Unguided missile.

An FJ-4B Fury pilot commenced his run-in for a medium angle loft maneuver. He was at 100 feet above the water and traveling at .72 Mach, carrying a 1,000-pound general-purpose bomb. All switches had been properly checked. As he passed over the pull-up point he pressed the bomb pickle and eased back on the stick to commence the lofting maneuver.

A sudden impact raised the port wing slightly. The bomb had released prematurely and exploded under him!

The pilot continued pulling through, completing a smooth loft run, and rolled out on top with a constant buzzing vibration running through the airframe. The flight leader told him to "get some altitude and head for home," so he went to 100-percent power, climbed to 15,000 feet and proceeded toward home base.

He had a hole in an outboard wing panel and was streaming fuel vapor behind. The low-fuel warning light came on as he arrived over the home field, and the flight leader advised him to point the Fury seaward and eject. The pilot of the stricken plane found himself in a perfect high key position and broadcast that he would make a precautionary flameout approach. The tower cleared him, and the field chain arresting gear was readied for engagement. Knowing the pilot's skill, the flight leader did not transmit disagreement and followed him at a safe distance.

At the 180-degree point, flames suddenly erupted along the entire lower fuselage of the FJ, and the engine flamed out. Informed of the fire by his flight leader, the pilot pulled the nose up in a turn away from the field and ejected. Everything worked as advertised, and he was soon floating down under a beautiful canopy.

Meanwhile, the pilotless plane had turned toward the naval air station and was plunging toward the hangars. The flight leader transmitted a warning to the tower and alarms were sounded. The FJ veered and headed broadside for a big attack carrier that was tied up at a pier adjoining the airfield. Fortunately, the deadly plane-turned-missile continued to turn and crashed in the water directly under the stern of the aircraft carrier.

Grampaw Pettibone says:

Sonofagun! It's mighty difficult to chew out a man who's done everything just about perfect--kept his head, brought his machine home like a real pro and made an attempt to steer it clear before he ejected, after having an excellent precautionary approach turn into a can of worms.

When you've got a wounded bird and the chances of getting it on the runway in one piece are only so-so, why aim it at the home folks at all? That crippled plane becomes a missile when you leave it, and it could wipe out a whole flight line, a hangar, barracks or housing area.

If it looks like it'll be an ejection anyway, it's far better to do it over a safe zone and cut down on the chance of a major disaster.