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Landing-gear pin causes F-22A damage


Air Combat Command Public Affairs


03/22/2006 -- LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (ACCNS) - A maintainer's failure to control the nose landing gear pin streamer during removal from an F-22A allowed the pin to be ingested into the right engine Oct.

20, 2005 prior to a mission at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, according to an aircraft accident investigation report released today.



There were no injuries in the incident and damage to the right engine totaled approximately $6.7 million.



The aircraft is assigned to the 27th Fighter Squadron, 1st Fighter Wing, Langley AFB.



At the time of the incident, the pilot had started engines before a night surface attack tactics mission. The crew chief then realized the nose landing gear pin was still in and instructed the pilot to shut down the left engine so he could remove the pin. During removal, the crew chief failed to control the pin's streamer allowing it to be caught in the suction intake of the operating right engine and torn from his hand.





Investigators concluded failure to remove the pin prior to engine start was a direct result of inadequate and incorrect technical order guidance that led to the pin remaining installed during engine start.



For more information, contact the Air Combat Command Public Affairs office at (757)

764-5007 or e-mail acc.pam@langley.af.mil.


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"During removal, the crew chief failed to control the pin's streamer allowing it to be caught in the suction intake of the operating right engine and torn from his hand."

I think that was just one of those moments when you wished you just stayed in bed that morning...


"Did you know? You can use your old motor oil to fertilize your lawn! -- Environmental Protection Agency."

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\"My name's Pitt, and you ain't talkin' your ass outta this shit.\"

All RBFs should be chained to the ground ( yes even the ones INSIDE the pit! lol )so as the plane pulls away they yoink themselves out! <img src=icon_smile_evil.gif border=0 align=middle>

A 45 has a muzzle.
A 9mm has a bullet vent.

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The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

Unfortunately this is where alot of the warnings cautions and notes originate in the TO's. Someone had to blaze the trail for the rest of the maintenance community.

<img src="http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/457/bgnrjsiiw81q1gc.jpg" border=0>

Gravity....its not just a good idea, its the law.

but if he blazed the trail is he still on the development trail.

More than likely he is still a valued member of the program. You may have noticed the verbage, "Investigators concluded failure to remove the pin prior to engine start was a direct result of inadequate and incorrect technical order guidance that led to the pin remaining installed during engine start."
Ultimately the blame fell more on the Technical orders than on him.



<img src="http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/457/bgnrjsiiw81q1gc.jpg" border=0>

Gravity....its not just a good idea, its the law.

I've seen planes taxi to the "last chance" with pins still attached, is this because they don't have a chance of getting sucked into an engine?

These were MA A-10s and T-birds at Nellis.

<img src="http://www.x-plane.org/home/topgun/sigs/A10logo.jpg" border=0>

http://topgunphotography.milavia.net/index.htm

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LMAO. No matter how sophisticated the aircraft, some things never change.

OC

Some days it's hardly worth chewing through the restraints

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
I've seen planes taxi to the "last chance" with pins still attached, is this because they don't have a chance of getting sucked into an engine?

These were MA A-10s and T-birds at Nellis.

<img src="http://www.x-plane.org/home/topgun/sigs/A10logo.jpg" border=0>

http://topgunphotography.milavia.net/index.htm


<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

On the A-10's we pull all 3 gear pins and slat pin and stow them in W-79 prior to pilot step. All other chaff / flare, and weapons pylons are armed at end of runway. Nothing uncommon.



Edited by - Hawg78642 on Mar 24 2006 5:44 PM

Old Chief is right. This problem has been around as long as safety gear. People just forget things. Have seen more than one Phantom return with seat pins still in, F-111s takeoff with speedbrake collars on, tank pins left in and whatever else you can imagine. How many Hog pitot tube covers have you seen burned off?

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>How many Hog pitot tube covers have you seen burned off?

<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

At least one <img src=newicons/Whatever_anim.gif border=0 align=middle>

OC


Some days it's hardly worth chewing through the restraints

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>How many Hog pitot tube covers have you seen burned off?

<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

At least one <img src=newicons/Whatever_anim.gif border=0 align=middle>

OC


Some days it's hardly worth chewing through the restraints
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

I'll have to make O.C.'s coumt atleast a 3!
I can remember one I burnt on a Bentwaters bird while in Aviano and another on one of mine while at EAFB.
Guess thats why mine was usually "LOST"<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

Couple other oopsies I can remember being involved with.............

1st C-5 I marshalled ran off the side of the taxiway, right trucks making frisbees out of 3 or 4 taxiway lights!
Acft sat an extra day waiting for 2 tires and gear to change them! OUCH!<img src=icon_smile_blackeye.gif border=0 align=middle>

Launching an RF-4C from Alconbury in the pooring rain, monsoon was probably closer to reality. Swore we gave the forms binder to the back seater, but he called later looking for them.
We found out a short timelater the forms were found wrapped around the lower arm of the compressor section. Binder back and rings intact, but engine still FOD'd out.<img src=icon_smile_blackeye.gif border=0 align=middle>

Launched an F-4D from Torrejon only to see it return IFE short time later, as we forgot to remove the aux air door RBF's!

But the best of the oopsies I saw had to be the Hawg one I referenced in another thread.
A-10 from Bentwaters/Woodbridge landing in a 2 ship. 1st acft never slowed till it was too late. Acft went thru the overrun, perimeter fence, across Italian roadway, thru another fence, and plowed nose first into a corn field. Nose gear twisted & folded back under the acft, allowing the acft to come to a stop buried nose first upto the windscreen. As we arrived being crash recovery, speed brakes opened, engines shut off, canopy slowly opened and we hear............"Boy Did I F**K Up"!
Thankfully noone was injured and acft was lifted out just fine after a couple days.

Sure was funny as hell though to see a "Hawg" buried nose deep into a corn field..........he appeared to be grazing!

Last week one of our pointy heads, one of our best pointy heads had a 205 tester on a jet in the hangar. The pointy head or the crew chief, it doesnt matter who failed to ensure pitot heat switch in the off position. Smoked the tester and the tube. Like ya said sometimes you just wish you stayed in bed.

"By this time tomorrow I shall have gained either a peerage or Westminster Abbey !" Nelson the Immortal Memory

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YGBSM !

If you did your preflight checks properly, how in the world could you burn a pitot cover up?

Dumb.

Coach

The aircraft is in for acceptance inspection so many bodies had been working in and around the cockpit at the time of this happening. Shit happens.

Thats a real piss poor excuse to make out loud especially to an A10 driver.

"By this time tomorrow I shall have gained either a peerage or Westminster Abbey !" Nelson the Immortal Memory

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YGBSM !

I assumed you were talking about burning up a pitot cover on a launch. No excuse there.

Coach

I guess everyone has had a "Ooopsie",

I was changing a Main tire at NTC and they had just re-did the ramp,
got the gear most of the way up the tire coming off and the jack "SANK" the gear came down with the wheel half cocked.

We had to jack the wing up which started to sink on one side so we went over to the pinic area, took a bench seat off the table stuck it under the gear jacked it up ,put the tire back on and towed to the cement area of the ramp.

In PACAF I was the Flying Crew chief going from Yokota to Clark on a DV mission.
Got to Clark AB was doing the Thru Flt found a "Rivet" missing from the nose cowl.
No biggy most of the time did FOD check of engine with Mirror even which wasnt a requirment unless damage was present.
Couldnt find any signs of damage and found 2 more loose rivets which I removed.
TO says no more than 4 on the nose cowl or more than 2 in 4" didnt have it.
Told AC what I found he really didnt want to stay but "What do you think Chief"?
I said "I cant find anything,I you want to stay we can ,but I dont see any reason not to go. Did you have any problems with #2"?
He said "No" I said "Lets go Sir than, we'll fix it at home"

Landed at Yokota FMC no problems rolled into chocks got out checked the Oil samples and noticed 12 more rivets missing.

That was the "Infamous" JP-60 Nose cowl on display at Chanute back than.
The worst case of Corroided metal found on an engine cowl.
When they went to pop a rivet the Cowl collapsed. totally ate up in the back of the cowl out of site.
Had to remove all the Cowls in the Fleet to inspect they found 3 more.
So Yes I should of "Red X'ed it" at Clark COULD OF GOTTEN 5 DAYS OUT OF IT but the TO was followed to the "T'and it was re-written.
I got a "DSV" but it was dropped later since no-one could of seen it anyway.

So M&M is right it takes a "OOps" to fix a problem most of the time.

Goose

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
Benjamin Franklin,
(1706 - 1790)

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\"Live Free Or Die\"

Coach is pretty much correct in his assuming the tech data wasnt followed.......cant ever remember everyone following tech data to the fullest at all times in my 8 yrs of service, ground or air crews.

A burnt pitot cover or two, but noone was ever hurt. Not unlike the Phantom days of checking the pitot heat.........how many burnt palms have the old guys here seen in their time? I saw a few, as well as learned real fast to do a pitot heat check using the back of your hand!

Doing this check with the palm, natural reaction is to grip, thus gripping the pitot tube and getting one heck of a burn at times!

I guess we can chalk this one up to we all have our dumbshit moments?

Here's a good one for you -

A Marine Major is breaking in an FNG new to the fleet in a CH-46 of of the "New River" when they are conducting NVG ops on a mock LHA landing pad that sits in the river/delta off of Camp Lejeune. The Major evidently trying to make up for his vertically challenged limitations uses his kneeboard to flip the external lights on the overhead panel but flips his cockpit white lights instead, causing all on board to become disoriented and resulting in the bird coming to rest upside down in about 10' of cold, dark delta water. Oh the pilots were okay, they were strapped in and once it was clear just used their emergency crew doors on their sides to exit the aircraft - standard Dilbert dunker 101 exercise.

But my buddy Crew Chief and his trainee were thrown around like in a pinball machine since by nature of their jobs were not strapped in. Their bodies were recovered shortly thereafter all tangled up in their long-cords and gunners belts.

The Major lost his wings but two Marines including my good friend lost his life.

Ooopsie? <img src=newicons/anim_bs.gif border=0 align=middle>



Edited by - krieger on Apr 16 2006 14:45

as a dedicated healthcare professional inhiding like most of us--we never have oopsies. No one ever screws up. Never happens. Nope never does--if you belief that I got some desert land in New Orleans for sale it is high and dry.<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

You got to love training bases, We had a CT-39 do a "Belly Landing" without a gear problem.

The Crew was doing "Touch and Go's" on a Friday. The training was each student had to get in 10 per flt soin this case 30 T&G"s since 3 students.
We guess the AP got tried of it and the last student was taking too long so on about the Students 5th T&G the AP told him to "Just fly I'll drop the gear and retract it You just keep going around".

It was Friday afternoon it was our last Jet so we were waiting to "GET THE F-ING Thing in chocks" so we were lined-up on the Old tow tug's waiting.
The Saberliner was doing a very pretty approach squaking Code-1 when she was about to Touch Down the gear started retracting!!!!!!!!!!!
<img src=newicons/anim_shock.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=newicons/anim_shock.gif border=0 align=middle> so the Jet landed on its belly on the "SKID BAR".

(Info: on a T-39 There is a 6 ft metal "Skid Bar" just a 4 " thick pc of Steel that supports the main gear wells and is supposed to be thick enough to keep the Jet on a gear up landing from doing any major damage to the belly. The Skid Bar if done right should pretty much save the aircraft.)

Well it just slid down the runway "Sparks" flying smoke and it finall came to a rest in the "In field".
The FD with all its "Training" scrambled and we got out there before them and the door opened up and all you heard was "
<img src=newicons/anim_cussing.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=newicons/anim_cussing.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=newicons/anim_furious.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=newicons/madani.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=newicons/anim_cussing.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=newicons/madani.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=newicons/pain10.gif border=0 align=middle>comming from the AP and the student at each other.
We had 2 EXT on sceen so we went ahead and hit the smoking area on the belly(CO2) back than and it was safe (We were safe from the any fire not the Fire DEpartment ) until the FD showed-up.
The Foam truck came up and foammed the entire area including inside the "Cabin"<img src=icon_smile_shock.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=newicons/anim_shock.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_dissapprove.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=newicons/anim_cussing.gif border=0 align=middle>
Filled that baby right-up!
So it took R&R about 2 hours to get it picked-up since they had gone home,so we hooked the cables up for the crane to go on the truck .
"O-Bee" was pisst! he just got it out of re-furb so with the jet off the ground he pulled the "Emergency EXT handle" and what do you know
ALL 3 GEAR DROPPED and LOCKED !<img src=newicons/anim_shock.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=newicons/anim_lol.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=newicons/anim_lol.gif border=0 align=middle>
He was so mad that the SP's had to stand next to him after he got out covered in foam and looking for the Pilots<img src=newicons/anim_furious.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=newicons/madani.gif border=0 align=middle>

So we never put it on the truck just put spreader bar on main gear and pinned it nose dropped into lock pinned it and we towed it to hangar 1
After cleaning up the mess and drying it out etc.. a few days later did a R&R Check on the gear worked just fine.
The Crew had their own problems they Washed the Student -out and took away the AP's flight status and "O-Bee" got to re-do his jet all over again.
Offical cause of Mishap BRAIN-FART! that term we can understand.

So everyone one has done it, just not as bad as others but it was a Beautiful Belly landing

Goose

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
Benjamin Franklin,
(1706 - 1790)

_________________
\"Live Free Or Die\"