logo

Did hurricane hunters 'abandon their mission' during Ida because 'windows on their plane began cracking'?

Friday, September 17, 2021
By Marlo Lee
NO

An aircraft used by the Air Force Reserve's hurricane hunters had a single "spider" crack in its windshield on August 28, 2021, a day before Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana. According to Air Force Reserve Capt. Will Simmons, who was on that aircraft, the crew cut short the August 28, 2021, mission once they noticed the crack.

The window pane was replaced and the crew was able to go out again on August 29, 2021, when the aircraft passed through the eye of the hurricane twice with no issues.

Contrary to a social media post, the mission of monitoring and tracking Ida was not abandoned because "windows on their plane began cracking!!!"

A spokesperson for the hurricane hunters of the Air Force's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron said wind speeds within Hurricane Ida were not a factor in the windshield crack.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Lead Stories is a fact checking and debunking website at the intersection of big data and journalism that launched in 2015. It scouts for trending stories, images, videos and posts that contain false information in order to fact check them as quickly as possible. It actively monitors the fake-news ecosystem and doesn’t wait for reader tips or reports before getting started on a story.
FACT BRIEF BY
facebook
twitter
email
email