Amazing A-6 Intruder Story

[haubby]

Just looking around the internet and happened across this story of an A-6. I did a search and couldn't find it on AW so decide to post and share:

http://www.rb-29.net/HTML/03RelatedStories/03.09relcontinfo/09.42A-6Intruder/09.42A-6Intruder.htm

The pictures are incredible and its amazing this guy survived the ordeal.

 

[skim]

LT. Gallagher has been pretty popular lately.
repost.

 

[WheelsUpHeelsUp]

Wow, what a lucky sob. What was the cause and did he fully recover?

 

[Flash]

Wow, what a lucky sob. What was the cause and did he fully recover?

He recovered fully.

Here is a more complete accounting of the entire incident with more details, first hand accounts from both the Pilot and the B/N and even a relatively recent picture of him at the bottom.

http://www.gallagher.com/ejection_seat/

 

[Schnugg]

I saw him trap on the flight deck from abeam the #2 wire sheave. I was in a CVW-11 VF squadron when he was with VA-95.

Some scary and quite bizarre moments.

 

[Brett1]

So if I understand this correctly the LSO told the captain to "steady up" the boat?? Does the LSO have the ability to make that call or was that a suggestion??

 

[Grant]

So if I understand this correctly the LSO told the captain to "steady up" the boat?? Does the LSO have the ability to make that call or was that a suggestion??

Considering the circumstances, I doubt the skipper had any problem with that request.

 

[Schnugg]

The LSO was then LT Mike "Nasty" Manazir...now a CAPT and CO of the Nimitz...he was a very, very good LSO.

A very recognizable...and comforting voice on the radio. When he told the CO of the ship he'd take the winds, he was accepting full responsibility for the circumstances at hand...lots of weight on LT shoulders.

 

[Nose]

We used to play that tape at LSO school, not to show the "Jesus is my co-pilot" part, but instead to show how important it is for the LSO to take charge of the situation when he needs to. What Nasty was telling the Captain was "Stop turning. I'll can get him with the crosswind, but the turn is killing me."

Grant hit the nail on the head, the Captain probably called for the steady out on the first call, just takes them big boats a long time to stop their turn.

This is a great lesson in positional authority. The schedule writer might be a JG, but he can control your destiny...he has positional authority. The DK at PSD might be a 3rd class, but he can ruin your fiscal program for a month or two if he really wants to...he has positional authority. The pilot of the A-6 was the most important guy in this scenario, but Nasty was the most important guy on the boat.

Like I said before the LSO is proabably the most powerful LT/LCDR on a carrier, if not in Aviation.

Nose

PS Nasty is a righteous dude.