PRIORITY

P 182023Z AUG 04 PSN 668412S27

FM NAS LEMOORE CA

TO ZEN/CNO WASHINGTON DC
ZEN/COMNAVAIRPAC SAN DIEGO CA

INFO COMNAVSURFOR SAN DIEGO CA
ZEN/DIRNAVCRIMINVSERV WASHINGTON DC
ZEN/COMNAVREG SW SAN DIEGO CA//N01/N13//
ZEN/COMNAVAIRFOR SAN DIEGO CA
ZEN/COMPACFLT PEARL HARBOR HI//N468//
ZEN/ONI WASHINGTON DC
ZEN/NAS LEMOORE CA
ZEN/COMSTRKFIGHTWINGPAC LEMOORE CA
ZEN/COMTHIRDFLT

BT
QQQQ

SUBJ: OPREP-3NB
UNCLASSIFIED//
UNCLAS

MSGID/OPREP-3NB/NAS LEMOORE CA/002/AUG//
FLAGWORD/NAVYBLUE/-//
TIMELOC/181015LAUG2004/NAS LEMOORE CA/INIT//
GENTEXT/INCIDENT IDENTIFICATION AND DETAILS/1. POSSIBLE SURFACE TO
AIR MISSILE FIRING AT UH-60 HELICOPTER IN AREA OF COALINGA,
CALIFORNIA. AT APPROXIMATELY 1015(L) IN AREA 1/2 MILE NORTH OF NEW
COALINGA AIRPORT, COALINGA CALIFORNIA (N36-07-00, W120-21-00), A
ARMY AIR NATIONAL GUARD UH-60 HELICOPTER REPORTED TO NAS LEMOORE
APPROACH CONTROL THAT THEY JUST HAD A NEAR-MISS WITH A "ROCKET". THE
HELOCOPER WAS TRAVELING FROM FRESNO YOSEMITE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
IN A DIRECTION OF 206 DEGREES MAGNETIC, 4500 FEET MSL, 145 KNOTS
ENROUTE TO CAMP ROBERTS. SIDEWAYS SEATED AIRCREW DESCRIPTION WAS
THAT "ROCKET" PASSED 3-5 FEET FROM AIRCRAFT AND THROUGH THE ROTOR
ARC ON STARBOARD SIDE. PILOT ASSESSED MISS DISTANCE TO BE 50 TO 100
METERS. FLIGHT PATH WAS ASSESSED AS INITIALLY VERTICAL THEN
HORIZONTAL AS IT APPRAOCHED AIRCRAFT, PASSING ON STBD SIDE FRONT TO
REAR. MISSILE SHAPE ASSESSED AS A LONG-THIN FOOTBALL APPROXIMATELY
2-4 FEET LONG WITH A BRIGHT YELLOW/ORANGE NOSE CONE AND A BLACK BODY
WITH TWO BANDS. ASSESSMENT WAS THAT THERE WAS A SIX-INCH BRIGHT RED
FLAME PROVIDING PROPULSION WITH NO SMOKE TRAIL VISIBLE. ESTIMATED
250 KNOTS OF CLOSURE SPEED.

2. THIS INCIDENT HAS NO IMPACT ON NAS LEMOORE'S ABILITY FOR
CONTINUED OPERATIONS.

3. MISHAP REPORT NOT REQUIRED.

4. FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF AND FRESNO JTTF FBI OFFICE PROCEEDING TO
SCENE TO INVESTIGATE. NCIS HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. CANG DRAFTING SERIOUS
INCIDENT REPORT.

5. PRESS INTEREST EXISTS. LOCAL NEWS PICKED UP FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF
CALL ON SCANNER. CALLED NAS LEMOORE PAO FOR INFORMATION. EXPECT
FURTHER INQUIRIES.//

BT
#1170
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RTD:000-000/COPIES:

Quoted: huh?

You need the decoder ring!

Very Interesting.

Either a model rocket went awry (and judging by the description of the rocket, I'd say that's a possibility), or someone lobbed the world's shittiest SAM at a Blackhawk...

Quoted: ESTIMATED 250 KNOTS OF CLOSURE SPEED.

thats a slow missle !

Has anyone seen my model rocket?

Missed a helo...nothing more to see...move along.

Quoted: Has anyone seen my model rocket?

your wife threw it away

Somebody shot a model rocket at a black helo.

Quoted: Quoted: Has anyone seen my model rocket? your wife threw it away

she first, SMASHED IT, then threw it away!

Quoted: Do model rockets hit 4500 feet?

I think they can go 50 or 60k ft .... depends on the model rocket ....

some model rocket meets have clearance to 100,000 ft ...

The largest ever built by hobbyists just set an unofficial altitude record of over 100,000 feet...

Quoted: Do model rockets hit 4500 feet?

Some can go higher than that.

250 kts,   and they got a detailed description?    Sounds like they flew past a model rocket at it's apogee?

Quoted: MISSILE SHAPE ASSESSED AS A LONG-THIN FOOTBALL APPROXIMATELY 2-4 FEET LONG WITH A BRIGHT YELLOW/ORANGE NOSE CONE AND A BLACK BODY WITH TWO BANDS. ASSESSMENT WAS THAT THERE WAS A SIX-INCH BRIGHT RED FLAME PROVIDING PROPULSION WITH NO SMOKE TRAIL VISIBLE. ESTIMATED 250 KNOTS OF CLOSURE SPEED.

NERF makes SAMs?

Quoted: Quoted: MISSILE SHAPE ASSESSED AS A LONG-THIN FOOTBALL APPROXIMATELY 2-4 FEET LONG WITH A BRIGHT YELLOW/ORANGE NOSE CONE AND A BLACK BODY WITH TWO BANDS. ASSESSMENT WAS THAT THERE WAS A SIX-INCH BRIGHT RED FLAME PROVIDING PROPULSION WITH NO SMOKE TRAIL VISIBLE. ESTIMATED 250 KNOTS OF CLOSURE SPEED. NERF makes SAMs?

*KKKXXXXT REQUEST PERMISSION TO CRAP MY FLIGHT SUIT SIR!*

Anyone with experience with SAMs think it is legit?  Or are yall goin with the "model" rocket idea?

NOT my area of expertise at all.   I'm not an expert in anything.

- BUCC-Guy

I think it is posible it was a SAM ?

model rocketry is not allowed near airports because of low flying aircraft

Wait a minnit...didn't California ban civilian SAM ownership?

Mustabin' that 50 cal that shot down the space shuttle last year.
Might have been one of my experiments with rockets.
You know, trying to duct tape 4 to a practice arrow you get at walmart, then hoping the parachute deploy charge will ignite the second engine and so on?
Well, I found out if you don't dig out the delay charge, it will give the rocket enough time after the first engine burns out to turn over and aim back to earth before the second stage ignites.
When I found it, only the flights were sticking out of the ground about 6 inches..

Ragheads wouldn't waste a SAM on a helicopter. Not a big enough body count. They would use it on a jumbo jet full of baby girl minorities that were retarded and had cancer who were also molested by white priests.
-Steve

Quoted: I think it is posible it was a SAM ? model rocketry is not allowed near airports because of low flying aircraft

Even if they 'Banned Model Rocketry near airports', do you think an 8 year old kid is going to know it?

I think you're looking at a Model rocket here, also.

Quoted: Do model rockets hit 4500 feet?

That's 4500 above Mean Sea Level not above ground level.  If I remember from flying there, the air station runway is only a couple hundred feet above sea level, but there is some high terrain in the area.  Coalinga is about 600 feet - don't know if there is higher terrain anywhere nearby or not.