Most Stupid Elite Moment?

[BeFreya]

Brand new Anaconda, first ever time in one. Launch request, OK this looks like a big ship, better take is slow and see how she handles, still on the pad then pressed BOOST by mistake !!!
Too fast to slow down so I just had to aim for the slot, bashing aside a few dithering NPC on the way. Made it outside with zero shields and 40% hull! Phew!

 

[Georgio]

I was on a trade run in my brand new type 6 and got interdicted by three Cobras, for some strange reason I went into auto-pilot, turned towards them, got into range and deployed... a single loaned pulse laser.
I managed to get into SC with no shields and a hull that would have looked like Swiss cheese, made it to the station only to find out the cost of repairing such bad damage on a big ship...

 

[Skurrock]

First time online, having played my last Elite game some 28 years ago on my BBC B, go to dock and am pressing D like a lunatic. Target the dock, hammer D got as much response as before so I thought "maybe I have to press D inside". Make it inside and as I am pressing D... BOOM.

Second run in Sidewinder#2 I declare war on the dock and die even faster.

Since then I have taken the time to work out how to use the UI.

 

[Calico Jack]

Eyes on the scanner, I flew my Cobra towards the stricken capital ship. I was eager for another duel, and hoped that I would meet a Pilot's Federation member. From the mass of indistinct signals, a single PF Anaconda appeared. I watched him a moment, until it became apparent that he had declared for the local Communist fighters. A gentleman does not get on another pilot's six and then choose a side, so I bought my ship about. I would put some distance between us before I raised the Federal flag!

"Shields down," said a familiar, too calm voice. The Anaconda, he was firing on me! I hadn't even declared for a side. I hit boost, disengaged flight assist, and using lateral thrusters, accelerated away in an evasive corkscrew. Once I had reached a safe distance, I took stock; I had 16% hull integrity and heavy damage to my engines. I aligned to warp out. Only a chump fights angry, and you Calico are no chump, I told myself.

Almost in a vision, it came to me. I could do this! It would be epic. No, even better, if I did this with only 16% hull, I would be epic. As I came about, I symbolically declared for the Federation, then slipped into silent running mode.

My plan was as simple as it was audacious. I would close while looking like just another Federal Fighter on his sensors. Then, I would allow myself a single flypast to look him in the eye, before getting on his tail and taking out his drives in a flurry of railgun fire and ejected heatsinks. I bought myself some time by turning off everything I could, and drifted closer. He couldn't see me! I was a bird of prey, I soared, and now I could get no closer, it was time to swoop.

I bought everything back online. Twin railguns whirred into life. I pulled the trigger. As the railgun wail reached a crescendo, it dawned on me. Silent running. The vents were still closed; the heat had nowhere to go. I revealed myself with a blue flash, and then defiantly exploded right in front of my assailant.

So, that's how I came to be sitting in this pod. I fear I my be drifting for some time...

 

[Dr Roly]

^^ best yet

 

[Xreasonz]

Well . . . How about when landing, and you're about 2 meters from touchdown, accidentally hitting the boost button . . . Yep

while carrying a valuable cargo . . .

Sigh, yep that did happen

 

[_Agamemnon_]

Checking if reassigning boost in Flight Landing Overrides worked after retracting the landing gear.
My second Anaconda went up in smoke...

 

[Crightonian]

Yes no doubt the Booster used in the station has been the most obviously and singularly the most embarrassing scenario yet,

And I am no different from a dozen or so other players, It was the night before last and although I was feeling tired and sleep depredation had set in I knew I needed to concentrate on Landing my type 6, pulling into the station I was still high above my platform when I pressed the Booster button, this was the moment I suddenly found my eyes opened the most I managed to steer clear of the tower but I was nearing the rear wall of the Station very rapidly I pulled back on the stick and my type 6 slewed the tail striking the wall followed by the belly and finally the nose came to a halt a few metres above the ground, 35% hull no shields ...damn that was close, I headed back to my pad wiping sweat from my forehead please that as much damage as I had done it would not be anywhere as bad if I had lost the ship 100 tons of cargo and not enough spare cash to purchase the insurance I would definitely be done for, I circled over the landing pad checking to see how or even why I would press the Booster button, after all I had landed many times and the downward thruster is the bottom of a line of three buttons on my Hotas. The Booster button is a Long, long way from it, I just could not see how it happened.

I was over the pad at this point and pressed the bottom button of a line of three, my Lakon Type 6 hurtled forward instead of slowly downward, pulling back on my throttle that was already pulled back wasn't going to help and nor did it help matters when the computer voice said “shields Online” I did however pull off the pull back on stick manoeuvre which meant the tail end slid into the wall of the space station before the rest of the ship followed it, I had no chance the shields went down the sparks screamed out at me, the screeching sound of metal scraping on metal thundered through the house and the crash of the Hotas thrustmaster going through my Monitor at almost the same speed as my ship exploded woke the rest of the household.

OH well new Sidewinder for me, and back to a long grind, Ill keep the Hotas I can't afford to buy a new one now I need a new Monitor.

 

[AnthonyRV]

Mine was thinking, is it ok for me to fire on a Wanted NPC whilst in the no fire zone of a space station? Well no, no it wasn't when I accidently hit the space station and had 30 tonnes of palladium & 70 tonnes of silver vaporised along with my tin can type 6 transporter.

400,000 credits lost and me wondering why on earth I thought that was even vaguely a good idea. Idiot