Digital Murders
01-21-2004, 09:15 AM
A US airforce practice bomb has been dropped on the Yorkshire countryside.
A spokesman for the United States airforce (USAF) said the training bomb landed in an area near Holme on Spalding Moor - six miles south west of Market Weighton in East Yorkshire.
The BDU-33 bomb, which weighs 25-pound and produces smoke on impact, caused an 18-inch crater in an asphalt track which is part of an old airfield now owned by Allied Grains.
The accident happened at about 1715 GMT on 8 January.
The device was dropped from an RAF Lakenheath F-15 fighter jet.
It was an inert practice bomb and no-one was hurt in the incident.
First Lieutenant Augustine Ekpoudom said the bomb had caused a crater 18 inches in diameter.
He said the incident was "an extremely rare occurence".
"Public safety is always our primary concern," he said.
"There were no injuries, limited property damage, and the inert munition was recovered.
"The F-15E Strike Eagle was conducting a routine training mission at the time of the incident.
"Trained and experienced base personnel including Ministry of Defence, and local constabulary authorities responded to the scene and an investigation team is determining the cause of the incident."
Alan Marsland, who farms land near to the site the bomb landed, said: "It went through the asphalt on this old airfield which is now owned by Allied Grain. Luckily no-one was around."
Aren't there procedures and some tests to do before a bomb is released? I didn't think this would be possible.
A spokesman for the United States airforce (USAF) said the training bomb landed in an area near Holme on Spalding Moor - six miles south west of Market Weighton in East Yorkshire.
The BDU-33 bomb, which weighs 25-pound and produces smoke on impact, caused an 18-inch crater in an asphalt track which is part of an old airfield now owned by Allied Grains.
The accident happened at about 1715 GMT on 8 January.
The device was dropped from an RAF Lakenheath F-15 fighter jet.
It was an inert practice bomb and no-one was hurt in the incident.
First Lieutenant Augustine Ekpoudom said the bomb had caused a crater 18 inches in diameter.
He said the incident was "an extremely rare occurence".
"Public safety is always our primary concern," he said.
"There were no injuries, limited property damage, and the inert munition was recovered.
"The F-15E Strike Eagle was conducting a routine training mission at the time of the incident.
"Trained and experienced base personnel including Ministry of Defence, and local constabulary authorities responded to the scene and an investigation team is determining the cause of the incident."
Alan Marsland, who farms land near to the site the bomb landed, said: "It went through the asphalt on this old airfield which is now owned by Allied Grain. Luckily no-one was around."
Aren't there procedures and some tests to do before a bomb is released? I didn't think this would be possible.