| Subject: Re: F117 still flying after it's "retirement" |
| From: Airyx |
| Date: 20/10/2010, 22:09 |
| Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy.area51,rec.aviation.military |
On Oct 19, 4:52 pm, "thoms...@flash.net" <thoms...@flash.net> wrote:
it seemed as if there was some question as to whether the wings and tail were designed
to be removable,
Ah. More looking around indicates that there isn't a question, at
least as far as the wings are concerned:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B02EEDA1F3CF930A25751...
National News Briefs; Stealth Jet Crash Is Laid To Maintenance Error
Published: December 13, 1997
MIDDLE RIVER, Md., Dec. 12— Military technicians who failed to install
four of five fasteners on the left wing of an F-117A jet caused the
September crash of the $42 million stealth fighter during an air show
in a Baltimore suburb, the Air Force said today.
A monthlong investigation by a five-member Air Force panel into the
crash found that the wings were removed and reinstalled last January
as part of a maintenance check. That was most likely when the four
fasteners were left off, according to an Air Force report released
today.
Two other maintenance checks, including one prompted by a pilot's
complaint about too much flexibility in the wing, failed to detect the
problem.
The pilot parachuted to safety with only minor injuries. No one on the
ground was hurt
It landed crashed right down the street from my grandmother's house.
My uncle went out to check on the pilot.