Viper driver with luck

Blitzmädel

Active member
Found this story on http://www.f-16.net/aircraft-database/F-16/mishaps-and-accidents/airforce/RDAF/


RDAF F-16A (RDAF Serial E-175) Crashed near Fole, South Juttland. 05 Apr 1983
It was the first loss for the Danish. The aircraft crashed due to lightning strike. The pilot, 2nd lieutenant Kim Robert Juul, ejected safely.

In about 2,000 feet the aircraft came down through a heavy rain cloud, when a lightning suddenly hit the starboard side of the radome. Almost every warning light came on and the pilot called out a MAYDAY to Skrydstrup Approach. The aircraft was flying normally until the hydraulic pressure started to go down to 1,000 PSI (normal pressure is 3,000 PSI), then suddenly the aircraft made a powerful pitch-up and since there were no response to the stick, the pilot ejected.

The aircraft then made a full loop and came back inverted towards the pilot, who by now was hanging in his parachute, but luckily it went past him. On his way down he found out that he was going to land on a field were a horse was standing. Trying to steer clear of the field he almost made it when the dinghy, hanging on the line under the pilot, hit the horse on the back and the frightened animal ran away. After he landed on the field, he got up only to discover that the horse was coming back in a very bad mood. Jumping over the barbwire just minutes before the horse got to him 2nd lieutenant Juul then made his way to the nearest farm house and contacted the air base and within 20 minutes the SAR helicopter arrived.


I guess someone was lucky that day :thumb:

Cheers
Kristina :cheers:
 
Very unusual for a lightning strike to actually cause an aircraft to lose control function. Our pilots would report lightning strike and we'd check all systems, rarely finding problems. We'd always look to see where the lightning actually hit and, more importantly, where it exited. If there was no exit, it meant there was a huge electrical potential somewhere!
Love to bit about the horse - could have been worse - an angry bull.
 
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