Fighter jet avoids passenger plane (DRW)
 

Fri "Northern Territory News"

Fighter jet avoids passenger plane
By Chris Carter
September 5, 2003

A US Marine Corps F/A-18 fighter jet was forced to fly low over a Darwin suburb to avoid a commercial passenger plane, it was learned last night.

The RAAF admitted residents were alarmed as the F/A-18 screamed over their homes at 300m.

A report to Wing Commander Douglas Phelan, commanding officer of RAAF Base Darwin, said the jet had to fly low because of an "emergency".

The drama happened at 8.20pm on Tuesday when one of two US Marine Corps Hornets returning to Darwin airport lost radio communication.

The second F/A-18, flown by the commanding officer of the visiting Marine Corps, led the first plane to make a "blind" landing on runway 29 and then began climbing again to leave the no-radio aircraft free to land.

As it reached 300m, an air traffic control officer instructed it to "immediately" turn left.

This was so it could keep a "safe distance" from a large commercial passenger plane, which was 24km from the airport. It is believed the passenger aircraft was a Boeing 737 or Dash 8.

The Hornet flew low over Winnellie and The Narrows before landing. The RAAF received several complaints about noise.

Wing Cdr Phelan said a loss of communication in an F/A-18 was a serious problem. "The pilot loses visibility of the airspace and what is going on around him," he said.

"He must have total communication with air traffic control.

"The only thing out of the ordinary was that an aircraft had to fly lower than he would normally be allowed to fly."

Wing Commander Brett Gill, who is in charge of air traffic control for both military and civilian aircraft, said the commercial aircraft was not in danger.

Northern Territory News

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Really?

Why didn't he just use see and avoid? It's supposed to be just as good as using a radio.

Fighter jet avoids passenger plane
By Chris Carter
September 5, 2003


F/A18 Flown by 1/2 Croc 1/2 Topless woman

Pictures page 3



;)

Sounds like it would have been impressive to see.

300 metres; oh my god, 1000 ft, what an absolute catastrophe!!

Must have been a croc driving the fighter for the NT News to make it a story.

Strange they didn't mention the point!

Guess it didn't actually bite anyone.

halas

So let me get this one straight....

One hornet has a comms problem, so his dash 2 leads him in for a pairs approach (standard). Lead conducts overshoot from short final to allow sick jet to fullstop (standard). Lead overshoots and is advised of traffic at about 14nm. Levels at 1000' and makes a level turn.


said a loss of communication in an F/A-18 was a serious problem. "The pilot loses visibility of the airspace and what is going on around him," he said.

Just confirm aircraft going around is a fully servicable fighter aircraft with a experienced pilot with a servicable AI radar? And he somehow now poses a threat to safety? I thought the dodgy comms jet was on the ground?

I know the NT News is a laughing stock but surely this is a high water mark in journalistic ****...

When did the "DINGO" learn to fly a F/18;) :p

Call me naieve, I havn't been around long, but is loss of communication a more serious problem to an F18 than it is to any other aircraft?

I know they are old aircraft, but surely they have other ways of avoiding colision. At the very least the airliner has TCAS and, if all else fails, shock horror, the crew of the airliner and guidance of good old ATC???????????

Loss of Comms......No problem to most well experienced operators............

Double Asymmetric..................

DUDE!!! Can I borrow this? This is without a doubt the best description I have ever heard!! Nice one...............:ok: :ok: :ok:

Jerricho...all yours.

Pullock, why would a comms problem in a hornet be worse than any other aircraft? The pilot was the CO of the unit, ie experienced, he is in a fighter with a air intercept radar so his SA is going to be above anyone else airborne. If it was a USMC hornet it was almost certainly a C/D model, not very old at all (not that this is important), certainly younger than most of the clapped out dinosaurs flogging around in GA.

Anyway, I think the point is being missed....the dodgy jet was led in for an uneventful landing by his wingman. The jet that went around was servicable. Where's the problem, or am I missing something?

My god, fancy a fully servicable jet coming within 24 kilometres of RPT traffic. Heaven help us all!

A load of Croc.
 

DA - stop it, you're killing me...!!!:}

Truly this is a red letter day for aviation journalism. At last the NT times can claim the most inane aviation report ever. Maybe tomorrow we'll read:

Upset pilot turns late base: "Air Traffic forced me to extend downwind" he cries.:{

As per the other punters here, one thing truly bothers me: what the hell were the crocs & bikini babes (not) doing on this day to warrant omission from their rightful column space???

Anyway, hats off to the NT times for printing the literary equivalent of pi$$ing on an electric fence.:ok:

The NT NEWS, always a great source of entertainment :rolleyes:
I wonder if they are still following the Pizza war between residents and pizza delivery drivers.
Ash767:ok:

Sun "Darwin Campfire Advocate"

Virgin Blue test Super 737-800

Due to the recent U.S. Marine hornet scare, Virgin Blue have
been testing a new varient of the 737 series, an inside source
has advised this journalist that Virgin hired 120 members of the
Yarrabonga tribe 190km outside Darwin for the passenger reaction tests. The source denies rumours that 68% attended Royal Darwin Hospital suffering whiplash injuries during take-off tests.







http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-..._super_32k.JPG

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No speed resrictions..........you're on!!!

Double A....thank you very much!!!!