My question is, does anybody actually KNOW, first hand, factually that this
event is true?
This event was written up this month ( "You Heard It Through The
Grapevine", Air and Space Smithsonian Magazine, January 1998, Page 24) as
one example (of several mentioned) of urban legend going around the web as
"true" but without anyone having first hand confirmation.
Good story though, one heck of a trip.
Ray
At 09:21 AM 12/19/97 -0500, nicholsj@oakwood.org wrote:
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>> - Its an annual honor given to the person >who did the gene pool the
>biggest service by killing themselves in the most >extraordinarily stupid
>way. Last years winner was the fellow who was killed >by a Coke machine
which
>toppled over on top of him as he was attempting to >tip a free soda out of
>it.
>>
>>And this year's nominee is:
>>
>>The Arizona Highway Patrol came upon a pile of smoldering metal embedded
into
>>the side of a cliff rising above the road at the apex of a curve. The
>>wreckage resembled the site of an airplane crash, but it was a car. The
type
>>of car was unidentifiable at the scene. The lab finally figured out what it
>>was and what had happened.
>>
>>It seems that a guy had somehow gotten hold of a JATO unit (Jet Assisted
Take
>>Off - actually a solid fuel rocket) that is used to give heavy military
>>transport planes an extra "push" for taking off from short airfields. He
had
>>driven his Chevy Impala out into the desert and found a long, straight
>>stretch of road. Then he attached the JATO unit to his-,car, jumped in, got
>>up some speed and fired off the JATOI
>>
>>The facts as best as could be determined are that the operator of the 1967
>>Impala hit JATO ignition at a distance of approximately 3.0 miles from the
>>crash site. This was established by the prominent scorched and melted
asphalt
>>at that location. The JATO, if operating properly, would have reached
maximum
>>thrust within 5 seconds, causing the Chevy to reach speeds well in excess
of
>>350 mph and continuing at full power for an additional 20-25 seconds. The
>>driver, soon to be pilot, most likely would have experienced G-forces
usually
>>reserved for dog-fighting F-14 jocks under full afterburners, basically
>>causing him to become insignificant for the remainder of the event.
However,
>>the automobile remained on the straight highway for about 2.5 miles (15-20)
>>seconds before the driver applied and completely melted the brakes, blowing
>>the tires and leaving thick rubber marks on the road surface, then becoming
>>airborne for an additional 1.4 miles and impacting the cliff face at a
height
>>of 125 feet leaving a blackened crater 3 feet deep in the rock.
>>
>>Most of the driver's remains were not recoverable; however, small fragments
>>of bone, teeth and hair were extracted from the crater and fingernail and
>>bone shards were removed from a piece of debris believed to be a portion of
>>the steering wheel.
>>
>>================================
>>
>>Now, what do you suppose was the last thing that went thru this guy's mind?
>>Hood ornament? Maybe the left front fender? Education is now and has
always
>>been the KEY to great accomplishment. It is the tool of the wise. Here's
>>hoping your mind is filled with desire for great accomplishment, and
>>determination to gain the tools needed for the quest. Comments anyone?
>Merry
>Christmas!
>>
>>At Your Service,
>>
>>Jeff
>>
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