Military helicopter shot at over Virginia, injuring a crew member

[sarisataka]

Source: CNN

A US Air Force helicopter was shot at near Manassas, Virginia, on Monday injuring one of two pilots on board, according to an Air Force official.

The UH-1N was flying 10 miles northwest of Manassas on a routine training mission at an altitude of 1,000 feet when the incident occurred. It landed safely at Manassas Regional Airport west of Washington, DC, and the pilot was taken to hospital where they were treated and released, the official said.

The incident is now under FBI and Air Force investigation to determine if the helicopter was deliberately shot at or if someone was randomly shooting into the air. The aircraft will be closely inspected for other damage, the official added.

The airport operations officer Richard Allabaugh reported its air traffic control tower was notified of an "an onboard emergency on a military helicopter that was inbound."



Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/12/politics/fbi-investigating-air-force-helicopter-shooting/index.html

[ExciteBike66]

1. The North shall rise again?

Edit: Gee, if this was intentional that is a hell of a shot.

[getagrip_already]

2. slow flying helicopters at low altitude aren't that hard to hit...

Especially if you fire a lot of shots. It's probably just luck they hit the cockpit somewhere. They didn't sy what the injury was. could have just been glass or a piece of metal causing a cut. They didn't say bullet wound, so it makes me think something else.

But what yahoo would shoot at a helicopter anyway? It will almost certainly result in a swarm of planes, copters, and surface vehicles.
if you wanted them to stay away, you achieved just the opposite.

[jayfish]

5. At 1000ft altitude?

The distance of the shot would have probably been even further? Sounds like BS to me.

[marble falls]

7. Three football fields and change. Not all that high up.

[atreides1]

19. AR-15 Maximum Effective Range

Is 400 to 600 meters. 400 meters equates to 1312 feet/ 600 meters equates to 1968 feet. It's very possible.

[jayfish]

20. Not talking About The Hardware...

and I'm not saying it's impossible. I'm talking about a layman hitting a flying object at 1000ft altitude. Also, as I said earlier, the chopper being 1000ft up doesn't' mean it was 1000 ft away from the shooter. It was likely much further away. If it wasn't a layman then that's a whole different problem.

[marie999]

21. Who said it was a layman, by using layman I assume that you meant not an expert shot.

We don't know what type of weapon was used or how many rounds were fired.

[GulfCoast66]

23. Yeah, it possible. But 1000 feet is a hell of a shot.

Especially at a moving target.

My deer rifle conceivably can hit a target at over 800 yards. But I would never try one over 300 yards.

I hope they catch the person that did it.

[muriel_volestrangler]

28. I imagine shooting *up* is also far harder

Having to allow for the trajectory due to gravity.

[sarisataka]

32. You made me do math

assuming the shot was from a quarter mile away, 1320 ft, at a helicopter at 1000 ft, the straight line distance is 1656 ft. 552 yards is well within range of any rifle. To hit a specific point would be a stretch for an average shooter but to simply hit a helicopter somewhere wouldn't take more than a few shots, quite possibly hit on the first try.

[AllaN01Bear]

3. if found , jail time .

[keithbvadu2]

6. Even if a random shot in the air; jail time.

Even if a random shot in the air; jail time.

[marble falls]

8. and loss of weapons and all rights to own weapons.

[3Hotdogs]

15. O'Noooooos, not give up the gunz.

How will he ever get another hard-on?

[ResistantAmerican17]

13. For your perusal from the Texas Tribune' January 2, 2020

A Houston Woman Was Killed by Celebratory Gunfire on New Year’s Eve

Psych nurse Philippa Ashford was standing in her driveway when the bullet came down.

[iscooterliberally]

14. Yes, unfortunately this is a thing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celebratory_gunfire

[GoneOffShore]

16. All the time in Philadelphia on New Year's

It used to be just South Philly, but over the last couple of years it's all over the city.

Glad I'm not there anymore.

That, among other reasons.

[ResistantAmerican17]

17. Apparently LA is a free fire zone on NYE.

[GoneOffShore]

18. I've heard that.

I now only have to worry about stray shots out in the countryside when la chasse is happening.

Glad to be here and not there.

[stopdiggin]

4. kinda' hope some f*ckwit gets a real good spanking

over this one. I would rather suppose that there are some people pretty POd people in connection. Expect for some resources brought to bear.

[IronLionZion]

9. Resisting tyranny?

[just us]

11. B caught soon

they have gps coordinates and angle of shot, not long now.

[lagomorph777]

25. I sure hope so. Somebody's looking at a loooooong sentence.

[djacq]

12. I Pray that the Pilot and Crew is well.

The UH-1N is one of about 20 same aircraft assigned to 1st Helicopter Squadron, Joint Base Andrews.

I was assigned to this unit for 8 years of my 24 years of military service in the Air Force.

1st Heli
First and Foremost.

[haele]

22. In the bad old days, it would be because they inadvertently flew over a "grow" area or

an anti government compound in the hills.

'Course, I doubt there was a grow area around Manassas. That used to be a pretty upper middle class suburb whenever I was stuck in DC.

Haele

[lagomorph777]

26. Not upper-class in the several decades I've been around here.

[Polybius]

24. Probably a random shot in the air

Without military-grade weapons/radar, it would have been a million to one shot.

[sarisataka]

33. Tricky, definitely

and the deflection could make it more or less difficult but very possible with any hunting rifle.

[Polybius]

34. I will admit my knowledge is limited on guns, so let me ask you this

Would it have been easier if the shooter had a high-powered semi-auto with 100 rounds? If he or she shot 100 rounds at it, I would imagine there would be a better chance of one hitting, no?

[sarisataka]

35. It depends

hi power means more recoil so follow up shots are more difficult.
Semi autos usually have buffers so follow up shots are easier.
Something like a bolt action is typically more accurate so has a better first shot hit.
Semi allows 'spray and pray' so you can go for quantity instead of quality, though there are very accurate semi autos.

Boiling it down to the base- what it the best chance to hit a moving target at long range, the semi auto will give the greatest chance of hitting.

[Devil Child]

27. Didn't realize the Army of Northern Virginia had an Anti-Airship Brigade.

[okaawhatever]

29. Heck yeah. They funded it w/influx of $$ from battle flag sales

to Trump supporters.

Kidding. Just kidding

[muriel_volestrangler]

30. How do you think they brought this down?

https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4605

[jayfish]

31. That's So Fake.

The belt buckles are not period appropriate.

[NutmegYankee]

36. That and the guy with his foot on the head...

Has his cartridge box all around to his back, which would be very uncomfortable. The round seal should be more to the left.