Helluva a flyby...

[varmint]

http://www.linkinn.com/_Plane_Explosion_Over_Pacific_Ocean



F-14, somebody want to start speculating as to what went wrong?

[Porsche-O-Phile]

One way or another, it'll be blamed on pilot error.

[javadog]

Maybe not. See below.

JR

[Joeaksa]

Originally Posted by javadog

In fact, it was. The pilot survived that one but not the next time he crashed an F-14.

JR

More info pls?

[javadog]

He was doing a flyby of a ship in a carrier battle group, and was near supersonic, at low altitude, and had the plane in a hard turn. At the time, the engines used in the F14-A had problems with compressor stalls in high angle-of attack, high speed, high air density conditions. Other sources claim a problem with the oiling system on one of the engines. Not sure the Navy ever figured it out. He ejected and was rescued, along with his RIO.

JR

Edited to correct some factual errors. There are a couple conflicting accounts of this incident floating around the net, confusing the crashes of two different jets flown by different pilots.

[javadog]

Here's an account by the pilot:

"I was the pilot in the front seat of the jet which is featured on the video, and here’s what really happened:

My RIO and I launched on a mission to fly low-altitude high-speed fly by’s of the USS JPJ. Our mission was to give the JPJ an airborne target to detect, track, classify, and simulate launch against. We departed the airspace of the USS Lincoln and were “handed off” to the JPJ for their control. We were operating in a clear sector and were working with another VF-213 aircraft which was assigned the same mission. Basically, we and the other aircraft were taking turns making low altitude passes by the JPJ, all for the benefit of their training.

On our first fly by of the JPJ, something went wrong right as I initiated a climbing right hand turn, up and away from the ship. Lacking any better explanation the aircraft “blew up.” The accident board fixed blame on a problem with one of the engine’s oil systems. They found this possible cause in a statistical search of Navy Safety Center mishap records. However, neither they, nor I, nor anyone else knows exactly what went wrong. At the time of the mishap we were around 800 feet and were traveling 600+ knots.

My RIO initiated ejection somewhere around two seconds after our aircraft spontaneously combusted. We were tumbling wildly out of control, perilously low, and there was fire all around us. Fortunately, my RIO’s quick actions saved both of our lives. By the grace of God we survived, and although we both suffered burns his were far worse than mine---his seat in the aircraft being closer to the source of fire.

The JPJ steamed smartly over to where we were bobbing in the water, comfortably sitting in our grotesquely small rafts. At that moment of the incident we were not enjoying the feeling of salt water on fresh burns. The JPJ launched a motor whale boat, got us out of the water, and took us aboard the JPJ for some quick first aid and a short visit with some of the crew. A helo from the Lincoln was dispatched. It picked us up and flew us back to the carrier where we spent the next few days under the microscope of a comprehensive physical evaluation and many, many hours of mishap board interviews. I thank God for the video tape which documented the incident. Without it I was going to have trouble explaining why we failed to bring our $30mil jet back to the carrier with us."