Pelican takes on F-111....

[Wildcat]

.... and loses!

THIS "shredded" and incapacitated F-111 soared across southeast Queensland homes before a spectacular emergency landing at Amberley Air Base.

The jet was flying at 900m on a test bombing raid at Evans Head, northern NSW, when a pelican struck the fibreglass nose and was sucked into an engine.

See pictures of the damaged jet here

The two RAAF crew are being hailed heroes at the base for their skilful recovery and landing on Friday of last week.

The damage, which can be seen in these classified photos obtained by The Courier-Mail, included a hole in one wing. Aviation experts said flying the plane would have been extremely difficult because the whole aircraft would have been unstable.

A RAAF spokesman admitted the 30-minute flight path back to Amberley, 50km west of Brisbane, was over built-up areas.

The nation's air combat chief, Air Commodore Neil Hart, said the jet's predicament and "precautionary emergency landing" was not serious enough to alert the public.

". . . No one was injured and their was no structural damage," Commodore Hart said.

"One engine was working fine, while the other was at reduced power."

He described the circumstances of the incident, which happened between 10am and noon, as near freakish. "It's a surprise thing at 3000ft to have a bird strike," he said.

"It's certainly not the way we want to operate all the time. The boys did a great job in getting it home."

Repairs to the F-111 – one of 21 active jets – are expected to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Initially the pelican bounced off the nose before being sucked into an engine.

Its impact smashed the plane's ray-dome before causing an immediate engine failure.

The damaged aircraft is expected to be flying again within a month. The F-111 fleet, built in 1974, will be retired in 2010 when an expanded fleet of new Super Hornets is introduced.

At the time of the incident the F-111 was cruising at more than 550km/h. The Air Chief played down fears the flight path endangered homes across the region, though he conceded there were homes in the flight path.

The pilot and air combat officer in the plane were both "reasonably experienced" flight lieutenants, he said.

An Airservices Australia spokesman said the organisation was aware of the incident and granted clearance for the trip from Evans Landing to Amberley.

Pelican damages F-111 mid-flight | The Courier-Mail

[wilbur1]

Bloody pelican what the heck was it doing at 3000 feet?

[Micdrow]

Dang lucky to bring the aircraft home.

[wilbur1]

Yea no kidding, that nose had to of been floppin all over the place! talk about turbulence!

[Graeme]

Originally Posted by Wildcat

.... and loses!

Somehow Wildcat, I think WE as taxpayers have lost!

(Did you ever see the "chicken cannon " episode on Mythbusters where they explored the damage potential of frozen vs 'fresh' chickens?)

[evangilder]

Yikes! Must have been an interesting ride home with the nosecone smacking on the side of the fuselage, on one engine. It's better though than the pelican coming through the windshield.

[Flyboy2]

THAT IS CRAZY

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Originally Posted by wilbur1

Bloody pelican what the heck was it doing at 3000 feet?

I have seen birds up at 5000ft and above before.

[Wildcat]

Originally Posted by Graeme

Somehow Wildcat, I think WE as taxpayers have lost!

True, and I can't see that as being a cheap job to repair. B*stard pelican!

[Watanbe]

My opinion of Pelicans has been reduced due to this event!

[evangilder]

While the Vark no doubt got pranged, I would bet the pelican got the worse end of the deal.

[Gnomey]

Somehow I think that would be the case Eric Still a lot of damage from one bird and a good thing it didn't hit the windshield.