L39 Albatros Crashes and Burns in AK Trailer Park, Pilot Ejected...

[FN FAL]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/3613149.html

The aircraft was a Czech-made Albatros L39 two-seat training jet owned by a Las Vegas company, Wilkinson said. The plane left Sitka and was bound for the lower 48 states. No flight plan had been filed.

Searchers found the pilot's body across a ravine from the crash. No one else was aboard the plane, Wilkinson said.

Several witnesses saw the pilot eject from the plane at treetop level with his parachute partly deployed, Wilkinson said.

The National Transportation Safety Board was investigating.
Two FBI agents also planned to go to the crash site, said agent Bob Burnham. "It's a combat aircraft and we have some questions about that," he said.

 

[jeroom]

Looks like the pilot ejected a little too late.

 

[AA717driver]

Shoulda bought the 'zero-zero' option...

The FBI has "some questions" because "it's a combat aircraft". You mean like the 100 others that are operating in civilian hands? Way to go Sherlock. I'll sleep better tonight.

Psssst... Hey! I know where you can actually find some of those Russky MiG's! TC

 

[Gorilla]

Bless him. The ejection decision is one of the most heavily reinforced decisions in military jet training there is. In the Air Force, it's <10,000' and out of control, pull the handles, no exceptions, no delays. Way too many guys over the decades have lost their lives trying to save the airplane, and ultimately ejecting too late and out of the envelope.

This brings up a question I've always had... are private high-performance ex-military jets normally maintained with a functional ejection system? The reason this intrigues me is that ejection/egress is a highly specialized and labor-intensive form of maintenance. You are dealing with rockets, parachutes, and explosive belts and seat kickers. Probably requires a dangerous or hazardous materials license just to maintain the spares for the seat in your hangar.

 

[FN FAL]

Shoulda bought the 'zero-zero' option...

The FBI has "some questions" because "it's a combat aircraft". You mean like the 100 others that are operating in civilian hands? Way to go Sherlock. I'll sleep better tonight.

Psssst... Hey! I know where you can actually find some of those Russky MiG's! TC

It's a combat "style" aircraft!

Cessna markets their lowly C-208 in a military "style" configuration. The military uses corporate type jets to "combat" the "war on drugs". Airliners were used effectively by religious people in "combat" against Americans.

I guess it's all in how you want to market "hysteria".

I don't blame the FBI for going up there to check it out, but you'd think that the agent would have phrased his statement better.

 

[Pugh]

Call me ignorant but what exactly does the FBI have to do with it? Can't you just buy an L39 off of Ebay?

 

[Spooky 1]

Bless him. The ejection decision is one of the most heavily reinforced decisions in military jet training there is. In the Air Force, it's <10,000' and out of control, pull the handles, no exceptions, no delays. Way too many guys over the decades have lost their lives trying to save the airplane, and ultimately ejecting too late and out of the envelope.

This brings up a question I've always had... are private high-performance ex-military jets normally maintained with a functional ejection system? The reason this intrigues me is that ejection/egress is a highly specialized and labor-intensive form of maintenance. You are dealing with rockets, parachutes, and explosive belts and seat kickers. Probably requires a dangerous or hazardous materials license just to maintain the spares for the seat in your hangar.

You are correct on all the above. The materials are the big issue and yes it is very, very expensive to maintain these systems, so some people just ignore it and hope for the best!

 

[blzr]

i bet Al Kider has a few of them jets.

 

[RockyMnt1]

The L-39 that I flew had current/active ejection seats. There is a company that specializes in maintaining these seats and, yes, it is expensive.

 

[Ill Mitch]

It's a combat "style" aircraft!

Cessna markets their lowly C-208 in a military "style" configuration. The military uses corporate type jets to "combat" the "war on drugs". Airliners were used effectively by religious people in "combat" against Americans.

I guess it's all in how you want to market "hysteria".

I don't blame the FBI for going up there to check it out, but you'd think that the agent would have phrased his statement better.

Well true, it is more of a trainer than anything else, but there are combat variants flying out there in some military forces.
The one that happened to crash wasn't one of them, tho.