B-1 Gear Up Accident: Findings

[Matt308]

Information that I have the accident occurred at Diego Garcia. Here's more -

"9/18/2006 - LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFPN) -- Pilot error caused a B-1 Lancer?to crash while landing on the runway at a forward-deployed location May 8, 2006, according to an aircraft accident investigation report released here Sept. 18.

The co-pilot suffered a minor back injury and the other three crew members were not injured.?

Damage totaled approximately $7.9 million for the aircraft and the damage to the runway totaled approximately $14,025. The aircraft is assigned to the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron of the?7th Bomb Wing at Dyess AFB, Texas.

Investigators concluded?the cause of the mishap was both pilots' failure to lower the landing gear during the aircraft's approach and landing. Contributing factors for the pilots' failure to lower the landing gear were the co-pilot's task oversaturation; the co-pilot's urgency to complete a long mission; both pilots' inattention to instrument readings and the descent/before landing checklist, and the co-pilot's false belief?the pilot had lowered the landing gear.

According to the report, the pilot unexpectedly turned over aircraft control to the co-pilot on the final approach. The pilot reported to the air traffic control tower that the landing gear was down despite the fact that the descent/before landing checklist was never completed and the landing gear was never lowered. The red warning light in the gear handle, indicating all landing gear was not down and locked, was illuminated for more than four minutes during the approach.?

Additionally, at the time the aircraft landed, the three green position lights, which illuminate after the landing gear has locked in the down position, were not illuminated."

(Courtesy of Air Combat Command News Service)
(Photos courtesy of Air Force Link - Home)

 

[davparlr]

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

Oh, yeah, I've been to Goose Bay, Gander, and St. Johns. Usually on our way to or from Thule, Sondestrom, and Nord all in Greenland. I flew from 1971 to 74, a long time ago. I have a friend whose husband was killed at Goose Bay, I believe, in a F-20 doing demo. He pulled too many g's and passed out. The F-20 just settled into the ground. Very sad. Of course, if you were working GCA, that probably was a while back too.

By the way, thanks to all you GCA guys. You did a great job. My hats off to you. I remember flying an approach into McGuire and the weather was marginal and at mimimuns with an occluded front sitting over the base. I had a cargo full of airsick dead head crews. On final we had moderate turbulence and 30 degree drift angle. Crosswinds were gusting up 25 kts from down the runway to ninety degrees off. At one point the GCI controller said that I was too far right for a safe approach, then said no, he thought I could make it. He stuck with me and we made it in. I could hardly get out of the seat after we landed. We put our lives in the GCAs hand regularly and always earned our trust.