Here's some nut who agrees with Kris. The inaccuracies and distortions
in it are pointed out in rec.aviation.military.
From: "Coyote" <wnoll@worldnet.att.net>
Newsgroups: rec.aviation.military
Subject: A-10 Shot down by Air Force
Date: 10 Apr 1997 03:51:57 GMT
Organization: Arizona Desert
An A-10 pilot decides to fly to Colorado. With 4 500 lb bombs. Why?
The pilot was going to "take out" The Denver Federal Courthouse, and
Timothy McVeigh. However, the Air Force, to prevent such a renegade act,
shot him down.
The pilot, Button, was single. He was normally stationed in Texas, which is
very close to Oklahoma City, OK. Perhaps Lt. Button had a relation in the
Alfred Murro Federal Building (which was blown up by McVeigh last year) and
he is just now enacting his revenge. The Fed. Courthouse in Colorado has
been "hardened" from attack on or underground. But from the air?
The A-10 flew almost a dirct route towards Vail. I doubt the pilot had the
necessary sectional charts with him for that portion of Denver, since his
OPS were supposed to be at the Goldwater Bombing Range near Gila Bend. In a
moment of silence, he aimed his plane in an approximate NNE direction and
set autopilot for the long haul.
Now consider that the airplane, flying at a decent altitude, was painting
radar screens all over the southwest! Especially since it did not have its
transponder or IFF equipment activated. Don't you think the ATCs at Sky
Harbor and Albuquerque were pulling their hair out with this craft?!?!
Especially since it was going way too fast for a civilian joy-pilot.
However, the Air Force has been rather silent about THEIR capability to
track! Luke AFB, Yuma MCAS, Davis-Montham AFB would have been tracking him
with their own powerful radars (plus any associated with bases in NewMexico
like Holloman or White Sands; Colorado; and Wyoming).
After about half an hour of flight, (which puts the A-10 in NE Arizona) the
Air Force finally figures out they have a renegade. Sure, they probably
tried to talk him down, but he is commited! They finally scramble either
F-15s, F-16s, or FB-111s from either Luke, or bases in Wyoming or Nebraska
to intercept.
Now we know the pilot had to have been flying due to circling manuevers
outside of Vail. He was either getting his bearings for an attack run on
Denver (remember..it's after lunch recess at the Jury selection) or he is
aware of the interceptors, and is now defending himself through stealth
means (since he has no air-air capability).
All aircraft are outfitted with ELTs (Emergency Locator Transmitters) that
are quite capable of withstanding crashes, and activate during one emitting
a radio beacon that can be picked up by searchers or a satellite. If the
A-10 merely crashed, where is the ELT? The fighters shot down the A-10,
utilizing missiles to create a secondary explosion onboard the craft with
the 500 lb bombs. Even though the bombs may not have been "armed", they are
still packed with explosives!
This enormous explosion probably went unnoticed due to the unusual
snowstorm and terrain of the Rocky Mountains. If the wreckage is exentually
found, but scattered, then it was shot down. Localized wreckage will
indicate a mere collision mid-air with a mountain.
Why would the Air Force do such a thing? Consider the embarrassment! The
nation would be outraged, and the Air Force en masse would be grounded
pending hearings and investigations. Also the potential "cover-up" would
only involve a small group of pilots, controllers, and officers.
--
RoR-Alucard | http://www.pigdog.org
~worship no false kibos~