I'm pretty sure the plane just flew into really bad weather, became unflyable, and augered into the ground.

#32 | POSTED BY REDIAL

Doesn't bode well for those types of jets.

Have any Learjets been know to fall out of the sky before?

AIs answer:

"Yes, Learjets have experienced sudden, rapid plunges from the sky before, caused by a variety of distinct aerodynamic, structural, or environmental factors."

"While the Learjet family is renowned for its high thrust-to-weight ratio and ability to climb aggressively to high altitudes, its unique "T-tail" design and short wing profiles make it notoriously unforgiving when pushed beyond its operational boundaries."

That's it then. I guess I won't be flying in a Learjet anymore.

LOL then explain like I'm five why a radio wouldn't be fried by an EMP and would magically work on a secret battery...

Hand held radios may still work. Radios inside a faraday cage will still work. An aircraft airframe acts like a faraday shield. Depends on electrical systems and power source. EMP tests have shown that while cockpit displays or lights might momentarily flicker or dim, core analog and digital systems generally remain operational or experience only brief glitches.

The actual answer is it may or may not work depending on the aircraft. Civilian aircraft are hardened to survive lightening strikes. In a military EMP hardened aircraft the odds of it working go way up.

Aircraft and vehicles are tested at Sandia National Laboratories / Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, NM. I have been inside the test building there.

It is the largest all-wood and glue-laminated structure in the world. It was built completely out of wood, fiberglass, and wooden bolts so that metal wouldn't interfere with the electromagnetic pulse reflections.

Who's flying you around in a Learjet 60? =P

No one. Like I said.. I'll be using a different aircraft from now on. Those Learjets are falling out of the sky!

I think the fact that the copilot was only 20 is of concern, rather than her gender. I want experience in the cockpit.

Sounds to me like you should be more worried about the plane than the pilots. Sounds like the pilots had no chance when their plane decided to fall out of the sky.

Apparently they don't even make those planes anymore.

All Learjet 60s should probably grounded during severe weather until they at least figure out what happened and if they are at least safe to fly in severe weather.

Bringing up a faraday cage is sort of a dead giveaway for it being AI-generated.

#58 | POSTED BY PUMPKINHEAD

It was some AI.

But I was an electronics tech and radio(active) man in a former life.

A "faraday" is just a metal cage. Normally it is grounded.

The fuselage of a plane is also a metal cage and is usually designed to withstand a lightning strike and using special shielding and shunting.

Anything that is attached to line wires (not shielded) or long whip antennas is at risk during an EMP as a electron wave is created by a pulse traveling along any wires that create thousands of volts of electricity. If not properly shielded shortened or grounded those circuits will be fried.

From AI:

Said a little better ...

military aircraft (such as bombers or fighters built to carry nuclear payloads) are heavily hardened against EMPs using specialized shielding, lead-lined components, and strict military standards. Standard commercial airliners have some lightning and surge protection, but most are not specifically hardened against a high-altitude nuclear EMP, a vulnerability also noted by aviation enthusiasts on PilotsofAmerica on