Software glitch “unlikely” to blame for deadly cannon incident, expert says

  • October 19, 2007
  • 1 minute read
It looks as though the once though anti-aircraft software glitch that killed multiple people in South Africa, actually wasn’t software based. But was human intervention and software that caused the incident.

It looks as though the once though anti-aircraft software glitch that killed multiple people in South Africa, actually wasn’t software based. But was human intervention and software that caused the incident.

Nine South African soldiers died and eleven were injured last Friday during a live-fire exercise when an anti-aircraft gun went out of control. But, contrary to some reports, the tragic accident was not the result of an automated or robotic weapon going out of control, a defence expert says.

Initial reports from a South African newspaper say the Oerlikon 35mm Mk5 anti-aircraft twin-barrelled gun jammed while firing. A female soldier tried to free the shell, but another shell was accidentally fired, causing some rounds in the gun’s two near-full ammunition magazines to explode. The gun began firing again and swung in a circle, leaving nine soldiers dead and eleven wounded.

Read the full article at newscientist.com…


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