Remains of Second Pilot Found in Iraq

[wakeme2008]

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Iraq-Missing-Pilots.html





Remains of Second Pilot Found in Iraq
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: May 4, 2005

Filed at 5:18 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Investigators on Wednesday located the remains of the second of two Marine Corps fighter pilots whose planes crashed in south-central Iraq earlier this week, an official said. The remains of the first pilot, identified by officials as Maj. John C. Spahr, were found on Tuesday.

Earlier Wednesday, officials disclosed that wreckage of both Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets had been found, and they said the search for the second pilot was continuing.

..more at link

:( :( :(

[rzemanfl]

1. Can any aviation buffs come up with other situations where two

planes collided and neither pilot was able to eject successfully? Seems odd to me unless they collided head on or a munition one of them was carrying detonated.

[wakeme2008]

2. sounds strange one did not get out

edited I see how high they were 30,000. One was away from his plane but still in his ejection seat... That just sounds a little strange.

[rzemanfl]

4. Killed by Iraqis after he hit the ground? n/t

[mn9driver]

9. Still in the seat means it didn't function fully, if at all.

Normally the seat would be jettisoned after it does its job.

[mn9driver]

7. It's not unusual.

When a midair occurs, even a "mild" one, it's common for big, important parts to come off. The impact and/or subsequent g forces/gyrations are very often not survivable. Many documented cases, unfortunately.

[Lexingtonian]

8. in this case

it sounds as if the collision happened over (though, if they are lying about the altitude, it may have been in or on the edges of) the sand storm. The ejection seat parachutes probably collapsed when the pilots dropped into the storm's sand-filled wind shear zones.

A very sad and terror-filled end.

[Stella_Artois]

10. Not if he was still in his seat

If he was in his seat, the chute never deployed. Its probable that he never ejected.

[daleo]

3. I would like to know what they were up to.

After all, Chimp and Rummy say that Iraq is now free and democratic so why fly high performance jets so dangerously? Unless maybe they were up to some Iran shenanigans. Or "security operations in El-Anbar province".

[rzemanfl]

5. Seymour Hersh, who tells the truth, unlike those other guys, says

the Navy is bombing every day over there.

[mn9driver]

6. I was hoping they would find him alive.

His name was Kelly. He was married to Molly and had a 6 month old daughter. Husband to a friend's little sister. Fuck Bush and his fucking war.