P-3 mishap: 2 pilots short on flight hours

[unhappycamper]

An internal Navy report obtained by Navy Times says two of the three pilots on board a P-3 Orion that spiraled out of control in July were not current with flight-time requirements.


P-3 mishap: 2 pilots short on flight hours
By Andrew Tilghman - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Feb 26, 2009 15:37:33 EST

Two of the three pilots on board the P-3 Orion that narrowly averted catastrophe last year when it plummeted nearly 6,000 feet in 25 seconds were not current with flight-time requirements, an internal Navy report shows.

In addition, when the aircraft began to shake violently and an engine malfunctioned, the crew fell into “scope lock” and did not strictly follow the Navy’s air training standards, according to the Judge Advocate General Manual investigation, obtained by Navy Times.

However, those issues did not result in any disciplinary action stemming from the July 22 incident near Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash., according to the report.

The P-3 from Patrol Squadron 1 was conducting a training flight in which one of its four engines was shut down on purpose. But a second engine on the same port wing malfunctioned, rolling the aircraft violently and sending it spiraling toward the ground at 290 knots. The plane was pulling more than 5 Gs before the aviators were able to restart the first engine to recover at less than 200 feet and land safely.

The plane was essentially destroyed — the fuel tank was ripped open, several panels were bent or buckled, and dozens of rivets ripped out as the starboard wing skin peeled away, the report says. It will not be returned to the fleet.

Rest of article at: http://navytimes.com/news/2009/02/navy_P3mishap_022609/%2e

[sam sarrha]

1. THOSE PLANES ARE PRETTY OLD..plus salty environment, inclement weather, they are lucky