Source
r/Military•
bugworg

Can someone tell me how true this sounds?

Discussion

Clint Eastwood claims to have survived a plane crash in US waters.

His account:

While returning from a prearranged tryst[41] in Seattle, Washington, he was a passenger on a Douglas AD bomber that ran out of fuel and crashed into the ocean near Point Reyes.[42][43] Using a life raft, he and the pilot swam 2 miles (3.2 km) to safety.[44]

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How likely is it that a military plane is going to run out of fuel. Have only one enlisted passenger, survive a crash in the ocean, and not get rescued by the coast guard or civilian craft responding to mayday, before they can paddle 2 miles?

It doesn't quite add up and there is this.

"He always dropped the Korean War reference, hoping everyone would conclude that he was in combat and might be some sort of hero. Actually, he'd been a lifeguard at Fort Ord in northern California for his entire stint in the military,"

Posted Jul 9, 2019, 4:33 PM UTC

05
George26er•

Mike Rowes podcast "The way I heard it" tells that story. Pretty great series in general and that story in particular.

3
bugworgOP•

https://images.fastcompany.net/image/upload/w_596,c_limit,q_auto:best,f_auto/wp-cms/uploads/2018/04/i-news-Skyraider_1.jpg

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So it appears to be true.

2
rossmt2Marine Veteran•

> How likely is it that a military plane is going to run out of fuel.

Not likely, but shit happens. Hell, multiple nuclear bombs have accidentally been dropped on U.S. soil.

2
[deleted]•

[removed]

1
ArathgoRoyal Canadian Navy•

My grandpas rcaf bomber ran out of fuel on the way back from a bombing mission in Germany and crashed into a field in Britain back in WWII. Though pretty sure a big part of it was their fuel lines were shot up. But always possible.

1
bugworgOP•

I was surprised to find the eastwood story is pretty well documented as true if you dig.
I thought the odd thing was that they'd load a plane up with too little fuel for that short trip and that there weren't people ready to rescue them or any airstrip they could get directed to lots of those sorts of resources around there today.

The military will do all sorts of crazy risky stuff for missions or if the cost benefit analysis of your ass works out well for some officer's evaluations. But the eastwood story seems to be straight up carelessness. Could explain the military's current obsession with corny risk management frameworks.

2