EvanL
06-19-2004, 04:49 PM
By JOE FRIESEN
UPDATED AT 4:44 PM EDT Saturday, Jun 19, 2004
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The Canadian military added an extra hazard to one of the country's most famous golf courses yesterday when a CF-18 fighter jet dropped a missile packed with high explosives on the sandy surface of the Yellowknife Golf Club.
The missile dug a new bunker in the course driving range when it slammed into the ground just after 7 o'clock in the morning. The weapon did not explode, and no one was injured.
"It's a live missile, so it has a warhead and it has its rocket motor," said Captain Dave Muralt of Canadian Forces NORAD command in Winnipeg. "But it was not armed. . . . Everything has to be set for this thing to fire and for the warhead to explode. So it has a whole bunch of different safeties built into it."
Bob Kelly of the Northwest Territories Department of Transportation said an air traffic controller noticed something fall from the plane as it made its approach to Yellowknife airport. It took an RCMP search team over an hour to find the lost missile in a practice area of the region's best-known golf club.
The fairways of the Yellowknife course are almost entirely sand, with few trees to trouble wayward swings. Players carry small mats of artificial turf, on which they place the ball before hitting from the fairways. The greens are made of artificial turf.
A midnight tournament is held on the weekend of the summer solstice each year.
Golfers tee off at 12 a.m. and play through the 24-hour sunshine. This year's tournament, which is expected to attract tourists and golfers from far and wide, is scheduled for next weekend.
"It would have been a different outcome if it had happened at that point," acting Yellowknife mayor David McCann said. "I guess that's the risk of having your golf course next to your airport."
The city was abuzz with the news yesterday, according to physician Rahul Khosla. Even the prisoners at the local jail where he sometimes works were taking a keen interest.
"It's not everyday your town gets bombed by your own military," Mr. Khosla said. "I suppose it creates a bit of tension and anxiety."
The missile was an AIM-7 Sparrow, an air-to-air radar guided weapon that the Canadian military has used since the CF-18 went into service in 1982. Having sustained some damage in the fall, the weapon will be recovered by an explosive disposal team from Cold Lake, Alta.
It is the largest weapon to ever fall off a CF-18 by accident. Since 1990, four other rockets have been dropped accidentally. The AIM-7 Sparrow is by far the heaviest.
"It's bigger around than a CD but smaller than a dinner plate. So it's fairly hefty," Capt. Muralt said.
The pilot was lifting the nose of the airplane as he approached the landing strip when the weapon fell. No explanation for the accidental release has yet been offered.
"He wasn't going very fast and wouldn't have been at a very high altitude," Capt. Muralt said. "He would have been relatively low and slow."
The aircraft was in transit to Inuvik, where it was to take part in a North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) operation.
"We're sending some aircraft up to keep an eye on the Russians," Capt. Muralt said. "The Russians have got military exercises going on in the Arctic and we're sending some airplanes up to keep an eye on things, which is pretty normal for us."
Yellowknife residents are already anxious for their golf course to reopen. Mr. McCann said his office has fielded calls from citizens demanding to know when they can hit the links again.
The acting mayor said the course should be able to open again tomorrow, and will certainly be ready in time for the midnight-sun tournament next weekend.
UPDATED AT 4:44 PM EDT Saturday, Jun 19, 2004
Advertisement
The Canadian military added an extra hazard to one of the country's most famous golf courses yesterday when a CF-18 fighter jet dropped a missile packed with high explosives on the sandy surface of the Yellowknife Golf Club.
The missile dug a new bunker in the course driving range when it slammed into the ground just after 7 o'clock in the morning. The weapon did not explode, and no one was injured.
"It's a live missile, so it has a warhead and it has its rocket motor," said Captain Dave Muralt of Canadian Forces NORAD command in Winnipeg. "But it was not armed. . . . Everything has to be set for this thing to fire and for the warhead to explode. So it has a whole bunch of different safeties built into it."
Bob Kelly of the Northwest Territories Department of Transportation said an air traffic controller noticed something fall from the plane as it made its approach to Yellowknife airport. It took an RCMP search team over an hour to find the lost missile in a practice area of the region's best-known golf club.
The fairways of the Yellowknife course are almost entirely sand, with few trees to trouble wayward swings. Players carry small mats of artificial turf, on which they place the ball before hitting from the fairways. The greens are made of artificial turf.
A midnight tournament is held on the weekend of the summer solstice each year.
Golfers tee off at 12 a.m. and play through the 24-hour sunshine. This year's tournament, which is expected to attract tourists and golfers from far and wide, is scheduled for next weekend.
"It would have been a different outcome if it had happened at that point," acting Yellowknife mayor David McCann said. "I guess that's the risk of having your golf course next to your airport."
The city was abuzz with the news yesterday, according to physician Rahul Khosla. Even the prisoners at the local jail where he sometimes works were taking a keen interest.
"It's not everyday your town gets bombed by your own military," Mr. Khosla said. "I suppose it creates a bit of tension and anxiety."
The missile was an AIM-7 Sparrow, an air-to-air radar guided weapon that the Canadian military has used since the CF-18 went into service in 1982. Having sustained some damage in the fall, the weapon will be recovered by an explosive disposal team from Cold Lake, Alta.
It is the largest weapon to ever fall off a CF-18 by accident. Since 1990, four other rockets have been dropped accidentally. The AIM-7 Sparrow is by far the heaviest.
"It's bigger around than a CD but smaller than a dinner plate. So it's fairly hefty," Capt. Muralt said.
The pilot was lifting the nose of the airplane as he approached the landing strip when the weapon fell. No explanation for the accidental release has yet been offered.
"He wasn't going very fast and wouldn't have been at a very high altitude," Capt. Muralt said. "He would have been relatively low and slow."
The aircraft was in transit to Inuvik, where it was to take part in a North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) operation.
"We're sending some aircraft up to keep an eye on the Russians," Capt. Muralt said. "The Russians have got military exercises going on in the Arctic and we're sending some airplanes up to keep an eye on things, which is pretty normal for us."
Yellowknife residents are already anxious for their golf course to reopen. Mr. McCann said his office has fielded calls from citizens demanding to know when they can hit the links again.
The acting mayor said the course should be able to open again tomorrow, and will certainly be ready in time for the midnight-sun tournament next weekend.