PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Ukrainian Aircraft down in Iran
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Old 9th Jan 2020, 15:39
  #226 (permalink)  
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Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: florida
Age: 81
Posts: 1,609
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Salute!

As Mozella points out, it is not unheard of to have SAM operators and others tracking commercial aircraft. So the theory that an unintentional/accidental launch happened is worthy of examination. However, if that is the case then I doubt the government would be quick to admit such.

Our very own NORAD had "accidental" shootdowns back in the day, and I went thru one pressure chamber training session with a troop that was shot down by an F-102. The Deuce pilot had failed to confirm a weapon system evaluator missile ( inert warhead and motor) was loaded, and a live AIM-4 used for load crew training was launched. We went the full distance when carrying WSEM's, including opening the bay doors and extending the missiles on their trapeze launch rails so the seeker could lock on. For the nuclear Genie on my VooDoo, we rotated the bay door and confirmed the targeting data was sent to the rocket and then the fire signal. Our live nukes had a whole different buncha layers of security and such, as you can imagine. However, I did get to touch them when pre-flighting and cocking my plane on the alert pad. During some inspections and exercises we got them outta the bomb dump and actually loaded a few. You know, "war games" !!

So it is possible a SAM site was tracking the airliner and a safety interlock failed or was incorrectly set. I have a problem with the launch crew not turning off the guidance signals ( if the thing was command guided like ones I saw over Hanoi and not a radar/optical seeker). And even the semi-active seeker types can go "dumb" if you turn off the tracking radar.

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