F-16 Fighter Fires At School In New Jersey

www.nbc10.com ^ | 3:56 pm EST November 4, 2004 | www.nbc10.com

[crushelits]

F-16 Fighter Fires At School In New Jersey

Incident Happened On Training Mission

LITTLE EGG HARBOR, N.J. -- A National Guard F-16 fighter jet on a nighttime training mission Wednesday fired 25 rounds of ammunition that tore through an intermediate school. No one was injured.

The military is investigating the incident that damaged Little Egg Harbor Intermediate School shortly after 11 p.m. Police were called to the area when a custodian heard what sounded like someone running across the roof of the school. The custodian was the only person in the school at the time. Police Chief Mark Siino on Thursday said police officers noticed punctures in the roof. Ceiling tiles had fallen into classrooms and there were scratch marks in the asphalt outside the building. The 2-inch long bullets are made of lead and do not explode, said Col. Brian Webster, commander of the 177th Fighter Wing of the New Jersey Air National Guard.
 It was unclear why the shots were fired, Webster said.

[crushelits]

US HomeLand Security keeping a watchfull eye over your school.

I thought "I saw Bin Laden with Kerry" he said later at a news conferece

hahahahhahah just kidding...

[Publius6961]

Angry parent?

[Pharmboy]

LOL! Ya got me!!

[glock rocks]

First question, did the pilot think he was on target?

That is a very good question.

[BillCompton]

Mike Dupuis, president of the township's Board of Education, said there were no precautions the school district could have taken to prevent such an incident.

Don't you just know this was in response to a really stupid question by a reporter.

[Coachm]

Yes but yout taxes are real low.

[archy]

National Guard folks do some pretty strange things. In 1992 at Fort Stewart, GA, a Tennessee NG Artillery unit landed a round near one of the housing areas. They had their azimuth (or whatever you call them) was way off. Fortunately there were no injuries. Unit commander was relieved of duty.

Long, long ago, in the days when I was a tank gunner, we were on a night firing exercise shooting the main gun [105MM, then] at an illuminated target. The idea is that the tank commander picks the right target and directs the gun into the general area using his override controls, then lets the gunner fine-tune the signt picture and nail the target spot-on. Trouble was, this guy couldn't find the light, and seesawed us back-and-forth nearly to the point of seasickness a couple of times.

Anyway, on this target, representing an enemy tank, he finally picked up a light, and screamed at me over the intercome to fire at it. So I did, though it struck me at the time that the main gun, just to my left side, was at a bit more elevation than usual. Oh well, orders is orders; ON THE WAY!....BOOM!

Happily, the target survived, though they figured that the round impacted some 12 miles away. Shortly thereafter, I became the tank commander, and the less-than-picky-about-his-targets buck sergeant became a motor pool NCO. The planet Venus is still up there.

[Coachm]

yout=your

[nw_arizona_granny]

ping

[Gunrunner2]

I'd have to say, based upon strafing for a living in my A-10, it is highly unlikely the pilot could have "burped" the trigger for only a 25 round burst. These ain't WWII fighters we are talking about where the guy walks bullets and you can count the rounds. With a firing rate of, what, 6,000 per minute, that would mean he pulled the trigger for only micro-micro--micro-fraction of a second (I don't do math in public). Leads me to believe short circuit as cause, but of of course. . .those might have been the last remaining rounds and he did squeeze a shot. . .who knows until the mishap report comes out.

[Keith59]

I am a retired comptroller from a F-16 Air National Guard Wing, I even worked at State Hq under then Gov Bush. Not that I am name dropping...lol. But we had an incident where a dummy bomb dropped off one of our air craft and feel through a two story house. Thank goodness no one was home. The house was about 2 miles from a remote training area. Please understand at 600 mph a 1,000 feet or even 2 miles pass in a flash.

We investigated and took action. I am sure the same will happen in New Jersey. Training is necessary and accidents happen. Thank God no one was not at school. Lets trust that the pilot did all he could to minimize the risk and give the Military and FAA time to investigate. Regardless of what those at DU say everything isnt a cover up.

I suggest we also pray for the pilot, I wouldnt want to be in his shoes as he tires to accept what he has done.

Keith

[Coachm]

ROTFLMAO...while understanding the seriousness of the mistake of course.

[politicket]

As long as it was a public school, supported by the NEA, and COMPLETELY empty of human beings then I would look at this as a heroic act! The pilot should get promoted to a full bird colonel!

In fact, the military might want to practice with some of their JDAM's and "bunker busters".

[cookcounty]

a firing range, for fighter jets, 3 1/2 miles from a school? Is that possible?

[Blueflag]

hmmm... the F-16 has an integral 'gattling gun' cannon with an ammo drum behind the cockpit.

look here for the poop.

http://www.f-16.net/f-16_armament_article5.html

[TruthShallSetYouFree]

Any truth to the rumor that the school's French teacher surrendered?

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Pilot shaking fist: "NEVER AMOUNT TO ANYTHING, HUH?"

This is serious and could have been tragic. Nothing to be making jokes over...and for some reason I can't stop laughing at that mental image.

I wonder if he was listening to "How do you like me now"?

[glock rocks]

LMAO. Congrats on your promotion.

[politicket]

New Jersey public schools were closed Thursday because of a teachers convention.

Do public school teachers ever TEACH?

There are A LOT of times that I drive by our local "indoctrination center" and the parking lot is empty.

[Gunrunner2]

I am (former) a fighter pilot that flew the A-10. Strafing profiles for the pop-gun 20mm is a 2,000' slant range for the shot. And for low angle strafe that also means being way low (below 1,000').

The shot cooking off at 7,000' is highly, highly weird.

Again, I remind all, the F-16 has an electric firing pin, not a mechanical pin, and 25rnds is way, way unlikely for an inadvertent/unintentional burst. Physically not possible for the pilot to burst only 25rnds.

Just me talking.