McCain fudges his Navy record

[LuckyTheDog]

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2008/10/mccain_fudges_his_navy_record.html

Controversy has surrounded a series of crashes involving planes piloted by John McCain while serving in the U.S. Navy. In his autobiography, the Republican presidential candidate maintained that a couple of the accidents were caused by engine failure. But an official investigation by the Naval Aviation Safety Center makes clear that the first accident, in March 1960, was caused exclusively by pilot error.

The Facts

During the course of his flying career with the U.S. Navy, John McCain was involved in at least five major mishaps or crashes involving his plane. The most dramatic incidents occurred in 1967. He barely escaped with his life after a missile exploded aboard an aircraft carrier, the USS Forrestal, in July of that year, killing 134 of his fellow crew members. In October, McCain was shot down over Vietnam by a surface-to-air missile.

U.S. Navy records make clear that no blame can be attached to McCain for either of these incidents. McCain was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on his return from Vietnam and cited for his "superb airmanship" in the abortive raid on the power plant in Hanoi that ended with his capture and imprisonment by the North Vietnamese.

Mystery has surrounded the precise circumstances of the three earlier incidents, and particularly an accident on March 12, 1960, while McCain was still in flight school at Corpus Christi in Texas. The McCain campaign has either ignored or failed to respond to requests by The Washington Post and other news organizations for the release of the candidate's full military records, which could shed light on the accidents and the pilot's personal involvement.

[Greyskye]

1. McCrash

Is there anything he can't destroy? :shrug:

[thunder rising]

2. Once is chance, twice is coincidence, three times? Get the MF out of the cockpit.

[afridemo]

5. Very reckless and

he should have been grounded for life

[Lucky 13]

3. Photo of his first crash

[Mabus]

6. Damn

I thought there was going to be a pterodactyl involved.

[trthnd4jstc]

4. In the Navy We got a Training Film about the Forrestal incident.

We were told that we need to sacrifice ourselves in order to save the ship, equipment, and/or other sailors. It is obvious what Sen. McCain chose to do. He selfishly chose to land the plane, when he should have ditched it in the sea, sacrificing himself for the sake of the Navy. What a selfish A$$hole.

[Thothmes]

7. If you refering to the Forrestal incident

you did not watch the film very closley, McCain's aircraft was spotted on the flight deck, fueled and armed for an alfa strike on North Vietnam. He was not trying to land on the carrier.

[trthnd4jstc]

9. It was 24 years ago, and I was sleep deprived, as were many other recruits, thanks. n/t

[hootinholler]

10. What film are you talking about?

And what freaking training? The film used in shipboard firefighting boot unit that I went to had a number of incidents from a variety of ships. There were no landing ops in progress when the Forrestal incident started.

The Forrestal film was used when I went through boot to show what not to do while attempting to fight a flight deck fire. I *never* heard anyone conducting training say anything about sacrificing yourself for the good of the ship. The Chiefs and P.O.s that taught me were more about survival, like keeping yourself and your shipmates alive.

-Hoot

[gauguin57]

8. If they'd grounded him, he never would have crashed and been taken prisoner.

And he wouldn't be running for anything. Cuz all he's got is "POW" after his name.

[Debi]

11. At least we have proof that he actually attended flight school

:shrug: better than that last guy.

:rofl: