Author Topic: Marine pilot falls 3 miles lives (Read 1150 times)

MwRod · « **on:** September 23, 2002, 04:46:03 AM »

Going thru My father's Notes and books. father was a pilot in ww2 and Korea,
I came accross something I never heard before from him,while he was alive. He tells of story watching a Jet pilot refuel and catch fire. Pilots canopy will not blow when pilot pulls cutain. pilot manually opens canopy and jumps out. His chute does not open and he falls from 3 miles up into ocean. He says the "son of a squeak lives". (his own words). I can't read his name well but think its Lt. Judgston or close to it. Does anyone know of this incident and the name of pilot. Had to be a marine or navy pilot and inlate 50's to early 60's I think.

Monk · « **Reply #1 on:** September 23, 2002, 08:00:48 AM »

Thats a MARINE for ya.

Curval · « **Reply #2 on:** September 23, 2002, 08:11:58 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Monk
Thats a MARINE for ya.

hehe..yup.

His drill instructor obviously did not give him PERMISSION to die.

Ripsnort · « **Reply #3 on:** September 23, 2002, 08:19:14 AM »

He may have lived, but I'll bet he died of internal injuries soon after. Hitting water, especially SALT water (denser) is like hitting concrete, once at terminal velocity, they're roughly the same. Could be he had a "streamer" too.

midnight Target · « **Reply #4 on:** September 23, 2002, 09:46:47 AM »

I have heard of a pilot falling many thousands of feet and landing on the steep, icy side of a mountain and living. Hitting the water sounds like a sure bet splat to me.

Hussein · « **Reply #5 on:** September 23, 2002, 10:50:40 AM »

Maybe his chute opened only partially and reduced his landing speed enough for him to survive..

Gman · « **Reply #6 on:** September 23, 2002, 10:55:19 AM »

There is a readers Digest story of an Allied bomber crewman falling, no streamer, no chute at all in fact, nearly 18,000 feet, and landing behind German lines in a marsh.

The german troops in the area found him alive, and upon turning him over to whoever gets prisoners, these Germans declared him PNG, an act of God or whatever, and sent him up through the lines back to Allied forces.

It's been probably 10 years since I've read it, and I never had the interest in WW2 then that I do now, so I'll have to do some checking to find the story.

Ripsnort · « **Reply #7 on:** September 23, 2002, 10:57:21 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Hussein
Maybe his chute opened only partially and reduced his landing speed enough for him to survive..

See "Streamer" above.

Gman, I remember reading that too. Believeable. But, not into just plain water. Thats like a brick.

AKSWulfe · « **Reply #8 on:** September 23, 2002, 11:00:51 AM »

Well, if you hit the water "just right" (fully extended like a pencil, feet first)... the chances of surviving that are fairly high.

But your feet can't be flat, otherwise they'll hit the water like their hitting the ground and buckle your legs.
-SW

Monk · « **Reply #9 on:** September 23, 2002, 11:10:08 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by AKSWulfe
Well, if you hit the water "just right" (fully extended like a pencil, feet first)...-SW

Hehe........of course then you rocket yourself 3 miles deep

AKSWulfe · « **Reply #10 on:** September 23, 2002, 11:16:02 AM »

You decelerate pretty quick in water, especially since the water has more force, the various bends and angles in your body (such as the feet being at a slight angle) will push you more into a curve than straight down.

Either way, it's possible..
-SW

gatso · « **Reply #11 on:** September 23, 2002, 11:16:23 AM »

I was told pine trees are a better target to aim for than water if your chute fails. You'll smash youself up pretty good if you do manage to live through it but I read somewhere that statistically you stand a better chance of survival. The soft branches slow you gradually over a 60ft drop.

Gatso

AKSWulfe · « **Reply #12 on:** September 23, 2002, 11:23:43 AM »

Gatso, maybe so... but how would you like the cause of deceleration to be a couple of branches to the nutz?

Not too fun I imagine.
-SW

Monk · « **Reply #13 on:** September 23, 2002, 11:24:50 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by AKSWulfe

Either way, it's possible..
-SW

Rgr, anything is possible.
How about this, your planes crashes, you step off just as it hits the ground, do you live?

Curval · « **Reply #14 on:** September 23, 2002, 11:25:47 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Gman
There is a readers Digest story of an Allied bomber crewman falling, no streamer, no chute at all in fact, nearly 18,000 feet, and landing behind German lines in a marsh.

The german troops in the area found him alive, and upon turning him over to whoever gets prisoners, these Germans declared him PNG, an act of God or whatever, and sent him up through the lines back to Allied forces.

It's been probably 10 years since I've read it, and I never had the interest in WW2 then that I do now, so I'll have to do some checking to find the story.

I'll back ya up on that Gman...I read it too. No idea where to find it though.