SGHOM
16-09-2004, 05:15 PM
The Arizona Highway Patrol were mystified when they came upon a pile of
>smoldering wreckage embedded in the side of a cliff rising above the
>road at the apex of a curve. The metal debris resembled the site of an
>airplane crash, but it turned out to be the vaporized remains of an
>automobile. The make of the vehicle was unidentifiable at the scene.
>The folks in the lab finally figured out what it was, and pieced
>together the events that led up to its demise.
>It seems that a former Air Force sergeant had somehow got hold of a JATO
>(Jet Assisted Take-Off) unit. JATO units are solid fuel rockets used to
>give heavy military transport airplanes an extra push for take-off from
>short airfields.
>Dried desert lakebeds are the location of choice for breaking the world
>ground vehicle speed record. The sergeant took the JATO unit into the
>Arizona desert and found a long, straight stretch of road. He attached
>the JATO unit to his car, jumped in, accelerated to a high speed, and
>fired off the rocket.
>The facts, as best as could be determined, are as follows:
>The operator was driving a 1967 Chevy Impala. He ignited the JATO unit
>approximately 3.9 miles from the crash site. This was established by the
>location of a prominently scorched and melted strip of asphalt. The
>vehicle quickly reached a speed of between 250 and 300 mph and continued
>at that speed, under full power, for an additional 20-25 seconds. The
>soon-to-be pilot experienced G-forces usually reserved for dog-fighting
>F-14 jocks under full afterburners.
>The Chevy remained on the straight highway for approximately 2.6 miles
>(15-20 seconds) before the driver applied the brakes, completely melting
>them, blowing the tires, and leaving thick rubber marks on the road
>surface. The vehicle then became airborne for an additional 1.3 miles,
>impacted the cliff face at a height of 125 feet, and left a blackened
>crater 3 feet deep in the rock.
>Most of the driver's remains were not recovered; however, small
>fragments of bone, teeth, and hair were extracted from the crater, and
>fingernail and bone shards were removed from a piece of debris believed
>to be a portion of the steering wheel.
>Ironically a still-legible bumper sticker was found, reading
>"How do you like my driving? Dial 1-800-EAT-****."
>smoldering wreckage embedded in the side of a cliff rising above the
>road at the apex of a curve. The metal debris resembled the site of an
>airplane crash, but it turned out to be the vaporized remains of an
>automobile. The make of the vehicle was unidentifiable at the scene.
>The folks in the lab finally figured out what it was, and pieced
>together the events that led up to its demise.
>It seems that a former Air Force sergeant had somehow got hold of a JATO
>(Jet Assisted Take-Off) unit. JATO units are solid fuel rockets used to
>give heavy military transport airplanes an extra push for take-off from
>short airfields.
>Dried desert lakebeds are the location of choice for breaking the world
>ground vehicle speed record. The sergeant took the JATO unit into the
>Arizona desert and found a long, straight stretch of road. He attached
>the JATO unit to his car, jumped in, accelerated to a high speed, and
>fired off the rocket.
>The facts, as best as could be determined, are as follows:
>The operator was driving a 1967 Chevy Impala. He ignited the JATO unit
>approximately 3.9 miles from the crash site. This was established by the
>location of a prominently scorched and melted strip of asphalt. The
>vehicle quickly reached a speed of between 250 and 300 mph and continued
>at that speed, under full power, for an additional 20-25 seconds. The
>soon-to-be pilot experienced G-forces usually reserved for dog-fighting
>F-14 jocks under full afterburners.
>The Chevy remained on the straight highway for approximately 2.6 miles
>(15-20 seconds) before the driver applied the brakes, completely melting
>them, blowing the tires, and leaving thick rubber marks on the road
>surface. The vehicle then became airborne for an additional 1.3 miles,
>impacted the cliff face at a height of 125 feet, and left a blackened
>crater 3 feet deep in the rock.
>Most of the driver's remains were not recovered; however, small
>fragments of bone, teeth, and hair were extracted from the crater, and
>fingernail and bone shards were removed from a piece of debris believed
>to be a portion of the steering wheel.
>Ironically a still-legible bumper sticker was found, reading
>"How do you like my driving? Dial 1-800-EAT-****."