F16 oops

[Rastoff]

Bet that crew chief is now in "supply" stationed somewhere around
Anchorage, AK

Chuck

They may have done stuff like this a long time ago, but not now. I guarantee that the crew chief of this incident, at worst, lost his certification for engine runs and had to re-take the class. I've seen it many times. Truth be told, the damage to that F-16 was probably not that bad.

I remember a co-worker of mine was pre-flighting an F-14B to take up and had a caution light for the nose gear. The Plane Captain told him to cycle the gear switch as it was probably a bad reading. Well, when he hit the switch the nose gear worked as advertised, retracted, and smashed the nose and AWG-9 radar right into the deck! Oops. Several $Million in damages.

If the gear on this plane actually retracted, there was a lot wrong with this plane and it was a good thing they found out before it flew.

All aircraft have a WOW (weight on wheels) sensor. This disables many functions while the plane is on the ground. One of those things is to disallow unlocking of the gear. Further, for the gear to retract the plane needs hydraulic power. The only way to get that is with the engines running, not usually necessary on a pre-flight, or with a thing we call a MULE attached which is never used for a pre-flight. Further still, the gear is pinned when on the ground before the pilot gets in. That pin isn't pulled until just before the plane taxis or at what we call "last chance" just before take off.

So, for that plane to have collapsed, there were a lot of screw ups. I'm not saying I don't believe it happened, I do. I'm just noting how many things had to go wrong for it to happen. Also, the very first thing you do when applying power to an aircraft is check the down/lock lights for the landing gear. If you don't have three lights, the next thing you do is get out of the aircraft. Cycling the landing gear lever is really bad advice.

 

[DR505]

All aircraft have a WOW (weight on wheels) sensor. This disables many functions while the plane is on the ground. One of those things is to disallow unlocking of the gear. Further, for the gear to retract the plane needs hydraulic power. The only way to get that is with the engines running, not usually necessary on a pre-flight, or with a thing we call a MULE attached which is never used for a pre-flight. Further still, the gear is pinned when on the ground before the pilot gets in. That pin isn't pulled until just before the plane taxis or at what we call "last chance" just before take off.

So, for that plane to have collapsed, there were a lot of screw ups. I'm not saying I don't believe it happened, I do. I'm just noting how many things had to go wrong for it to happen. Also, the very first thing you do when applying power to an aircraft is check the down/lock lights for the landing gear. If you don't have three lights, the next thing you do is get out of the aircraft. Cycling the landing gear lever is really bad advice.

Oh I agree screw-ups do happen, with sometime fatal results. The below photo shows clearly what happens when you do not follow procedures and you:

1. Bypass the weight on wheels switch on an A-7
2. Forget to download the 20mm HEI ammunition
3. Add power to the gatling gun so you can op-check it.

Three sailors died that night when several rounds of 20mm HEI hit the alert KA-6 tanker. The two ordies responsible went to Leavenworth, and the squadron CO was relieved. We lost a total of 7 aircraft that night and were non-operational for almost four days. The below airframe was a total loss and went over the side, with 1 other. Five more were packaged and stored for re-fit once back Stateside. We had FOD-walk downs about once an hour for days. The pad-eyes were filled with solidified aluminum.

KA-6 Tanker on USS Nimitz, CVN-68, WESTPAC '88-'89.

 

[PR24]

Wruhh wrohh

The tail markings ID this plane as an Alaska based fighter. Is the intake guard to prevent the inhalation of bears, moose & caribou during ramp taxiing?

Looks like the taxiing test didn't go so well......

 

[PR24]

Turbofan damage.

I can't tell an A/B from an E, so that's either a $30 million or $45 million aircraft. Either way, it's an expensive screwup.

At least they put the cover over the air intake. You don't want one of these.

(that guy lived).

A coworker of mine was a maint. T/Sgt in the USAF. He had a moron in his group that required 'special' attention.

One time he was on the opposite side of the taxi ramp fixing a lamp as an F-16 was rolling in from the runway. The T/Sgt told him to stay put & let the aircraft pass.....he decided to "race the train" & dropped a wrench on the taxiway. The 16's intake sucked it up & basically destroyed the engine. Huge flame out, halon deployed & one VERY pissed off full bird colonel; the pilot & wing commander. That airman was told his enlistment was cancelled & he could leave the Air Force. :mad

 

[Rastoff]

The tail markings ID this plane as an Alaska based fighter. Is the intake guard to prevent the inhalation of bears, moose & caribou during ramp taxiing?

Looks like the taxiing test didn't go so well......

That guard is to keep people out of the intake.

 

[feralmerril]

When I worked at lockheed we got a freak heavy wind storm and I seen it weather cock a L 10-11 right into the wind almost 80 degrees and it was on chocks etc! It also blew down a line of power poles that ran behind it. Thats a huge airliner!

 

[ladyT]

Kuwaitis aren't the only soldiers who do that. I've seen M1s upside down and one their sides, courtesy of US Army hotrodders. My favorite one was actually a M163 Vulcan at FT Hood. My driver pulled at a ford where there was a SGT standing in fast moving water over his boots. Said he was standing on his M163 and got caught in the flash flood. We had that one in my fire control maintenance shop for 4 months getting the radar to run right.

I've see a Hemitt stuck. Now remember this is an 8 wheel drive vechicle. Fool got it stuck.

Of course there was the guy on site that had the feed horn of the radar off during a rainstorm. The waveguide filled up with water and they were wondering why the thing wouldn't work. They called us out to fix it. My E-7 was livid.

 

[bobf]

The tail markings ID this plane as an Alaska based fighter. Is the intake guard to prevent the inhalation of bears, moose & caribou during ramp taxiing?

Looks like the taxiing test didn't go so well......

It was at Eielson AFB this was too.

 

[PR24]

Yea a cow moose could defiantly screw up an engine.

 

[PR24]

Or any other aircraft parts.....

 

[Fishslayer]

Yea a cow moose could defiantly screw up an engine.

I've heard the skeeters & deer flies up there can do it, too...