B-52 crash on Guam-May 2016

a reply to: Bfirez

Only when they're doing some check rides. After one of the B-1 crashes where an IP was killed because he didn't have an ejection seat they limit extra crew on bombers as much as possible.

found a page with a few pics of 0047

www.touchdown-aviation.com...

a reply to: grey580

Any updates yet on the ejection vs. skid and egress escape part?

a reply to: Bfirez

No, probably won't be for a week or two when they release preliminary information.

I haven't seen the AIB report yet, but I heard it was a high speed abort, that went off the end of the runway and caught fire.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
I'm starting to think that bombers might want to stay away from Guam. A B-52 crashed in 2008 killing all six on board while practicing for an air parade. A B-2 crashed on Guam in 2008, and another was almost destroyed by an engine fire. A B-1 suffered significant damage after making an emergency landing and rolling into parked fire trucks, also in 2008.

Crew sleep deprivation and time change?

a reply to: mbkennel

No, all but the B-2 crash had mechanical causes. The B-52 had a trim tab shift on them they think. The B-2 that crashed was due to not following checklists. The other B-2 was an engine fire, exacerbated by fire department inexperience. The B-1 was a hydraulic problem.

A combination of factors led to this accident. It was actually a runway overrun, not a crash as first reported.

The aircraft was performing a "high speed, heavyweight takeoff" when the pilot noticed birds near the end of the runway. There were also indications they weren't generating the required thrust to takeoff, so the pilot declared an abort. During the abort the drag chute failed, probably due to the speed, and the brakes overheated as they tried to stop. This resulted in the aircraft departing the runway and catching fire.

www.airforcetimes.com...

Might have to use an anchor next time..Very lucky no casualties..

Ugh... that is a gawd awful sequence of events..

Oh and as far as egress with a full crew + a couple... when I flew on a buff to an island in the indian ocean... if we had to bail I had to wait for the nav and radar nav to eject, toss the tool box out and hope it cleared the antenna... then jump and drop out the hole in the bottom and hope for the best.

AMARG is currently working on returning 60-0034 to flyable condition, upon which it will head to Tinker to undergo modernization and upgrades to return it to service to replace the aircraft destroyed here. It's a former 5th Bomb Wing, 23rd Bomb Squadron aircraft, that was based at Minot when it was retired. It's been in the Boneyard just over 10 years, with its retirement date being 14 Aug 2008.

a reply to: Zaphod58

If they can make 0054 flyable they can get any jet flyable.

She's about ready to head to Tinker.

Almost like old battleships.

They've gotten to engines running on 0034. She's been moved around, but I haven't heard if it was under her own power, ot towed.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
They've gotten to engines running on 0034. She's been moved around, but I haven't heard if it was under her own power, ot towed.

Already at Minot or still at BY? I live 5 min from BY.

a reply to: PilSungMtnMan

She'll go to Tinker first, but she hasn't left DM yet.

Aircraft 034 flies from the Boneyard Tuesday, May 14th. She goes to Barksdale, with three senior crew members on board. She'll fly VFR with the gear locked down, below 10,000 feet. Once at Barksdale, she gets field level modifications done. Once those are completed, she goes to Tinker for PDM and Depot level modifications.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Why not fly directly to Tinker? Is Barksdale not further? Let me go ahead and drive my beat-up old car to my buddy in another state so he can fix my tires, then i'm going to drive back the way I came to have the mechanic fix the engine...

a reply to: Bfirez

Because overall it's less time required to return it to service to go to Barksdale first. The guys there can do required upgrades that can be done at the unit level. If you go to the Depot to do all of it, you either have to tie up a slot that's already needed by a currently active aircraft, or you have to slot it in as best you can between aircraft. You're already looking at 18-19 months at Tinker minimum. Going straight there, that could be pushed out to 24-30.