Liberty County Sheriff’s officials are expected to meet with the FAA on Tuesday to discuss what a Continental Express pilot reported as a “missile or rocket” flying near his airplane.
A pilot reported to the Federal Aviation Administration that at about 8:15 p.m. Friday, an object passed within 150 feet beneath the aircraft, sheriff’s officials said.
The aircraft was near the southern edge of the county, flying at about 13,000 feet, officials said.
“The pilot, from what we understand, was former military. He was able to get the coordinates down real quick,” said Cpl. Hugh Bishop with the Liberty County Sheriff’s Department.
Sheriff’s deputies searched Friday night for signs of evidence where a missile might have been launched or landed.
“We couldn’t find anything,” Bishop said.
This doesn't compute. First of all I do not know the max altitude of the various shoulder mounted Surface to Air Missiles (SAM). But I would guess that it is around 10,000 feet. Secondly, they are heat seeking, which means the missile is tracking behind the target. If it had enough range to be falling below and forward of the target then it had enough range to hit the target. Since it did not, the missile would have fallen below and behind the aircraft and not in sight of the pilot.
Little Green Men looking for Little Green Women?
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