here's your refueling jet crash, also today..... at least this crew seems to be ok, I have a very sad feeling about the Marines aboard the Herc.....
ABOARD THE USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (AP) - A U.S. jet crashed on this aircraft carrier's deck late Wednesday, spraying sparks as it skidded to a halt but causing no injuries, said the ship's spokesman. Lt. John Oliveira said the two-man S-3B Viking refueling plane crashed at 7:44 p.m. as it landed on the USS Theodore Roosevelt, which has been launching warplanes toward Afghanistan since arriving in the Arabian Sea in mid-October. Before attempting to land, the plane had been in the air for about 20 minutes, flying above the carrier on a refueling mission, said Oliveira.
"The plane was coming in OK, but its right-hand side landing gear came off when it hit the deck," said a 19-year-old seaman who witnessed the crash
from an observation area on top of the carrier's control tower. "Sparks were flying underneath the side of the plane that had collapsed. I think the pilot was very lucky, (because) if the wire didn't catch the plane it could have skidded right off the flight deck," the seaman said on condition of anonymity. Returning planes aim to catch one of four thick metal arresting wires that run across the carrier's flight deck. The wires help bring the planes - returning at high speeds - to an immediate halt. Hundreds of gallons of liquid foam were instantly sprayed over the deck around the plane to prevent any fire from catching. The ship's captain, Richard O'Hanlon of New York, later confirmed that the plane's landing gear had collapsed on touchdown.