Thread: Oops!

A very well done report. Glad to hear all crew are safe. Looks like hairy operation to me.
Don.

Was lucky enough to spend around 2 hours chatting to the boom operator of a KC-130 at the Airshow in 2019 after they first got there - before the actual show started - including a full tour of the Aircraft - was down in the boom operators area, lying where he would while refueling an aircraft. The Pilot was there as well and they both spoke very fondly of the Aircraft and of how strong and well built it was - probably why they are still flying after 60 odd years and why they managed to get this one down safely after so much damage.

Good that everyone made it.

A couple of photos. Some outstanding skill displayed to get the C130 back on the ground. Some of the damage to the left wing and engines MAY have happened on the ground.
c130 crashed.jpgc130 damage.jpgc130 refuelling lines.jpg

Most likely a prop strike while landing, I'm guessing - he said he had two engines out, not three. Also, may have lost the port refuelling pod in the same ground strike. The loosening cowl on the No4 may have increased drag, both causing inability to maintain height (hence the off airport landing) and with both starboard engines unpowered and increasing drag right outboard, would have made lateral and roll control very difficult - exacerbated as airspeed dropped in the flare and could have easily caused have resulted in an unintended dip to the wing.

(hence the off airport landing)

Really? I don't believe that ANY airport was his intention! Just get the the thing on the ground while there was still some control. And he was damn lucky to be able to find that convenient piece of flat ground, as a lot of that area is mountainous.

You could well be right. I agree - in the circumstances, my inclination would definitely be to prefer that nice flat bit of ground here to that airport there!

The fact that the plane is in more or less one piece says a lot for both the design and the piloting.

Just looking at this again. From the video it appears that the C130 was authorised to operate in the MOA (military area)from 15,000 ft to 17,900 ft.
It also appears that he did elect to attempt to return to "Thermal" airport, which is well north of where they were operating and the area where the
F-35 crashed.

From the operating altitude it would take some time to get down to whatever altitude "Thermal" airport elevation is. There is a fairly simple calculation involved about how long it would take, BUT it involves a couple of parameters. Firstly you have a have a known airspeed, and also the elevation of the target airport. The wind also has to be considered, although probably not of much concern going on the ATC advisory in this case. Then the distance to run has to be known. All very well and routine while the operation is normal, pilots do it every day.

It is unknown at this stage, and as it is military will probably remain so, just how much the damage to the C130 there was. It would appear that they still had directional control and radios, but as a couple of those propellers had shed their blades, who knows what else was compromised.
The structural damage to the right wing and engines would have been obvious from the cockpit, with other damage probably only showing up with system failures and screaming alarms.

Considering asymmetric thrust if the two left side engines were still operating, I believe that they would have pulled power right back on those engines and the aircraft became a big glider. From what I know about the C130(very little) I recall that the engines run at a constant speed and the blade pitch is the thrust control. Also, with that obvious damage, the "glide" speed was probably critical to try and avoid further damage.

Which, all in all, makes it even more remarkable that they were able to get it on the ground in one piece, and all walk away!

(Some wag on another forum has remarked that gliders like "Thermals", so that must have helped!)