Thread: Mythbusters Sends Cannonball Rocketing Through Homes

DUBLIN, Calif. (CBS) — A cast iron cannonball rocketed through two homes and landed inside a minivan Tuesday when a “Mythbusters” TV experiment went wrong.

Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage are hosts of the scientific experimentation show, which airs on The Discovery Channel. The pair was reportedly trying to figure out how fast a cannonball would travel, when it misfired and shot hundreds of feet in the air.

“This cannonball was supposed to go through several barrels of water and through a cinder block, and then ultimately into the side of the hill,” said J.D. Nelson of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department.

Instead the cannonball flew over the foothills surrounding Camp Parks Military Firing Reservation, before spiraling back toward Dublin like a cruise missile.

It flew straight though the front door of a home on Cassata Place, and bounced around like a pinball, flying up to the second floor before blasting through a back bedroom wall.

The wayward cannonball then blasted across a busy road and through a second home some 50 yards away, demolishing roof tiles.

The homeowner’s mother was frightened.

“”It was a very loud boom; she thought a tree fell, maybe a meteor,” said Ming Jiang. “It wasn’t clear that it was a cannonball landing on the roof.”

The out of control cannonball finally came to a stop inside Jasper Gill’s minivan.

“It hit the dash, through the passenger window,” said Gill, who had gotten out of the vehicle just 10 minutes before the ball struck. “I’m lucky I’m alive.”

Incredibly, no one was injured in the mishap.

Officials said Mythbusters had been using the firing reservation for the last eight years for similar experiments, but none had gone awry.
TV Stunt Goes Awry, Sends Cannonball Rocketing Through Homes « CBS Los Angeles

Why no comments from the two main douches on that show?

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'MythBusters' Apologize for Cannonball Accident
by Catherine Lawson, posted Dec 8th 2011 5:45AM
Filed under: Reality-FreeTV News

Yesterday came news that the 'MythBusters' team had accidentally fired a 30-lbs cannonball through a house. Although on the face of it, it seemed like a pretty funny story, more details have since emerged that show how lucky local residents were to escape injury.

According to 'The San Francisco Chronicle,' the cannonball travelled straight through the Shetty family's house, exiting through the exterior wall of the master bedroom as mom Seema was napping in the room with her two year-old son. After traveling a total of 3,300 feet, the cannonball eventually came to rest in Satwinder Gill's minivan. She told ABC-7 News that "my husband and son were in the car five minutes before it happened."

'MythBusters' hosts Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage -- who were not present when the accident happened -- travelled to Dublin, California to meet with the families affected by the accident and to apologize. Savage told 'The San Francisco Chronicle,' "It's a wake-up call. Honestly, the feeling of embarrassment is not something we're indulging in right now. We feel for the families and the people affected by this."

He added, "Some people watch our show and think that we're reckless. Others watch our show and they see we take safety seriously. The fact is, the latter is the case."

Savage later tweeted: "Now it's back to SF, to meet and discuss how to keep this from ever happening again. Very intense. We're SUPER relieved no one was hurt."

The cannonball shot through the residential neighborhood when a 'Mythbusters' team including co-hosts Tory Belleci, Kari Byron and Grant Imahara were testing to see if a cannonball fired from a stone cannon would be capable of breaching a castle wall.

They were conducting the experiment on the firing range at the Alameda County Sheriff's Regional Training Center, a venue they have used many times before without mishap.

Hyneman told 'The San Francisco Chronicle' that, as the cannonball was fired, the cannon suffered from "muzzle lift," which sent the projectile arcing across Dublin. It bounced on the Shettys' driveway and passed through their house before crossing a six-lane road. It then bounced off the roof of a second home before smashing into Mrs. Gill's minivan.

Meanwhile, angry homeowner Hitha Shetty told the 'Chronicle' that residents should have been told the experiment was being staged nearby. He also hinted that he may sue: "The kids are usually playing there," he said. "I want to make sure this doesn't happen again. And, of course, they need to pay for this. Not just the physical damage, but everything else."

Speaking on behalf of the Alameda County Sheriff's Department, Sgt. J.D. Nelson told ABC-7 News: "[It's] Very unfortunate that it happened, very fortunate that no one got hurt." He added, "The range is shut down as of now, except for emergency detonations, until we can review all the policies and practices up there."

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Meanwhile, angry homeowner Hitha Shetty told the 'Chronicle' that residents should have been told the experiment was being staged nearby.

DUDE!!! STFU & STFD! You live nextdoor to a f*cking BOMB RANGE!!! How can you NOT understand that dangerous things are happening very close by???? Oh!...that's riiiiight! ...you're a freakin' IDIOT!

He also hinted that he may sue: "The kids are usually playing there," he said. "I want to make sure this doesn't happen again. And, of course, they need to pay for this. Not just the physical damage, but everything else."

F*ckin' no account slimeball! WHAT exactly does he think he needs to be compensated for???? His mudderf*ckin' "pain & suffering"????

typical whiny sue happy Lib.

why isn't anyone every happy that no was was hurt and just move on from an obvious accident. no, they need to sue because someone "could have", "might have" been hurt.

"my kids usually play near there" the sue happy Lib said. just be thankful they weren't and get over it.

your dumbass face could have been looking down the barrel too, but it wasn't.... too bad

Originally Posted by berk69

...your dumbass face could have been looking down the barrel too, but it wasn't.... too bad

We couldn't have been THAT lucky!

Originally Posted by berk69

typical whiny sue happy Lib.

Hate to tell you but both sides love to sue.

Man - I want to see the footage from this incident - think it would be super cool.

As for the homeowner wanting to sue - piss off. From what I have read the cannonball skipped over a bunch of water barrels, went through a concrete block wall, bounced off the catchment hill and went on its merry way - freak occurrence.

What do you expect when you live by a range.... accidents happen, there's no need to sue over an accident, especially when it's pretty realistic when you live next to a firing rang...

Oh great, another idiot who thinks he's going to use a one in a million mishap to set him up with a Bentley and a Mansion?!?

Found this photo/map of cannonball route - damn thing wend some distance. If anyone is famaliar with the area please advise of distances

Excellent addition to the thread ...adds some much needed perspective to how far that thing went!

I wonder if this incident will ever be mentioned on the show?

ahh shit....that would be crazy to be just chilling in your house with not a care in the world and then all of a sudden a friggin cannonbal hits it! you would think WW3 just started! lol :/ i wonder how much they will sue mythbusters for...? :/