allardjd 1,853 Posted April 25, 2016 Report Share Posted April 25, 2016 Norway F-16s Shoot Up Control Tower http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/25/europe/norway-fighter-jets-fire-on-control-tower/ Hmm - this is a whole new angle on the old saw about when a pilot screws up, the pilot dies; when an air traffic controller screws up, the pilot dies. Fortunately, nobody died or was hurt this time. No mention about casualties to underwear, which may have been significant. John 1 Link to post Share on other sites
dodgy-alan 1,587 Posted April 25, 2016 Report Share Posted April 25, 2016 Oops! Link to post Share on other sites
brett 2,284 Posted April 25, 2016 Report Share Posted April 25, 2016 Happened once before too, might be time for a different training area. Link to post Share on other sites
J G 927 Posted April 26, 2016 Report Share Posted April 26, 2016 Firing on a control tower is a very strange thing to do and grossly negligent. Outside of the range target area all weapons systems should have been made safe. Also making an unauthorised attacking run on a control tower with weapon systems that the pilot may have thought safe is still a bad enough breach of discipline. Clearly the pilot of this F16 didn't check his weapon systems and made an attacking run on an unauthorised target, so I think he can kiss goodbye to the Norwegian Air Force at the very least. Link to post Share on other sites
allardjd 1,853 Posted April 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2016 I'm pretty sure there must be more to the story than we're hearing, since the article says it happened once before. I get the idea this is not a classic airfield control tower but a tower at the range location; I believe they said they were "controlling targets". Maybe hard to see and in too close proximity to the hot zone, maybe poor procedures, maybe cowboy pilots - who knows. I doubt we'll ever find out. Happy nobody was hurt. John Link to post Share on other sites
Bruce (a.k.a. brian747) 142 Posted April 26, 2016 Report Share Posted April 26, 2016 I'm with JohnA on this, and the phrase "not unprecedented" also rings true with certain recollections of mine with <*cough*> another Air Force. As I have reason to know from personal experience, these things happen (boys and their toys etc.). https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarva_(Norway) Note that the RNAF has a firing range in the vicinity.... Cheers, bruce a.k.a. brian747 Link to post Share on other sites
J G 927 Posted April 27, 2016 Report Share Posted April 27, 2016 I would normally associate a control tower with an airfield but I guess a tower location to control the activities on a range night seem like a good idea. So I guess it could be within the live firing window of a fast jet, especially as the weapons armed time no matter how short might well carry a fast aircraft over the end of a range before they are made safe. It is still poor discipline I think, but it could be that an attacking run was made from a wrong angle or the weapons discharge was late. We will never know. Who knows, may be a dropped phone, watching repeats of Dallas on the HUD or even lighting a cigarette. A moments lapse in concentration and you have the Norwegian Air Force's equivalent of a pileup on the M25. Link to post Share on other sites
Auger 22 Posted April 28, 2016 Report Share Posted April 28, 2016 I seem to remember reading of a similar incident at an unmanned range tower by a US Navy aviator. His handle was quickly changed to Sniper. Link to post Share on other sites
allardjd 1,853 Posted April 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2016 Quote His handle was quickly changed to Sniper. They were lucky. It could have been "Assassin". 1 Link to post Share on other sites
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