilot fired 25 live rounds into a school last night(empty except janitor, who wasn't hit); the target was some 3 1/2 miles away. Back to the simulator.

[Victor]

That janitor must have crapped his dacks though.

[Adam]

Maybe the pilot was an ex-student...

[350HP930]

Locating an aircraft shooting range just a few miles from a school does not seem that wise.

[UconnTim97]

Originally posted by 350HP930
Locating an aircraft shooting range just a few miles from a school does not seem that wise.

Only in Jersey!

[oldE]

Here in Canada, we're a little sensitive about F-16 National Guard pilots hitting "friendly targets". He probably thought the school was firing at him. :-(
Les

[on-ramp]

are we sure Bush wasn't flying that plane? perhaps a little too trigger happy after winning the election.

[928ram]

Locating an aircraft shooting range just a few miles from a school does not seem that wise.

Locating a school that close to a shooting range might not of been so wise either?

[rcecale]

Originally posted by 350HP930
Locating an aircraft shooting range just a few miles from a school does not seem that wise.

This is a perfect example of the "wrong thinking" mentality of the left.

Let's take a real good look at what we have here. Not being from the area or even knowing for sure which came first, logic would put it in THIS order.

Target Range: Open, undeveloped land for miles. There is virtually NOTHING there, except for maybe a building or two (with parking lot)...placed there BY THE MILITARY for the purpose of maintaining the range, i.e., targets, fire control, etc.

Elementary School: Most likely built AFTER the target range was set up. Locals knowing full well that the range was there, but anticipating "the military would have to do something about it eventually."

I've seen this happen several times. In Southern California, Marine Corps Air Station El Toro. The base was built in the 40's in the middle of nowhere "at the time". Surrounded by miles and miles of orange groves and farmland.

In the late 60's/early70's, a land developer builds a housing community a "couple of miles" from the end of the runway. Not just ANY housing community, but Leisure World, a retirement community. The base was there, but people bought anyway. Years later, the residents determine the base is too loud and has to leave. SHEESH

Same base, a decade or so later, the local government decides to build a hispital, just a mile or two away from the base...right under the flight path of aircraft in the approach/holding pattern. After the hispital is built, the officials determine it's too loud and again, the base has to do something about it.

To say that the military "located the range that close to the school" is just plain ignorant. There was NOTHING to locate there. The open land was there first!

Randy

[widebody911]

Originally posted by rcecale
This is a perfect example of the "wrong thinking" mentality of the left.
Either prove it's the "left" or step off with that attitude.
[/B]

[rcecale]

It's left.

I said it...it must be true. Your turn to step off.

And besides, my Presidential Candidate can beat your Presidential Candidate, so there!

Randy

[Tim Walsh]

Also realize 25 rounds is almost nothing to that gun. It's cyclic rate is 6600 RPM. That was one quarter of 1 seconds worth of fire, from 7000 feet.

[MFAFF]

Doesn't really matter which came first or how long a burst it was....the bullets where in the 'wrong' place.

If he can't find the target then he needs more training and if he has a 'hot nose' so far from the range he needs to be retrained as well.

Only in America can we actually complain about it and voice our concerns....as nobody is right this one..

[RickM]

Janitor reportedly said the rounds hitting the building sounded like "someone running on the roof". Woof.

[rcecale]

Originally posted by MFAFF
Doesn't really matter which came first or how long a burst it was....the bullets where in the 'wrong' place.

If he can't find the target then he needs more training and if he has a 'hot nose' so far from the range he needs to be retrained as well.

Only in America can we actually complain about it and voice our concerns....as nobody is right this one..

From the article:
A National Guard F-16 fighter plane mistakenly fired off 25 rounds...

The pilot was meant to fire the rounds about five kilometres away at a military target range...

An investigation was being conducted into how the pilot mistook the school

MFAFF, I sure that's exactly what is going to happen. Plus, a whole lot more.

Randy

[MichiganMat]

mistakes happen.

[rcecale]

Regretfully so, Mat. Surely this guy didn't intend to shoot the school. He fuched up, no doubt about it. The military isn't trying to excuse it away, they are dealing with it.

This is why we train.

Randy