http://www.everettindependent.com/2009/09/24/terrorism-still-a-possibility/ Published by the Independent Newspaper Co. Mon, 06 Sep 2010 07:55:09 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 http://www.everettindependent.com/2009/09/24/terrorism-still-a-possibility/comment-page-1/#comment-7 Warren Whitten Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:44:09 +0000 http://www.everettindependent.com/2009/09/24/terrorism-still-a-possibility/#comment-7 "Terrorism still a possibility" Thursday, September 24, 2009 I was a fire fighter in the US Air Force many years ago now, with the rank of Senior Airman. One of the things I learned as a firefighter was there is more danger from the missile on a fighter aircraft than the fuel it is carrying. Unless the fuel tanks are near empty there is little chance of a fuel explosion from an aircraft and I would guest it's the same for the large jet fuel tanks. It is the fumes that explode not the fuel itself so if the tanks are kept full or near full there is less room in the tank for a lot of fumes. I would say it would be more like lighter fluid on a charcoal fire in the back yard grill. When you put a match to the grill yes it will burst into flames but it won't explode. More likely it will punch a hole in the tank and flames will shoot out of the hole and pore out into the ditch around the tank. I could be wrong, you can check with the local fire department on this, but I believe it is a more likely scenario. “Terrorism still a possibility” Thursday, September 24, 2009
I was a fire fighter in the US Air Force many years ago now, with the rank of Senior Airman. One of the things I learned as a firefighter was there is more danger from the missile on a fighter aircraft than the fuel it is carrying. Unless the fuel tanks are near empty there is little chance of a fuel explosion from an aircraft and I would guest it’s the same for the large jet fuel tanks. It is the fumes that explode not the fuel itself so if the tanks are kept full or near full there is less room in the tank for a lot of fumes. I would say it would be more like lighter fluid on a charcoal fire in the back yard grill. When you put a match to the grill yes it will burst into flames but it won’t explode. More likely it will punch a hole in the tank and flames will shoot out of the hole and pore out into the ditch around the tank. I could be wrong, you can check with the local fire department on this, but I believe it is a more likely scenario.

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