As ORAC rightly says, when your unique cockpit safety feature/indication that you are carrying live rounds is duct tape what can possibly go wrong
.....I assume the world has moved on ....
Originally Posted by
Harley Quinn
25 May 1982
14 Squadron Jag GR.1 XX963/AL shot down 35 miles north-east of Bruggen by 92 Squadron Phantom FGR.2 XV422. Pilot ejected safely. Definitely a Sidewinder, presumably an AIM-9L.
It wasn’t me, I wasn’t there (honest).... but whilst the F-4 force (in the U.K. at least) was just getting 9L’s in early 82 I’m pretty sure the missile involved in this accident was very fortunately a 9G. I say “very fortunately” because the opinion was if it had been a 9L the Jaguar pilot might have suffered a much worse fate (due to different fusing logic and warheads, Golf vs. Lima.....and to think those pesky QWI’s thought I was asleep during their Friday PM lectures)..
As to why that one happened, well there are various versions of a long story but if you train day in, day out to operate certain switches in an almost automatic manner......