Unbelievable Story of a JATO-Powered Impala

  • Thread starter wolram
  • Start date
In summary, a car crash in Arizona initially appeared to be an airplane wreckage, but was later identified as a 1967 Chevy Impala. The driver had attached a JATO unit, typically used for military transport planes, to the car and ignited it, resulting in the car reaching speeds of over 350 mph before crashing into a cliff. The driver's remains were mostly unrecoverable, but pieces of bone, teeth, and hair were found at the scene. The true story is more interesting than the initial urban myth version.
  • #1
wolram
Gold Member
Dearly Missed
4,446
558
The Arizona Highway Patrol came upon a pile of smoldering metal embedded into the side of a cliff rising above the road at the apex of a curve.

The wreckage resembled the site of an airplane crash, but it was a car. The type of car was unidentifiable at the scene. The lab finally figured out what it was and what had happened.

It seems that a guy had somehow gotten hold of a JATO unit (Jet Assisted Take Off - actually a solid fuel rocket) that is used to give heavy military transport planes an extra "push" for taking off from short airfields. He had driven his Chevy Impala out into the desert and found a long, straight stretch of road. Then he attached the JATO unit to his car, jumped in, got up some speed and fired off the JATO!

The facts as best as could be determined are that the operator of the 1967 Impala hit JATO ignition at a distance of approximately 3.0 miles from the crash site. This was established by the prominent scorched and melted asphalt at that location. The JATO, if operating properly, would have reached maximum thrust within 5 seconds, causing the Chevy to reach speeds well in excess of 350 mph and continuing at full power for an additional 20-25 seconds.

The driver, soon to be pilot, most likely would have experienced G-forces usually reserved for dog-fighting F-14 jocks under full afterburners, basically causing him to become insignificant for the remainder of the event. However, the automobile remained on the straight highway for about 2.5 miles (15-20) seconds before the driver applied and completely melted the brakes, blowing the tires and leaving thick rubber marks on the road surface, then becoming airborne for an additional 1.4 miles and impacting the cliff face at a height of 125 feet leaving a blackened crater 3 feet deep in the rock.

Most of the driver's remains were not recoverable; however, small fragments of bone, teeth and hair were extracted from the crater and fingernail and bone shards were removed from a piece of debris believed to be a portion of the steering wheel.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
  • #3
No, no, no. That wasn't the way it happened, at all. Otherwise, you could get a public record of it from the Arizona Highway Patrol (call them and ask them - they're real polite when you ask about this story). The true story of the rocket car is much more interesting.

Edit: Hitsquad beat me to it ... with the original article, no less (actually, there have been updates as a result of E-Mails about this story).
 
Last edited:
  • #4
If i were a 1967 Impala, I would want to die that way, in a all out blaze of glory!
 
  • #5
I heard this story in association with the Darwin Awards several years ago. :rofl: It's still a great story. Anybody seen tribdog lately. Don't give him any ideas. :rofl:
 
  • #6
Astronuc said:
Anybody seen tribdog lately. Don't give him any ideas. :rofl:
Now you've got me worried. The last time that I saw him he was in the Home Depot buying a bunch of 'L' brackets and a screwdriver.
 
  • #7
Thanks Bob, hits!

I knew the Darwin story was an urban myth, but the 'real' story is much, much better!
 

1. What is a JATO-Powered Impala?

A JATO (Jet-Assisted Take-Off) powered Impala refers to a modified Chevrolet Impala car that has been equipped with a rocket engine for added speed and acceleration.

2. How fast can a JATO-Powered Impala go?

The exact speed of a JATO-Powered Impala will vary depending on the specific modifications and conditions, but it is estimated that it can reach speeds upwards of 300 miles per hour.

3. Can a JATO-Powered Impala be driven on regular roads?

No, a JATO-Powered Impala is not street legal and is not intended for regular road use. It is typically used for drag racing or other high-speed events.

4. Are there any safety concerns with a JATO-Powered Impala?

As with any high-speed vehicle, there are potential safety concerns with a JATO-Powered Impala. It requires special training and precautions to operate safely and must be used in controlled environments.

5. How is the JATO engine attached to the Impala?

The JATO engine is typically attached to the back of the Impala using a special mounting system. It is also connected to the car's fuel system for added power. The modifications are done by trained professionals to ensure proper installation.

Similar threads

  • General Discussion
Replies
3
Views
901
Replies
19
Views
1K
  • General Discussion
Replies
6
Views
1K
  • Sci-Fi Writing and World Building
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
4
Views
2K
Replies
12
Views
3K
  • General Engineering
Replies
19
Views
10K
  • General Discussion
Replies
30
Views
6K
Replies
30
Views
3K
Back
Top