erm....woooops...... USAF

[y2blade]

HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah — An F-16 pilot misidentified a rented sport utility vehicle when he blasted it with a 20mm cannon during a late-night training exercise in April, according to an Air Force investigation.

The military said the pilot momentarily lost visual contact with a target while using night-vision goggles at the Utah Test and Training Range.

Moments later, he misidentified the parked SUV and hit it with rounds from the plane’s cannon. It was about 1.5 miles away from the target, which was a mock armored personnel carrier.

Two soldiers from Fort Lewis, Wash., inside the SUV received minor injuries as they scrambled to get out and call for the mission to be aborted.

Lt. Beth Woodward, a spokeswoman for the 388th Fighter Wing at Utah’s Hill Air Force Base, said the SUV was parked in an appropriate observation spot during the training exercise. The area was closed to the public.

The pilot’s name was not released Wednesday.

Woodward said the pilot is a major in the Air Force with more than 800 flying hours in F-16s.

Prior to the April 8 incident, the pilot had been certified to lead four-plane formations. Woodward said that certification has been revoked while the he undergoes additional training.

The incident prompted a review of training procedures, including air-to-ground coordination during training missions at night. Woodward said changes were made. She said she couldn’t provide details out of security concerns.

“We are fully committed to keeping the range a safe place to practice the skill sets needed to bring airpower to the enemy,” Col. Scott Dennis, 388th Fighter Wing commander, said in a statement.

[KingRichard]

Is he supposed to be pointing that thing over here?

[mybrainhurts]

story said:

Prior to the April 8 incident, the pilot had been certified

Then let loose in an F16...

[y2blade]

"yeeeee haaaaaw Mav......go get'em"

Edited by y2blade on Thursday 26th February 15:09

[Don1]

Yanks and friendly fire. You would have thought they would have learnt by now...

[collateral]

US friendly fire joke in t-5..4..3..

ETA dammit!

Edited by collateral on Thursday 26th February 15:10

[BigLepton]

y2blade said:

“We are fully committed to keeping the range a safe place to practice the skill sets needed to bring airpower to the enemy,” Col. Scott Dennis, 388th Fighter Wing commander, said in a statement.

Provided the enemy are actually in an entirely different vehicle from what we were looking for and 1.5 miles away in the other direction. . . . . . .

Staill, at least he hit something.

[IanMorewood]

y2blade said:

Woodward said the pilot is a major in the Air Force with more than 800 flying hours in F-16s.

Pilot was a Major in the USAF.

[y2blade]

y2blade said:

Two soldiers from Fort Lewis, Wash., inside the SUV received minor injuries as they scrambled to get out and call for the mission to be aborted..

what were they doing? a bit of "bonding"

Edited by y2blade on Thursday 26th February 15:18

[Puff Puff]

1.5 miles away from the target he 'momentarily lost'

[elster]

IanMorewood said:

y2blade said:

Woodward said the pilot is a major in the Air Force with more than 800 flying hours in F-16s.

Pilot was a Major in the USAF.

Yeah now he gets promoted

[jammy_basturd]

Personally I would say its less of the pilots fault, and more of however decided it would be good for two people to sit in that vehicle on the range during a live training exercise!

[y2blade]

jammy_basturd said:

Personally I would say its less of the pilots fault, and more of however decided it would be good for two people to sit in that vehicle on the range during a live training exercise!

the in-car CCTV picked this up at the time of the incident

[baldy1926]

Dont forget the old war time saying-
When the Germans fire the English duck.
When the English fire the Germans duck.
When the Americans fire Everyone ducks

[Burnham]

Those guys are lucky it was only his cannon and not a Hellfire or something!

[rhinochopig]

Ok wrong target entirely, but that's an impressive grouping from 1.5 miles away. Some people would struggle to achieve that with a sniper rifle, laid flat and motionless - never mind doing 400kts at several hundred feet.

[Cookie172]

Looks like he'll be flying a cargo plane full of rubber dog st out of Hong Kong from now on

I don't think the article says he was 1.5m away from the SUV, just that the SUV was 1.5m away from his proper target

Edited by Cookie172 on Thursday 26th February 15:42

[BigLepton]

rhinochopig said:

Ok wrong target entirely, but that's an impressive grouping from 1.5 miles away. Some people would struggle to achieve that with a sniper rifle, laid flat and motionless - never mind doing 400kts at several hundred feet.

He didn't hit it from 1.5 miles away, that was haw far away from the correct target the SUV was. For all we know the F16 could've been 200yds away from the SUV when he fired!

[Tony*T3]

All those rounds and he didnt kill anyone.....


no wonder he's getting some 're-training'....

[LukeBird]

Bloody hell, the two guys in that SUV must have had the fright of their lives when they were blasted with 20mm cannon fire...!