B-1 Gear Up Accident: Findings

[Matt308]

Aviation Week and Space Technology -

"Task saturated US Air Force pilots forgot to put down the landing gear at a forward operating base and crashed their B-1 with a resulting $7.9 million in damages to the aircraft, $14,000 to the runway and a minor back injury to the co-pilot, says an USAF investigation report. The B-1s are now in Qatar, but have operated from Oman and Diego Garcia. Investigators say the failure to lower the landing gear was both pilots' fault. Contributing factors were the co-pilot's task saturation and urgency to complete a long mission, both pilot's inattention to the instrument readings and the checkllist, and the co-pilot's belief that the pilot had lowered the gear. Also, the pilot unexpectedly turned over aircraft control to the co-pilot on final approach and reported to the tower that the landing gear was down, despite the fact that the checklist was never completed. The red warning light in the gear handle was illuminated for more than 4 minutes during the approach."

Somebody's getting a desk job.

 

[Jank]

Do you have a link?

I have tried to find the story on Aviation Week Space Technology's website via their search engine using key words from the quote you provided to no avail.

What was the date of the incident?

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

jeez how can this be done in a multi-million dollar aircraft........

 

[Jank]

The same way that its done on a multi hundred thousand dollar aircraft.

Lame mistakes. Pilots, doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc. They all do them and often they cost a bundle.

 

[pbfoot]

All those times the I asked pilots to confirm wheels down and locked were a waste i guess

 

[Matt308]

Do you have a link?

I have tried to find the story on Aviation Week Space Technology's website via their search engine using key words from the quote you provided to no avail.

What was the date of the incident?

Sometimes one must break away from the computer.

AvWeek Sept 25, 2006. You have to be a subscriber to get all the articles. Magazine subscription runs over $100 per year.

Les actually had a picture of this incident in one of his mega-threads. Can't recall the date from earlier this year. I quoted the whole blurb from the above issue. It is even unclear where this occurred. Oman? Diego Garcia? A forward staging base says Oman, but are there others? That intriqued me more.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

jeez how can this be done in a multi-million dollar aircraft........

Simple - Stress.....

Kids, don't think these guys are flying along in this multi-million dollar electric bomber having everything done for them in a happy stress-free environment. Sometimes combat pilots (whether it be in combat or in training) are placed in very stressful situations; to complete a mission in a required amount of time; to perform that mission with efficiency and to accomplish the assigned mission while complying with several dozen regulations that would dwarf the library of a Philadelphia lawyer. Sometimes they are accomplishing these missions while having marital or family problems, career concerns and other "Life" distractions, all this while shooting an instrument approach at an airport with 1/2 mile visibility, rain mixed with snow and winds gusting to 35 knots. Even the most experienced pilots can be placed in "work overload" and its at that time when a chain of events occur that results in an accident like this or worse....

 

[Matt308]

..and these missions can last up to 36hours.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

It is even unclear where this occurred. Oman? Diego Garcia? A forward staging base says Oman, but are there others? That intriqued me more.

I think it happened at Dyess...

 

[pbfoot]

Simple - Stress.....

Kids, don't think these guys are flying along in this multi-million dollar electric bomber having everything done for them in a happy stress-free environment. Sometimes combat pilots (whether it be in combat or in training) are placed in very stressful situations; to complete a mission in a required amount of time; to perform that mission with efficiency and to accomplish the assigned mission while complying with several dozen regulations that would dwarf the library of a Philadelphia lawyer. Sometimes they are accomplishing these missions while having marital or family problems, career concerns and other "Life" distractions, all this while shooting an instrument approach at an airport with 1/2 mile visibility, rain mixed with snow and winds gusting to 35 knots. Even the most experienced pilots can be placed in "work overload" and its at that time when a chain of events occur that results in an accident like this or worse....

and some times they just don't follow SOP and its on the way to medics for blood and the board of inquiry.We usually took a peek with the Binoculars to verify weather permitting

 

[Matt308]

A forwarding base in Texas??

 

[FLYBOYJ]

A forwarding base in Texas??

No, Dyess AFB

Dyess Air Force Base - Home

 

[Matt308]

Yeah, gotcha. But the AvWeek quote indicated the accident occurred at an FOB (Forward Operating Base). Anyone know where?

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Yeah, gotcha. But the AvWeek quote indicated the accident occurred at an FOB (Forward Operating Base). Anyone know where?

I believe it was Dyess - Av Week, while considered a renowned publication does get things wrong. A FOB for the B-1 would be Edwards or Diego...

 

[k9kiwi]

When a "Stealth" plane crashes, does it make a noise?

Enquiring minds ask these sorts of questions.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

When a "Stealth" plane crashes, does it make a noise?

Enquiring minds ask these sorts of questions.

Funny...........

The B-1B is not a pure stealth aircraft....

 

[davparlr]

A couple of personal examples of how this can happen.

First a break in a sequence. I was flying my annual local check ride which required a holding pattern to a low altitude non-precision approach. I departed on a heading out of the holding pattern to intercept the inbound course. Our sequence for landing configuration was, "flaps approach, pause while the flaps set (you would overstress the hydraulics if you lowered the gear while flaps were going down), gear down, before landing checklist. I called for flaps down, and as the flaps started down, the inbound course indicator broke from the case. This required me to make a turn into the course and descend to the non-precision minimums. This broke my sequence. I continued on with the gear up. The flight examiner was watching all of this. As I was starting to make my final approach, I noticed a horn blowing and thought "it should be quiet at this time". I looked over and saw the red light in the handle and said "gear down, before landing checklist. The Flight examiner threw the handle down and whipped through the checklist. He said checklist complete right before the gear touched down. He then asked me what I would do if he didn't complete the checklist and I said "I would execute a go around". You pass, he said.

The second is fatigue and distraction. I was flying a high altitude approach to an ILS into Pisa, Italy at about 12 hours into our European shuttle mission, which had required several landings, and no would talk to us. I called out flaps landing (made when landing is assured. This provides mostly drag). Finally the tower said that we were cleared to land. As I flared the C-141 I noticed the plane floating. It usually settled down quickly once power was removed. I got concerned when I noticed half the runway pass and we were still airborne. I lowered the nose slightly, confident that if I could get the gear on the ground the C-141s massive antilocking brakes could stop us. I did get the gear on the ground and the plane came to a stop just short of the overrun. The copilot had failed to lower the flaps to landing and I had failed to check them. We had four people in the cockpit all responsible for proper flight preparation, pilot, copilot, naviagator and engineer. We all missed that failure to lower the flaps to landing.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

I rest my case...

Dav - you da man!

 

[Matt308]

When a "Stealth" plane crashes, does it make a noise?

Enquiring minds ask these sorts of questions.

For that flightcrew, I suspect it made quite a bit of noise.

 

[pbfoot]

Davparir we must have talked to each other if you ever transited CYYR Goose Bay which every 141 has done I worked arrival and GCA