Thoreau72
DP Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2012
- Messages
- 29,638
- Reaction score
- 7,644
- Gender
- Male
- Political Leaning
- Libertarian
Eye witnesses who are ignorant of aviation are fairly unreliable. An explosion sound does not have to be an explosion, airframe failures can cause sharp loud noises.
It wouldn't be unheard of, the military flies their airframes far harder and longer then any civilian operator ever would, and the military doesn't have to meet FAA regulations, their aircraft do not have to be type certified, Nor receive an airworthiness certificate.
Years ago a surplused c-130 doing wildfire operations under a forest service contract suffered a catastrophic airframe failure where the wings separated. Witnesses reported hearing an "explosion" in that incident as well
All that is true, I agree.
Yes, I do remember that sad video of the wings snapping on the fire fighting aircraft, no doubt a very high time airframe working with chemicals in a very hostile environment.
What makes me wonder about this accident, is not so much the reports of sounds from witnesses, but rather that the cockpit and cabin were separated by about a mile, descending with no comments at all (apparently) from the crew. My bet is that something more than a simple mechanical failure, powerplant or airframe, was involved.
Because it's military with secrets, we will never know for sure.
Being from Seattle I suspect you might work with Boeing, and therefore way more informed on military issues and histories than I, but I'm curious if there has ever been a similar accident for the type?