F-18 Down Coldlake AB - pilot ejects safely - Nov 18/2010

[bizjets101]

Not much released other than a F-18 crashed near the Cold Lake base
around O1:30 today - pilot eject and was rescued.

Winnipeg Free Press

[Heliian]

One more reason to buy the f-35. How many F-18's are left now? that's 2 destroyed this year.

[Joe Blow Schmo]

And today's accuracy in journalism award goes to the Winnipeg Free Press!

Text of the above article, my bolding:

COLD LAKE, Alta. - A pilot escaped with only minor injuries when his CF-18 fighter jet crashed into a wooded area near Canadian Forces Base, Cold Lake, Alta.
Capt. Keith Hoey, spokesman for the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre at CFB Trenton, Ont., says the plane was returning from a mission when it went down just before midnight local time.
"The airplane was on final approach. The indications we got from the satellites picking up the emergency transmitter was that the aircraft was about 11 kilometres away from the airport," said Hoey.
He said the pilot had to eject from the twin-engine aircraft "for some reason unknown at this time."
The pilot was rescued more than two hours later by a Griffon helicopter crew from Cold Lake.
Hoey said the emergency response to the crash was immediate.
"I think due to the weather and the fact that it was dark just made it difficult to find him."
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.
The crash is the second in Alberta involving a CF-18 in about four months.
In July, one of the jets exploded in a huge fireball during a low-speed, low-level practice run prior to an air show in Lethbridge.
The pilot, Capt. Brian Bews, suffered back injuries when he ejected from the aircraft just seconds before it hit the ground.
The crash prompted the military to pull such fighter jets from air shows for the remainder of the year.

Why are the Americans investigating?

[godsrcrazy]

And today's accuracy in journalism award goes to the Winnipeg Free Press!

Text of the above article, my bolding:

COLD LAKE, Alta. - A pilot escaped with only minor injuries when his CF-18 fighter jet crashed into a wooded area near Canadian Forces Base, Cold Lake, Alta.
Capt. Keith Hoey, spokesman for the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre at CFB Trenton, Ont., says the plane was returning from a mission when it went down just before midnight local time.
"The airplane was on final approach. The indications we got from the satellites picking up the emergency transmitter was that the aircraft was about 11 kilometres away from the airport," said Hoey.
He said the pilot had to eject from the twin-engine aircraft "for some reason unknown at this time."
The pilot was rescued more than two hours later by a Griffon helicopter crew from Cold Lake.
Hoey said the emergency response to the crash was immediate.
"I think due to the weather and the fact that it was dark just made it difficult to find him."
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.
The crash is the second in Alberta involving a CF-18 in about four months.
In July, one of the jets exploded in a huge fireball during a low-speed, low-level practice run prior to an air show in Lethbridge.
The pilot, Capt. Brian Bews, suffered back injuries when he ejected from the aircraft just seconds before it hit the ground.
The crash prompted the military to pull such fighter jets from air shows for the remainder of the year.

Why are the Americans investigating?

Hoey said the emergency response to the crash was immediate. This is just to funny. It took a Griffon crew 2 hours to do the rescue. Those flying North of Sixty should be comforted how quick the Military can respond if it takes 2 hours to recover something 11 kms away. It never gets dark any were but Cold Lake. This is a pilot that is probably carrying every aid available for rescue on his body and ejection seat.

[Bushav8er]

And today's accuracy in journalism award goes to the Winnipeg Free Press!

Text of the above article, my bolding:

COLD LAKE, Alta. - A pilot escaped with only minor injuries when his CF-18 fighter jet crashed into a wooded area near Canadian Forces Base, Cold Lake, Alta.
Capt. Keith Hoey, spokesman for the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre at CFB Trenton, Ont., says the plane was returning from a mission when it went down just before midnight local time.
"The airplane was on final approach. The indications we got from the satellites picking up the emergency transmitter was that the aircraft was about 11 kilometres away from the airport," said Hoey.
He said the pilot had to eject from the twin-engine aircraft "for some reason unknown at this time."
The pilot was rescued more than two hours later by a Griffon helicopter crew from Cold Lake.
Hoey said the emergency response to the crash was immediate.
"I think due to the weather and the fact that it was dark just made it difficult to find him."
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.
The crash is the second in Alberta involving a CF-18 in about four months.
In July, one of the jets exploded in a huge fireball during a low-speed, low-level practice run prior to an air show in Lethbridge.
The pilot, Capt. Brian Bews, suffered back injuries when he ejected from the aircraft just seconds before it hit the ground.
The crash prompted the military to pull such fighter jets from air shows for the remainder of the year.

Why are the Americans investigating?

And why is a civilian agency investigating?

Glad he got out alright.

[TheCheez]

And today's accuracy in journalism award goes to the Winnipeg Free Press!

Text of the above article, my bolding:

COLD LAKE, Alta. - A pilot escaped with only minor injuries when his CF-18 fighter jet crashed into a wooded area near Canadian Forces Base, Cold Lake, Alta.
Capt. Keith Hoey, spokesman for the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre at CFB Trenton, Ont., says the plane was returning from a mission when it went down just before midnight local time.
"The airplane was on final approach. The indications we got from the satellites picking up the emergency transmitter was that the aircraft was about 11 kilometres away from the airport," said Hoey.
He said the pilot had to eject from the twin-engine aircraft "for some reason unknown at this time."
The pilot was rescued more than two hours later by a Griffon helicopter crew from Cold Lake.
Hoey said the emergency response to the crash was immediate.
"I think due to the weather and the fact that it was dark just made it difficult to find him."
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.
The crash is the second in Alberta involving a CF-18 in about four months.
In July, one of the jets exploded in a huge fireball during a low-speed, low-level practice run prior to an air show in Lethbridge.
The pilot, Capt. Brian Bews, suffered back injuries when he ejected from the aircraft just seconds before it hit the ground.
The crash prompted the military to pull such fighter jets from air shows for the remainder of the year.

Why are the Americans investigating?

Hoey said the emergency response to the crash was immediate. This is just to funny. It took a Griffon crew 2 hours to do the rescue. Those flying North of Sixty should be comforted how quick the Military can respond if it takes 2 hours to recover something 11 kms away. It never gets dark any were but Cold Lake. This is a pilot that is probably carrying every aid available for rescue on his body and ejection seat.

Ah yea the armchair quarterbacking begins early here.

I believe the SAR crews in Cold Lake and Bagot are on a 2 hour reponse time at 0130. We also have no idea what condition or terrain the pilot was in. Sure there's lots of lights/flares etc in the seat. Doesn't help if you're unconscious.

[GoinNowhereFast]

Glad the pilot is ok. Some reporter isn't too bright. Now lets wait for the DFS to do their investigation.

[Moose47]

godsrcrazy - The crew were on SAR standby at home,not at the squadron. Until all the facts are out, perhaps you should refrain from your snide remarks.

[Redneck_pilot86]

There was a hornet in YQT a little over a week ago that had stopped in with some sort of snag on its way to Cold Lake, I wonder if its the same one.

[godsrcrazy]

Moose74 and Thecheez check your pm

[SAR_YQQ]

Textbook SAR response - timing was faster than required standards set out for any and all responses. Want 24/7 reaction? Talk to your MP.

[boeingboy]

One more reason to buy the f-35. How many F-18's are left now? that's 2 destroyed this year.

Dumbest post ever!

[Big Pistons Forever]

Glad to see the pilot is allright......as for the aircraft, from a practical viewpoint it is just going to get treated like a pencil, it is pre-expended stock

[godsrcrazy]

Textbook SAR response - timing was faster than required standards set out for any and all responses. Want 24/7 reaction? Talk to your MP.

Are you saying that Canadian Military Search and rescue is not 24/7. Maybe you can enlighten us on exactly what time they do work.

[SAR_YQQ]

Are you saying that Canadian Military Search and rescue is not 24/7.

We are not a 24/7 operation like your city fire department (i.e sleeping beside the planes). This is what I meant by my comment.

I have launched on SAR missions at 0200hrs to return home 12 hours later - we will go when the pager goes off.

We pride ourselves at having SAR crews at different postures throughout the day - there is never a gap in coverage, just a change in response time.

[BGH]

I'm not in the military,but my dad was search & rescue in the 70's.

At the end of their duty day they went home to family with pagers & an expectation that if called for a "scramble" that they be back to the base as soon as possible & aircraft ready to depart with in 2 hours.As teenagers we were told duing dad's alert times to keep the phone clear as well - even though he had a pager.

The phone could ring at any hour ;on any day of the year & on one occasion they had to send a nodwell out in a blizzard to pick the crew up as nothing could move on the road.Once the sky cleared the lab was ready & enroute as quick as possible.

Daryl

[trey kule]

SAR et al...I believe most of us in aviation understand what a great job you folks do and appreciate it. Over the years I have witnessed folks jumping into snowstorms to look after a downed crew and px. Believe me when I say we are in the majority.

Unfortunatley sites like this, as you are aware, do not have big mouthed idiot filters on them.

Hope the pilot heals up fine.. I am sure he is giving thanks to you.

(and yes, I realize that if they did I probably could not get my comments posted either.)

[burhead1]

Did anyone here what the official report was on the f18 that went down this summer? was it a stall?

[linecrew]

Did anyone here what the official report was on the f18 that went down this summer? was it a stall?

Still ongoing but facts about the loss of power in the right hand engine have been stated here:

http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/dfs-ds ... p?id=11159