Showing posts with label B-52. Show all posts
Showing posts with label B-52. Show all posts

Monday, September 3, 2012

Darker shades of blue

Conversations around a Doctrine Man post (Facebook) asked how a commanding officer could have influence on aircraft accidents.

Besides the cover-up years ago by the USMC on Osprey maintenance, we have this from many years ago, when a "rogue" pilot in a USAF B-52 Wing Stan-Eval shop was allowed to break rules over a long period of time. The Wing leadership knew of the rogue, but little was done. And events played out to a natural conclusion.

On the 24th of June 1994, Czar 52, a B-52H assigned to the 325th Bomb Squadron, 92d Bomb Wing, Fairchild Air Force Base, WA, launched at approximate 1358 hours Pacific Daylight Time (PDT), to practice maneuvers for an upcoming airshow. The aircrew had the planned and briefed a profile, through the Wing Commander level, that grossly exceeded aircraft and regulatory limitations. Upon preparing to land at the end of the practice airshow profile, the crew was required to execute a "go-around" or missed approach because of another aircraft on the runway. At mid-field, Czar 52 began a tight 360 degree left turn around the control tower at only 250 feet altitude above ground level (AGL). Approximately three quarters of the way through the turn, the aircraft banked past 90 degrees, stalled, clipped a power line with the left wing and crashed. Impact occurred at approximately 1416 hours PDT. There were no survivors out of a crew of four field grade officers.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Bomber exchange 20 years later

Hard to believe it has been 20 year. The photo below was taken by a co-worker in 1992. It shows the Barksdale AFB flight line with some unusual visitors.

I have a montage of prints from photos I took of the Tu-95 arrivals at Barksdale. Interesting sound. The Russian crews were good people.

They are going to do it again next year.