Massachusetts State Police are asking for public help in finding whoever is responsible for allegedly firing a model rocket at an AirWisconsin regional jet on Saturday. FAA spokeswoman Holly Baker told The Boston Globe that the pilot reported seeing a “spark or firework” in front of the plane as he was descending through 500 feet on final for Logan International Airport. Baker told the newspaper the pilot believed the rocket had been intentionally aimed at the aircraft although the newspaper did not elaborate on how that conclusion was reached.
Source: AV Web
By: J Boyle - 24th January 2008 at 22:48
A similar event….some idiot intenionally rammed a Cessna with an RC airplane.
There’s a photo somewhere of it sticking through the rear fuselage side.
By: robmac - 20th January 2008 at 22:39
I have dabbled in model rockets myself and can tell you that some of the larger rockets that I have built and launched have gone to well over 2000 feet and need a massive field with no winds to launch them or you’d never get them back.
Although they reach huge heights, if one actually impacted a moving aircraft it would do no damage to the airframe, unless it entered the engine intakes, as they are made of nothing but card.
The principles of still intensionally launching one at an aircraft is still utter madness and should not be done. Hope they catch the individual!:mad:
By: old shape - 15th January 2008 at 21:14
How dumb is that!
Not only to launch it, but to sell it in the 1st place. Have you seen some of those “Toy” rockets available in the states? 1,200 feet altitude is possible. Probably more, it was yr2000 when I was last in a US toyshop.
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January 15, 2008 at 1:55 am