When an F-111 Collided with a Pelican …

By Alex in Auto & Transportation, Weapons & War on Apr 19, 2008 at 3:54 pm

What happened when an F-111 fighter jet collided with a large pelican? It’s amazing that the pilot recovered the plane and landed safely:

AN F-111 was left "shredded" and incapacitated and was forced to make a spectacular emergency landing after hitting a pelican.

The jet was flying at 900m on a test bombing raid at Evans Head, northern NSW, when a pelican struck the fibreglass nose and was sucked into an engine.

The two RAAF crew are being hailed as heroes by their colleagues for their skilful recovery and landing on April 11. The damage, included a hole in one wing. Aviation experts said flying the plane would have been extremely difficult because the aircraft would have been unstable.

Story by James O’Loan and Alex Dickinson: Article | Gallery – via OhGizmo!

Neat stuff from the NeatoShop:

AMR
Apr 19th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
“…No one was injured and there was no structural damage.” Commodore Hart said.”
Uh? Besides the shredded front?
Chad's Wife
Apr 19th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
yeah but you should see the other guy!
Alannah
Apr 19th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
Mutant jet crashing pelicans of steel. Watch for them.
pridesax
Apr 19th, 2008 at 10:54 pm
wow, that’s amazing. It reminds me of the mythbuster’s show.
Parker
Apr 19th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
Pelican ftw.
So all anyone has to do is release a shitton of birds when under fire by jets.
meghan
Apr 20th, 2008 at 1:46 am
“Repairs to the F-111- one of 21 active jets – are expected to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

That sounds like no structural damage to me.
Viola
Apr 20th, 2008 at 3:13 am
Fly monkeys, fly! -cackle-
ted
Apr 20th, 2008 at 5:41 am
Structural damage obviously refers to damage other than what is seen here. They’d drop a hundred thousand like it’s spare change.
Desmondus
Apr 20th, 2008 at 8:00 am
Surely that was no HUMAN pelican.
jack.wh
Apr 20th, 2008 at 8:24 am
OMG! The poor pelican!
fsmarch
Apr 20th, 2008 at 10:29 am
So, what happened to the pelican?
jessleigh
Apr 20th, 2008 at 11:29 am
It is hard for me to imagine a pelican doing this much damage. I have always had a fear of the plane hitting something while we are flying. *shudder*
Skipweasel
Apr 20th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
That’s ‘cos it’s not their hundred thousand dollars!
DrJones
Apr 20th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
This story is actually a bit older than the article lets on. It is one of the many tried and failed shots during the filming of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The director, Speilberg, wanted a bigger plane for a bigger explosion, but the newer planes of the day were too “structurally sound” and therefore did not give the desired “boom.” In frustration, Speilberg decided to go with the less structural and, obviously, period WWII plane. The use of seagulls in final production was due to the high cost of pelicans and no one cares for seagulls.
Larfin Jackarse
Apr 22nd, 2008 at 3:18 am
@ DrJones.

Perhaps they used pigeons dressed up as seagulls? Cos then no-one DEFINITELY would have cared.

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