Military Jet Drops Errant Bomb in PA

[Rose Siding]

FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. -- Military officials are investigating why a jet fighter accidentally dropped a 25-pound practice bomb on a hiking trail a mile from its intended target in southeastern Pennsylvania.

No one was injured when the grapefruit-sized bomb fell on the trail Oct. 13 during a training mission for a pair of A-10 Thunderbolts. The bomb created a crater about 6 inches wide in the trail.

The plane that dropped the bomb was assigned to the 111th Fighter Wing at Willow Grove Naval Air Station, said Col. Chris Cleaver, spokesman for Fort Indiantown Gap, an 18,000-acre military training site managed by the Pennsylvania National Guard.

The plane has been grounded while officials investigate what caused the bomb to drop incorrectly. Investigators have already ruled out pilot error as the cause, Cleaver said.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-brf-errant-bomb,0,6747190.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines

[Ediacara]

1. What I want to know

Besides why this bomb was dropped in the wrong spot of course, is WHAT THE FUCK IS ITS TARGET DOING A MILE FROM A HIKING TRAIL!?

[havocmom]

3. Wondering that my self. Maybe they figure liberal tree huggers are more

likely to e out hiking than anyone from the RW-fundie base :shrug:

[Anakin Skywalker]

13. GMTA

Damn! My thought's exactly! :)

[havocmom]

14. Hey there, Anakin Skywalker!

Welcome to the ranks of the evilDUers! :hi: :evilgrin:

Looking forward to reading from you around here. Good to have you on the team :toast:

[Anakin Skywalker]

16. Thanks for the kind words, HavocMom!

:)

[Tight_rope]

20. I'd like to know that also. WTF?

:wtf:

[ZR2]

23. Yep

What kind of idiot would put a hiking trail so close to a bombing range.

[havocmom]

2. Isn't PA a swing state?

hmmmmmmm

[grannylib]

4. Practicing to be able to hit heavily-Democratic precinct voting sites?

[Mikimouse]

7. The bomb was undoubtedly smarter than the pilot...n/t

[Quadrajet]

5. Maybe it was * making up for that lost flying time back in the '70's?

[BrotherBuzz]

6. Rove's October surprise was....

a dud.

[Atman]

8. A six-inch wide "crater?"

And the "bomb" was only the size of a grapefruit? Hell, they could have dropped a can of Pepsi and done that much damage. Even more if the bombadier had shaken it first!

[happyslug]

9. If you know the area this is NOT that uncommon.

My old National Guard Artillery unit once droped a round in the State Game land (This as in the 1980s).

You must understand Ft Indiantown Gap. Behind it is State Game land almost as big as the Gap. In the middle of that State Game Land is the Appalachian trail (Note the NAME of the trail is NOT mentioned in the Article).

The Gap Impact Area (where all live rounds are to hit) is so small that our 105mm Howitzers were restricted to "Charge 2" Charges (out of the Seven charges in a 105 Howitzers). Charges are one way to adjust range, the more charges the longer the range. Charge 2 kept the rounds within the base. One time a unit fired a charge 5, and the round ended up in the Game lands.

Just a comment on the Gap, its impact area and the Game land behind the base (and the NAME of the trail the round hit).

As to the "Six Inch" hole, this probably was a "air-burst" i.e. set to go off just above the ground so that the blast kills the most people. Ground impact devices lose a lot of their "Killing power" being absorbed by the Ground. Thus Air burst are preferred in military operations.

Here is a Pennsylvania Game Commision Map of the Game Land hit (Ft Indiantown Gap is to the left on this map). Note the Impact Area is less than 1000 feet away from the State Game lands. The map north is to your Right in this map. The Gap is SOUTH of the Game Land.
http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/lib/pgc/counties/maps/211A.pdf

http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/lib/pgc/counties/maps/211A.pdf

[Historic NY]

17. we have had this in NY as well

Down near West Point (USMA) the surrounding mountains are loaded with old unexploded ordinance. Every couple of summers the cadets set off a brush fire with live stuff that spreads up onto the mountain. The sad thing is most of the stuff up there is from the 19th century. Lots of old stuff when the old Cold Spring foundry used to proof their cannons by firing shells across the river into the mountain. The government spent some time removing as many shells as possible near the hiking trails over the last few years. Imagine 150 yr old stuff still packing a punch.

[foo_bar]

19. not to mention Osage Avenue

[truthisfreedom]

10. i, for one, am glad that practice bombs are grapefruit-sized.

6 inch craters sound good to me.

[happyslug]

11. When We "practiced" we used Live ammunition

"Practice" Rounds were reserved for examination and training at the base (Such rounds had not explosives in them). To my knowledge the air boys do the same. A six inch round hole does NOT tell me HOW much explosive was in that bomb. Most rounds are air burst for MAXIMUM blast effect. A ground impact of a round REDUCES its blast effect on people. Thus most rounds are design to blow up IN THE AIR with little of NO cratering effect.

[Spinzonner]

12. This is what happens when

you think about going Blue

You have been warned Pennsylvania !

[doreme]

15. Why on Earth

would we want to bomb the Errants. Do they have WMD too?

[UpInArms]

22. Welcome to DU doreme!

Glad to have you here :hi:

[JSJ]

18. dumbshit military at it again nt

[RivetJoint]

24. Yeah, nothing but

a bunch of dumbshits...thanks for your support.

[Pert_UK]

21. Your secondary targets are a mime school & an accordion factory...

Genius.

What was it that Bush said? "Terrorists never stop looking for ways to attack the US, and neither do I".....or words to that effect.

[underpants]

25. Did you Pennsylavanians get the damned message YET?!?!?

This is what Cheney is warning you about-vote for them or die. Got it?!?!?

[rocktivity]

26. Suddenly, this story in The Onion doesn't seem that funny

Cheney Vows to Attack U.S. if Kerry is Elected

...Added Cheney: "It would be a tragedy to suffer another attack on American soil, let alone one perpetrated by an enemy as well-organized and well-equipped as I am. My colleagues and I urge voters to keep their safety in mind when they go to the polls"...

:headbang:
rocknation