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DANIEL LEE's avatar

Steve, as a prior fighter pilot who flew on/off aircraft carriers, and a Navy test pilot, I was watching this closely. First, both video should never have been "leaked" (Navy rules), but with the proliferation of cell phones, it is bound to happen. The video from the fantail is interesting from three aspects: 1) no one is supposed to be on the fantail (deck below the flight deck at the aft end of the carrier) during flight operations in case someone does have a "ramp strike", 2) you just see a puff of smoke right after the jet crosses the ramp, which could be smoke coming off the the main tires as the spin up, and 3) you can vaguely see the pilot add a lot of power (exhaust turns slightly darker) at about 1/4 miles, which is an indication the pilot was attempting to climb and perhaps wave-off. But frankly, because you don't see anything but smoke after it passes overhead, it could have been any F-35. In other words, there is no way to know for sure if it was THE JSF that crashed. The other video, however, is a LOT more informative. And aircraft carrier has a PLAT camera mounted on the centerline of the flight deck, and is carefully aimed down the centerline of the glideslope to the number 3 wire (there are 4 wires in case the aircraft is a little high or low of the glideslope). The PLAT video is available on every TV within the carrier (a channel option), so pretty much anyone can watch it during flight operations, and many do. With a perfect pass, the aircraft would be in the middle of the crosshairs throughout the pass. From that video, it is clear that the JSF sinks below the desired glide path and never adds power to correct. You can also see the flight controls move dramatically right before it hits the flight deck. I can't detect any additional exhaust nor reduction in sink rate, so it doesn't appear power was added, but you can see the angle of attack increase right before he hits (the nose starts to pitch up), which means the pilot was attempting to decrease the sink rate, but this just adds more drag and doesn't arrest the sink rate. The flight control movement and increased angle of attack are clear indications that the pilot was in control, but the jet was simply unrecoverable half way or 3/4 the way through the pass. As an engineer, you will understand a comment about the energy state...he got behind the power curve and was doomed at that point. But what I don't understand, as a test pilot and prior carrier pilot, is why. The flight controls and engine performance of 4th and 5th generation flighters have advanced so much that it has become much easier to land safely on an aircraft carrier. The F/A-18E/F Superhornet (what I flew) has what they call "the magic carpet", which when engaged (automatic flight controls and throttle controls), results in a perfect pass every time. And while I haven't flown the JSF, it supposedly has an even more advanced and capable system. One of the main reasons that the Navy has invested a lot of time and money in developing automated flight controls is in case aircrew are injured during flight. So if this pilot was experiencing a lot of pain in his chest, why didn't he/she engage the "magic carpet"? The pilot had at least enough awareness to move the flight controls and pitch up, and then eject after hitting the flight deck. Perhaps we will never know. Anytime there is a mishap, the Navy conducts a Class Alpha investigation, and they use the concept of "privileged information" to attempt to determine the cause of the mishap. And while "privileged information" isn't classified, it is treated as such to protect witnesses. But from my experience and judgement, a "vaccine injury" would make a lot of sense. Landing on an aircraft carrier is one of the most difficult and mentally/physically challenging phases of flight a Navy carrier pilot goes through: if you are 100%, it usually goes well, but if not 100%, it can turn south very quickly. Any distraction (like pain in your chest) would be enough to quickly get into an unrecoverable position. My two cents.

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rocketman's avatar

As a former military officer (USAF), I’m encouraged by the bravery of Dr. Samuel Sigoloff, Lt. Col. Peter Chambers, and Lt. Col. Theresa Long in stepping forward and disclosing the DMED data. But I’m also appalled that there aren’t hundreds if not thousands of officers standing by their side speaking the truth. If this is any indication of the integrity of our military’s leadership, we might be in worse shape than we think.

When I took my oath as an officer, I distinctly recall swearing to defend the Constitution against ALL enemies, foreign and DOMESTIC. Sociopaths in our three-letter agencies who are killing hundreds of thousands of Americans with their lies concerning the vaccines and their war against early treatment are clearly domestic enemies. OFFICERS OF THE U.S. MILITARY, STAND UP AND BE COUNTED IN THIS ATTACK BY DOMESTIC ENEMIES ON OUR CONSTITUTION!

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