Breaking: Two US Lawmakers’ C-130 Takes RPG Fire “3 Near Misses”
Plane carrying Shelby and Cramer fired on above Iraq
WASHINGTON POST — A military cargo plane carrying three senators and a House member was forced to take evasive maneuvers and dispatch flares to avoid ground fire after taking off from Baghdad on Thursday night.
The lawmakers said their plane, a C-130, was under fire from three rocket-propelled grenades over the course of several minutes as they left for Amman, Jordan.
“It was a scary moment,” said Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., who said he had just taken off his body armor when he saw a bright flash outside the window. “Our pilots were terrific. … They banked in one direction and then banked the other direction, and they set off the flares.”
Sens. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., and James Inhofe, R-Okla., as well as Rep. Bud Cramer, D-Ala., were also on the plane.
Cramer and Martinez said they had just begun to relax about five or 10 minutes after the plane took off under darkness.
Crew members apparently communicated to the pilots as they saw the initial RPG fired from the ground, Cramer said. After the first burst, the pilots maneuvered aggressively and set off flares used for drawing incoming fire away from aircraft.
Once the flares lit up the sky, lawmakers said, two more RPGs were fired as the pilots continued maneuvering.
Martinez said he quickly put back on his body armor.
“We were jostled around pretty good,” said Cramer, who estimated the plane had ascended to about 6,000 feet. “There were a few minutes there where I wondered: ‘Have we been hit? Are we OK?’”
Capt. Angel Wallace, a spokeswoman for U.S. Central Command, said she was not aware of the incident, and military public affairs officials in Baghdad could not be reached immediately.
Despite the scare, Shelby, Martinez and Cramer said they believed the recent increase in troop levels has helped stabilize parts of the country.
“It was kind of dicey,” Shelby said. “But it just shows you what our troops go through every day.”
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Now … THAT’S what I call a Congressional tour of the war zone …
Bet John Kerry would’ve shit his pants.
August 30th, 2007 at 6:10 pmJohn kerry would have put in for a purple heart for a bump in the head he received after waking suddenly. Then he would blame bush.
August 30th, 2007 at 6:47 pmAugust 30th, 2007 at 7:24 pm
Would Kerry have actually had the stones to visit in the first place? Has he been there at all in the last 4 years? The democRats would have loved it if that plane had been downed. First, because of the loss of life and second, because of the loss of 3 Republicans. They probably would rend their garments over the democRat on board and totally danced in the streets over the Republicans and troops who could be used as chips to get the absolute power that they crave.
August 30th, 2007 at 7:26 pmYep, now some members of the shitty Congress have a feel for what the troops go through all the time…Let’s see if the dummycrat goes negative when he gets back home.
August 30th, 2007 at 7:32 pmJarhead, I wouldn’t be surprised if Dee traitors tipped off some insurgents on the flight plan.
August 30th, 2007 at 9:23 pmSomething is a bit off about this story. An RPG does not have anywhere near a 6,000 ft range. It had to be some other sort of rocket.
August 30th, 2007 at 9:31 pmAnd flares are useless against a “dumb” RPG; they aren’t guided, or heat-seeking, just aimed. I know! They were RPRs == Rocket Propelled Rockets!
August 30th, 2007 at 11:50 pmBoo Fucking Hoo. Welcome to the real world.
August 31st, 2007 at 1:04 amNow you finally have a story that you can tell your grandchildren when they ask you what you did to help win the Great Iraq war you can tell them: Well grandkids, it’s like this… There I was at 6,000 feet, sitting there steely eyed, coiled like a wound spring waiting for the action that I just knew would come our way from the time we went wheels in the well and then KABLAM! All hell broke loose. Fire streaming from the sides of the aircraft as it pitched like a bucking bronco wildly out of control screaming towards the ground. Had it not been for my heroic efforts the aircraft would have gone down. I had to use all my resolve and detemination, at great personal risk to life and limb, to take control of this flaming fireball of an aircraft from the young AF pilot who had clearly shit himself and froze up on the controls. Remembering all my piloting skills honed from years of flying Cessna 152s in the crowded and dangerous airspace around Washington, I pried his fingers from the yoke and took control with the ground now rushing up at me through the the shattered widscreen - 250, 290, 350 knots… With 300 feet to spare, I pulled the aircraft level and returned the controls to the terrified young aviator. I then flew downstairs to the cargo deck and did my best to provide medical care and comfort to the other pax as they all looked to me as their mentor and protector… Several of those I saved that night in Iraq went on to cut the funding to the troops and removed them from the region - which is why all of your friends will be headed back there shortly. Don’t you worry though, I got you a deferment as House Page. It was a hell of a ride grandchild…
As the Diceman used to say “GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE!”
The attempt to kill our elected representatives may well be a peace initiative from AlQaeda, like “we’re on your side, guys. Lets call the whole thing off. I
August 31st, 2007 at 2:28 am