Message posted by Magoo on February 27, 2000 at 17:23:46 EST:

I'd have to agree that the fire does not look like it came from an aircraft wreck, and the Global Hawk crashed 300 miles away near Edwards anyway!

B-52H models (the only model left now) carry drop tanks everywhere they fly - they are fixed on the outer wings and are not jettisonable except in an emergency. Even then, I think the crew would rather vent the fuel before attempting any kind of emergency landing, rather than just punch the tanks off full! I doubt a 'Buff' flying within the US would be carrying fuel in the aux tanks unless it was on some kind of long range op anyway.

I think it's quite feasible for that fire to have been caused by drop tanks igniting on impact. The tanks would burn very hot, but only for a short while (1 hour tops). So either Joerg got lucky and saw it just after it happened, or it was caused by something else. The fire would likely have spread to the undergrowth and burnt overnight and into the next day before dying out.

Magoo

In Reply to: Re: Global Hawk Crash posted by Richard on February 27, 2000 at 13:19:46 EST:

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