Accident? Test?

[hoganshero]

I was wondering if anyone had any idea what may be happening in these photos (beyond the obvious!).
Where I felt it was nessessary I've circled the bomb in red.
http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/599_1087868660_0001.jpg
the bomb appears to have torn off the pylon it was attached to.
http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/599_1087868681_0003.jpg
http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/599_1087868705_0005.jpg
http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/599_1087868727_0008.jpg
http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/599_1087868748_0010.jpg
http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/599_1087868761_0013.jpg
The bomb is now entering from the right (circled)- the plane in the background is an A4(?)
http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/599_1087868782_0015.jpg
You may have guessed where this is leading.
http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/599_1087868813_0019.jpg
http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/599_1087868855_0025.jpg
http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/599_1087868868_0026.jpg
http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/599_1087868884_0028.jpg
http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/599_1087868906_0031.jpg
http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/599_1087868921_0032.jpg
http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/599_1087868937_0036.jpg
http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/599_1087868954_0038.jpg
from another angle
http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/599_1087868970_0049.jpg
and another (odder!) angle the f-18 is above the other plane but the angle does not reveal that
http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/599_1087868997_0051.jpg
http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/599_1087869011_0062.jpg
http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/599_1087869034_0067.jpg
http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/599_1087869065_0079.jpg
From still another angle.
http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/599_1087869080_0082.jpg
http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/599_1087869094_0084.jpg
Any info would be terribly appreciated.
The damaged plane seems out of date compared to the f-18 and at no time is anyone seen ejecting during the sequences. This leads me to believe it is a test but was the pylon ripping off on purpose or was the test to have some other aim and this was an accident? the A4(?) seems to try to swerve out of th eway which seems un-dronelike.

[usa320]

Its a test of some sort. This can be assertained due to the fact that both aircraft are painted orange and white, standard colors for testing.

Aircraft struck appears to be a T/A-4.

Second plane is an early F-18A, or even possibly the YF-17 prototype.

[Midav]

Whoa! Crazy.

[hoganshero]

I wonder if hitting the other plane was part of the test?

[wyrm_142]

That's a single Mk-82SE (Snake-eye) on the inboard station of a TER (triple ejector rack). I don't know the history behind what happened here, but the pilot has the ability to jetision the TER (with what ever is attached to it).

Since it looks rather smooth (at the top of the TER) I'm going to have to say it was ejected, vice 'riped' off the jet.

Why did it run into the A-4? Lack of aerodynamics - and bad luck.

[Uncle Chô]

From the aircrafts, it seems the sequence dated back to 1982/1983.

There was only 2 FSD (Full Scale Development) Hornets dedicated to the armament and systems test. A white TF-18 (FSD Nr 6) painted with high viz orange panels and a single seat F-18 (FSD Nr 7) painted white and royal blue.

We can suppose this is the later involved in this film.

The other aircraft is a chase TA-4J, probably from NAS Patuxent River where most of the armament trials for the Navy usually take place.

The bomb is indeed a Mk 82HD " Snake Eye" (High-Drag) with a TER pylon but it could also be a Mk 36 MODS (rather rare). The white "triangles" marks you see on the body are painted to clearly identify the different sequences from the numerous onboard cameras usually attached to the wingtips or pylons.

They were probably making some emergency jettison tests from the F-18 and the all stuff accidentally hit the accompanying TA-4J. On the diving Skyhawk image with a trail of fuel, it seems the canopy is missing - maybe the crew bailed out?

Since the incident involved a "common" TA-4J and not the F-18 I can't trace it in my documentation about the F-18 development.

[hoganshero]

Great info guys. I wouldn't have been able to come up with this stuff on my own! Would anyone be able to guess what unit the TA4 would have been assigned to?

[cazorp]

I've seen this in a documentary - dont know what they were testing, but I recall it as the Skywak is mistakenly hit by the pylon, while filming the test - pilot ejected shortly after fuel ignited and the plane whent into a spinning flame-ball in the ocean as I recall it..

[shrek]

Cazorp is correct. i worked at a wind tunnel test facility for several years before my current job and watched this film several times. It just goes to show you what bad aerodynamics can do. That's why we test all of this type of stuff in the wind tunnel first now. Curious how? PM me!

[Pooga]

Holy…that's sad. Looks like they were Israeli? Did the Skyhawk pilot get out okay?



Oh, heh. Neeevermind.

[hoganshero]

Is there any likely hood this may have taken place at Naval Ordinance Test Station (NOTS) China Lake, or Naval Weapons Evaluation Facility,
(NWEF) Albuquerque, NM, or is it fairly definately Patuxent?

[wyrm_142]

I'm pretty sure it was east coast. I see what I think is a coastline - and the air is really 'thick' something you don't see at either China lake, or in NM.

[IDFM203]

Holy…that's sad. Looks like they were Israeli? Did the Skyhawk pilot get out okay?
I am just curious and I just want to understand you better, where do you get the idea that they could be Israeli?

Especially since it appears there was a F18 in those pics, and well as far as I know, the IAF doesn’t have any of them.

Shalom :D