AH64 apache accidental discharge

Pi1otguy

Pi1otguy

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Fox McCloud
British commanders have launched an urgent probe after an Apache attack helicopter opened fire with a lethal round whilst being moved across the ground.
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https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/apache-helicopter-fires-lethal-flesh-22965233

Is the article exaggerating the potential trouble the responsible persons could face? How common are accidental discharges from aircraft on the ground? I'm not even sure if the concept of clearing the chamber even applies.

"Luckily" this was a training round, but as best I can tell training rounds sound like they'd break a lot of things.[/Quote]
 
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Honestly never heard of an Apache negligent discharge on the ground so I’d say it’s pretty rare. Would think they’d have a weight on wheels switch for that sort of thing but I guess not. Of course awhile back there was the F-16 ND that happened in Belgium.

 
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There is a squat switch but you can go armed on the ground...in the old days to stop an accidental discharge On the 30mm Chain Gun armament guys disconnected the canon plug to the gun when rearming as the swat switch just stopped you from driving the gun into the ground by limiting its travel. Nothing stopping a 2.75 rocket from being fired or even a Hellfire In the AH-64A I flew if you were In constraints. Which would be hard but possible...there used to be a constraints override. There is a reason we had open range or berms to our front when arming...
 
Warlock said:
There is a squat switch but you can go armed on the ground...in the old days to stop an accidental discharge On the 30mm Chain Gun armament guys disconnected the canon plug to the gun when rearming as the swat switch just stopped you from driving the gun into the ground by limiting its travel. Nothing stopping a 2.75 rocket from being fired or even a Hellfire In the AH-64A I flew if you were In constraints. Which would be hard but possible...there used to be a constraints override. There is a reason we had open range or berms to our front when arming...
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Yeah, makes sense. You all do any ground test fires for gun calibration or was that all airborne?
 
There was no intentional ground firing and integration with the helmet and aircraft was through a boresite reticle during run up...you slaved your head movement into the weapons system this way.
Otherwise the 2.75 were a wall in space with the fused Hydra 70 rockets making them much more accurate than old dumb Mark 40s. In reality the Hellfire just needs constraints and a laser spot...and did not care if a rail was not perfect. Articulating wing stores made it easy and little for my armament guys to adjust.
 
We had a system not unlike bench bore sighting a rifle that was set up to calibrate the gun to normal on the ground and we could shoot a few rounds on the range and then adjust the bias with software In the cockpit...so to answer the question...either Kentucky windage or bias adjustment during arial gunnery.
 
Yeah, I'd imagine you'd want overrides on the squat/restraint switches so that your weapons system doesn't get cold feet in the middle of battle due to a failed squat switch, lol.
 
SoonerAviator said:
Yeah, I'd imagine you'd want overrides on the squat/restraint switches so that your weapons system doesn't get cold feet in the middle of battle due to a failed squat switch, lol.
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Or if you are on the ground loading up your POW father in your stolen F-16 and have a bad guy vehicle racing towards you.
 
How do you say 'I thought you inserted the pin' in british ?
 
The PLT/GND override was a true multifunction switch depending on flying or not and seat position.

Sort of an interesting fact as a dual national British/Naturalized American, I jokingly consider myself the first British Apache Pilot, some 15 years before he British Army flew it...Works in pubs and been good for a few pints...And was used often as a dig when working with British forces...a kid from Sunderland who otherwise would never have had the station within the British system to achieve such.
 
Warlock said:
The PLT/GND override was a true multifunction switch depending on flying or not and seat position.

Sort of an interesting fact as a dual national British/Naturalized American, I jokingly consider myself the first British Apache Pilot, some 15 years before he British Army flew it...Works in pubs and been good for a few pints...And was used often as a dig when working with British forces...a kid from Sunderland who otherwise would never have had the station within the British system to achieve such.
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Good friend of mine from the Army was a from Brit who joined the NG, got citizenship and went WOFT. Both of us were actually thinking of going 64s, before coming to our senses. ;) He just started a helicopter school recently with an old Enstron280. Good bloke.
 
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