Missile falls off CF-18 onto Yellowknife golf course
Last Updated Fri, 18 Jun 2004 17:50:18
YELLOWKNIFE - Yellowknife's golf course was shut down on Friday after an unarmed missile fell off a Canadian Forces CF-18 jet and landed on the driving range.
The jet was landing at a nearby airport when the AIM-7 Sparrow missile dropped off. Police closed an adjacent highway for more than an hour.
Maj. Rob Carter said it was a real missile, not a practice or training device. Carter said the safety systems were on and there was no danger of the missile exploding.
An official at Norad's Winnipeg office said five bombs or rockets have accidentally fallen off CF-18s across Canada since 1990.
"We take every reasonable precaution that we can to make sure that when something is mounted on the aircraft it's mounted correctly and properly, " said Capt. Dave Muralt. "Unfortunately, sometimes things happen."
Golf course assistant manager Guy Kennedy said he was preparing to open for the day when an RCMP officer rushed into the clubhouse and told him the place had to be evacuated.
"[The Mountie] was speaking on the radio to someone and said?that he had a visual on the missile," Kennedy said. "And I kind of looked where he was looking out on our driving range and there was a missile out on our driving range. At that point I realized what everybody was talking about."
Kennedy said he was forced to cancel a major golf tournament and there's no word when golfers can return to the course.
Last Updated Fri, 18 Jun 2004 17:50:18
YELLOWKNIFE - Yellowknife's golf course was shut down on Friday after an unarmed missile fell off a Canadian Forces CF-18 jet and landed on the driving range.
The jet was landing at a nearby airport when the AIM-7 Sparrow missile dropped off. Police closed an adjacent highway for more than an hour.
Maj. Rob Carter said it was a real missile, not a practice or training device. Carter said the safety systems were on and there was no danger of the missile exploding.
An official at Norad's Winnipeg office said five bombs or rockets have accidentally fallen off CF-18s across Canada since 1990.
"We take every reasonable precaution that we can to make sure that when something is mounted on the aircraft it's mounted correctly and properly, " said Capt. Dave Muralt. "Unfortunately, sometimes things happen."
Golf course assistant manager Guy Kennedy said he was preparing to open for the day when an RCMP officer rushed into the clubhouse and told him the place had to be evacuated.
"[The Mountie] was speaking on the radio to someone and said?that he had a visual on the missile," Kennedy said. "And I kind of looked where he was looking out on our driving range and there was a missile out on our driving range. At that point I realized what everybody was talking about."
Kennedy said he was forced to cancel a major golf tournament and there's no word when golfers can return to the course.
