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‘Laughable’: We Asked Experts (Including a Former CIA Officer) to Weigh in on Rev. Jackson’s Claim That ‘Assault Weapons’ Can ‘Shoot Down Planes’

Jan. 16, 2013 10:51am Erica Ritz

The Rev. Jesse Jackson went a step further than almost anyone else on the left on Monday when he weighed in on the gun control debate currently gripping the United States.

In his estimation, not only are semi-automatic guns and so-called “assault weapons” a danger to average citizens — they pose a distinct threat to homeland security.

How is that? Well, apparently they can “shoot down airplanes.”

Here is the full statement, made on Fox News:

These semi-automatic weapons, these assault weapons, can only kill people, and in fact, they are threats to national security… The young man who did the killing in Aurora, Colorado, with the arsenal he had– he was right near the airport, right near the runways [in] Denver. He could shoot down airplanes, so this is a matter of homeland security as well.

And here is video:

So what do the experts have to say about Jackson’s claim?

The best any could say in Jackson’s favor, essentially, was that “anything’s possible” but that you have a “better chance of being hit by lightning WHILE winning the lottery” (see below).

TheBlaze asked a number of experts these questions via email:

1) Assuming Jackson was talking about [alleged Aurora, Colorado gunman] James Holmes’ guns and not any explosives he may have had (he said he could “shoot down” the planes), could a private citizen really shoot down a plane with a semi-automatic or assault weapon? Does this include all planes, or just smaller, more low-riding planes?

2) Do you know of this ever happening outside of a war zone?

Jason Hanson, a former officer for the Central Intelligence Agency and the author of The Covert Guide to Concealed Carry, responded:

I just read the Jesse Jackson quote and quite frankly it’s laughable. It’s clear Rev. Jackson doesn’t know the first thing about rifles and guns in general. It’s like me making a comment about quilting (something I know absolutely nothing about.) With the type of rifle that James Holmes had it would be impossible to shoot down a plane. (Okay, nothing is impossible, but it would be as likely as aliens knocking on my front door tomorrow.) I’ve never heard of a rifle shooting down civilians plane outside of a war zone either.

Chris Gahr, who assisted in aircraft investigations while in the U.S. Marine Corps, gave more technical detail in his answer, but drew the same conclusion:

Jackson’s statement was uninformed and defies common sense. However, it may be a good Hollywood plot.

Considerations in bringing down an airplane with a rifle as a national security threat:

1. maximum effect range of the weapon fired vertically

2. caliber of the rifle

3. internal factors – quality and training of the shooter,number of rounds fired, weapon accuracy.

4. external factors – wind, speed of the airplane, rain, amount of available light, distance from the airplane, and of course the most important element -Blind Luck.

Is there a possibility that it could happen? Yes. But you would have a better chance of being hit by lightning WHILE winning the lottery than bringing down a commercial airliner with the weapons that Holmes carried.

Michael Knox, a forensic science and criminology consultant in Jacksonville, Florida, who specializes in firearms, ballistics, shooting incidents, and crime scene reconstruction, refuted the media rhetoric surrounding different types of weapons, adding:

Jesse Jackson’s comments could not be further from the truth…Although it would theoretically possible for one to stand at the end of a runway and fire rounds into an airplane that cause disabling damage to engines, controls, or hydraulic systems, the chances of shooting down an aircraft with small arms is extremely remote. The AR-15 is no more capable than any other firearm of shooting down a plane–less capable than most hunting rifles–so, Jesse Jackson’s claim would mean that all firearms are a threat to national security. Clearly, Jackson is reaching for gun control rhetoric and he would be well-served to do some research on firearms before making such absurd public statements.

Experts on Rev. Jesse Jackson Claim That Semi Automatic, Assault Weapons Can Shoot Down Planes

In March 2008, a US Airways pilot accidentally discharged his weapon in the plane’s cockpit soon before landing. The Associated Press obtained a photo of the exit hole on the plane’s exterior. (Photo: AP)

Major Fernando Molina of the U.S. Air Force has spent thousands of hours in planes both fighting and as an instructor. He contributed:

I am not a gun expert, but I do know aircraft and what effects different threats to aircraft are.

I can tell you with a degree of certainty that it is highly unlikely you would EVER shoot down an airplane, even a Cesna with any small caliber weapon such as a semi-automatic or assault weapon. In order to accomplish this with “small caliber weapons” such as these you would need to be standing on the ramp as it rolls past you, or on the end of the runway as it takes off toward you.

I have seen many examples of attempts by varying classes of weapons, from small arms to surface to air missiles.

There you have it. In fact, there was even a case in 2008 where a bullet was accidentally fired on a commercial plane, in a cockpit by a pilot and the passengers remained unaware. The plane was landing at the time, but according to the Associated Press, the bullet struck no crucial controls, nor did it result in depressurization.

Final verdict: Rev. Jesse Jackson needs to find a better argument.

–

In CONTROL, Glenn Beck presents a passionate, fact-based case for guns that reveals why gun control isn’t really about controlling guns at all; it’s about controlling us. Find out more HERE.

Back to The Blaze »

Comments (140)

yoshik
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:37am
Dumb shine. Wants to keep his people with the upper hand and leave us defenseless. Keeping mine. Sorry Bro.

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- lani59
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:51am
  When will this joke finally go meet his maker and start handling racism in hell?
  
  Report this comment
- mercenary4freedom
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:57am
  They should have piped in the sound of a cuckoo clock. What type of drugs is this clown on?
  
  Report this comment
- RANGER1965
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 12:03pm
  Jackson’s mouth is a fully functional 500mm Autocannon that fires thermonuclear tipped rounds. It’s so powerful it’s only quantifiable measurement is in Megatons/sec of destructive output. It also has the interesting effect of being selective. It selectively, and utterly, destroys all semblence of reason, common sense, human understanding, natural law, science, faith, and any hope that humanity as a whole is a rational being.
  
  The man’s words are like a hammer blow to the senses, leaving conservatives standing in shock and awe, mouths hanging open, slack-jawed in utter stupification. He’s like a WMD to rational thought.
  
  Report this comment
- IvanK
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 12:15pm
  Actually, I’m curious why the government hasn’t banned birds at this point which have accounted for the deaths of thousands of innocent people. The evil birds must be dealt with immediately with a Federal ban on all birds!
  
  Report this comment
- SUNTZU
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 1:28pm
  Product of our education system
  5th grade maybe.
  
  Report this comment
- hangman01
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 3:03pm
  Bwana jesse wants to show his smarts. But wait, Bwana jesse is the wrong color to be Bwana.
  So he is showing something else. (His 65 I.Q. perhaps?)
  
  Report this comment
- Armyvet706
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 5:05pm
  First of all, he needs to stop referring to himself as “Reverend”. He’s probably never stepped foot in a church in his miserable, wife cheating life. And I’m betting he and his fellow loud mouth Al Sharpton hatched a scheme back in the 70′s and got their minister certificates from eBay. Laugh my a** off!!!
  
  Report this comment
- daniel3839
  Posted on January 17, 2013 at 5:21pm
  LOL! Me too buddy!
  
  Report this comment
RDavis49
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:35am
@ jhrusky Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:25am ………….. “You don’t expect intelligence to come out of Jackson’s piehole, do you?”…………………………

Can’t get to come out of someone what never went in…. intelligence and logic are four letter words to a liberal.

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MrArbitrage
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:34am
Examining Obama & Serial Killers
http://youtu.be/TgBo_G9YyIA

“ENCHANTING! it’s this years Gone with the Wind” – TableOfWisdom.com

“Examining Obama & Serial Killers is Pulp Fiction meets Schindler’s List”
- cbPatriot.com

“If you liked Casablanca & Citizen Kane – you’re going to LOVE Examining Obama & Serial Killers” – ThurstonHowell.Net
(Updated in HD).

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bikerdogred1
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:34am
OK OK I’ll say something stupid,says Jesse,a dumb black man from Wash.DC,Jesse,should be check for drugs and obama,too for that matter.

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mildot rider
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:34am
Do da Jackson dude be smokin crack? Yo!

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- cloudsofwar
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:42am
  no he forgot to take his meds.
  
  Report this comment
- DougHuffman
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:47am
  Zippity doo dah, Zippity aye,
  My oh my what a wonderful day
  Plenty of sunshine coming my way,
  Zippity doo dah, Zippity aye.
  
  Mister poo bird’s on my shoulder,,
  it’s the truth,
  it’s actual,
  everything’s satisfactual!
  Zippity doo dah,
  zippity aye,
  zippity doo dah,
  zippity aye!
  
  Report this comment
- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 12:39pm
  So, Junior’s malady was contagious after all?
  
  Report this comment
- Tachy320
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 7:36pm
  PProbably the same stuff his son was taking while being a congressman. Dumb Chicagoans.
  
  Report this comment
Liberalismsamentaldisorder
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:30am
It doesn’t matter how inaccurate Jackson’s statements are. 99% of his statements are utterly moronic. They still have the intended effect.
Blacks will listen to him because he’s black.
Libs will listen to him because they are less informed than he is.
Sorry if that offends you, but go ahead, refute it.

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- DebateMe
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:45am
  @Liberalismsamentaldisorder
  I agree. Today’s liberalism is more cult-like than philosophical. When 2+2=4 and 4=less money for minorities then you are racist. When the national deficit exceeds 1 Trillion per year and you point at that is unsustainable, that means you are a hater. When you point out that Rev. Jackson’s facts are inaccurate, well, now you’re just an angry conservative. Liberalism today is about shutting down the voice of opposition using the very tactics they proclaim they are against and accuse you of.
  
  Report this comment
- Female
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:47am
  Called Congressman Stockman (TX) and Congressman Walter Jones (NC) requested a website for a petition initiating Impeachment of President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. I called it “The Last Straw Impeachment” for under numerous occassions breaking the Articles of the US Constitution and implementing unlawful executive orders.
  
  Please call them and your local Congressman, Senators, Governors, and state house reps, if you think that would do any good!
  
  Report this comment
- jayy3434
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:55am
  not all blacks dude….just the black sheep. it’s amazing how the only time the “REV” shows up is when it’s a left winged talking point or white on black crime. i live in pittsburgh pa and grew up in a rough neighborhood. i’ve had friends shot and killed and have seen others get shot….all black on black crime. where was the “REV”???? not that i would want to see his goofy face but black kids can kill as many black kids as they want, there’s no angle in it for him to make money so he stays away from it. him and his buddy Al are full of trash.
  
  Report this comment
WillG
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:30am
Yes,he is a moron. I think we all knew that already though.

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denkat56
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:28am
Why don’t these people just go away, far away, I mean really really far away.

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- RDavis49
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:36am
  Wishful thinking I’m afraid….
  
  Report this comment
ff-up
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:27am
Whatever his home boy Barrack says… he will follow… He’s a loud mouthed sheep that has a large following of low educated sheep (but voting sheep). He has an inflated view of himself (as well as Sharpton) and we all realize there are people out there that would believe him if he said an elephant can fly. It’s amazing how people believe whatever BS he spouts and will not believe in the truth or the facts….

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RDavis49
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:24am
Here’s how fair and rational gun control advocates are. I went to this gun control website http://www.facebook.com/GunCtrlMarch?sk=timeline and started responding to some of the posting there, “VERY POLITELY” and with total logic. I was quickly censored by the page owner, by having all my post removed and barred from further posting and countering their efforts. Now they can do what they want with their page, but I just wanted to make sure that others see another example of the hypocracy of the left. This is the kind of fair minded individuals liberals are. Their intent is to make their opinion and their ideas alone, the only one that is acceptable. If you are Anti-Gun Control, please visit the facebook site and “politely” express you objections to their efforts for gun control…..

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- stopprintn
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:56am
  If I used Facebook, that would be fun.
  
  Report this comment
spfoam1
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:20am
Doesn’t his kid have the same mental disorder? Somewhere in his family tree swings a sloth.

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- RDavis49
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:27am
  Or, somewhere in his family tree grew a NUT that passed the gene down through the generations…
  
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ExtremeRight
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:18am
Is it me or can this guy barely speak English ?

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- BODYBAG
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:50am
  Its not you. He’s as illterate as Al Sharpton.
  The Righteous Bros.
  
  At times I can barely understand either of their incoherent ebonic gibberish.
  
  Report this comment
Southerner01
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:14am
It would be far easier for someone to shoot down a plane with a large caliber hunting rifle than an AR 15. Google .700 nitro express. It’s basically an elephant hunting bullet. Single shot rifle, but much more likely to damage a jet engine than a magazine load of .223 nato rounds.

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- DougHuffman
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:25am
  No. The difference in energy of the two extreme round sizes is vastly overwhelmed by the low probability of hitting a vital target, identical for both rounds. Humans are well known to not properly estimate large or small risk numbers.
  
  Report this comment
- jhrusky
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:25am
  You don’t expect intelligence to come out of Jackson’s piehole, do you?
  
  Report this comment
- Walkabout
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:39am
  Jesse has to say something to put the shine back on the Jackson name. Four years go by & who knows maybe his son or his daughter in law can be elected to national office & the Jacksons are again relevant and not a fading aristocratic family that are an embarrassment to the Democrat party.
  
  Report this comment
- stopprintn
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:42am
  You have 100% of gravity against you too, or should I say close to 100%
  
  Report this comment
- DougHuffman
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:57am
  The probability of this (nearly unique) event is proportional to the ratio of the number of target surface area to the semi-spherical surface area at target range.
  
  See N. N. Taleb’s The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable for the difficulties of frequentist statistics with unique events.
  
  MOLON LABE Anus Rex
  
  Report this comment
- Wisdom7
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 1:49pm
  Yeah the “planes” he is thinking of in his delusional mind are commercial airliners that fly at 30,000 feet. No way are you going to shoot those down with any rifle.
  
  Report this comment
fastgen1
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:14am
What do you expect from one who has the mark of Cain and is as big as liar as obammy. This freak has been laughable for years….

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Landon410
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:13am
“Final verdict: Rev. Jesse Jackson needs to find a better argument”

no he doesn’t because he said it on TV and now a couple million sheep think it is true…..

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stopprintn
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:12am
I’ve used a 20mm vulcan and had a hard time hit’n the meat of a trailing bat. Those put out a 300rd burst faster than you can fart, and its still a hard target.

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- RDavis49
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:32am
  There you gun owners go again …. talking facts, truths and logic again. Liberals don’t use any of those messy ol’ things to think, they just work off of knee jerk logic. By the way……for the record your assessment is totally correct.
  
  Report this comment
- texastommy
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 3:17pm
  No, but a 20mm Vulcan does a job on a squad of armed indigenous people walking in the bush.
  
  Report this comment
term limits for congress
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:11am
I know… I know… the state department altered his talking points prior to the interview (ala susan rice).

Does anyone think this semi-conscious poverty pimp has any interest in the truth?

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- jimmymac1
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 5:48pm
  Poverty pimp thats pretty good and truthful. Now what do we use for his conk headed brother Al.
  
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nonofmybiznez
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:05am
Excuse me Mr. Jackson, are you kidding? If you can’t stop a car with an assault weapon (which is already banned) then you can’t stop it with an assault-style weapon much less than an airplane. I’m not saying its totally impossible, but it would have to be a direct shot into the engine block. An airplane can withstand a whole lot more damage than a bullet can do. I’ve seen military planes all shot up and still fly.

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DeavonReye
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:04am
Rev. Jackson is a complete idiot on the topic of firearms. His own statement is evidential. Most people who “speak against guns” do so out of ignorance of the actual topic and what the dangers OF a ban would entail. Such as these hold no more weight than they would by commenting on high level particle physics.

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- ExtremeRight
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:20am
  I vehemently disagree.. He is a complete idiot !
  
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right-wing-waco
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:04am
Consider the source…. (Jessie Jackson)

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zetuff
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:01am
They are really affraid someone will shoot down the DRONES that will be flying around every city soon,spying and, watching everyone,… this is another reason to take away long rifles..

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- Call2Action
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:17am
  People need to shoot down the drones.
  
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SocialistSlayer
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 10:59am
Why do you people insist on calling Jessie Jackson “Reverend” There is nothing Reverend about Pile of Dog Excrement !

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- akitagirls
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:32am
  Since Jessie Jackson Jr. was nstituted for mental illness and left his government post ……does he have a gun in his house???
  
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noslave
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 10:58am
THAT BUFOON POVERTY PIMP still thinks BEIRUIT is the greatest baseball player EVER??ALSO,just disregard this ageing imbicile as a fart it eventually go’s away also??

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Gonzo
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 10:58am
How many armed men have protected the good reverend? But that’s different…he’s important.

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- huey6367
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:15am
  he’s important? to who?
  
  Report this comment
- Gonzo
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:20am
  In his own mind, that’s all I’m saying.
  
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- Zipit
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:23am
  He not impotent! He be da baby daddy to sebral of dem e-gitamet chillins!
  
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- Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:31am
  He is impotent?
  
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NOTAMUSHROOM
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 10:58am
Yes they can! And if too many people stand on an island, it’ll tip over!

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- rickg62
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:23am
  Isn’t that what some idiotic Dem. congressman claimed in a hearing that, I believe it was Guam, could tip over?
  
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