Recent C-5 accident

[Dave Siciliano]

Here's what a friend has posted. Not sure about the credibility.

Dave


> This from one of our instructors in the C5 crash.
> Hi All
>
> This has really turned fascinating. A good buddy of mine was a Stan
> Eval guy in the wing at Dover and still has connections. He gave me
> the current skinny on the crash--non of it official--until the board
> says so.
>
> It was not a bird ingestion but a "reverser unlock" on the #2 engine
> that started this. They lost a C-5 with all aboard a few years back in
> Germany for the same cause. This crew however shut down the engine
> before an actual unstow took place. The airplane was well over 700K
> gross weight with FOB of over 300K. The airplane had the newest
> version of the C-5 flight deck with big panel glass. Unfortunately,
> only one of the three pilots was really comfortable with the new
> equipment and FMS.
>
> The crew decided because of their weight to fly their approach to the
> longest runway, which unfortunately was only being served that day by
> a Tacan (fancy VOR for you civilian types) approach. They also decided
> to fly a full flap approach to keep the approach speed down. This
> isn't prohibited--just highly discouraged. The recommended flap
> setting for a three engine approach is Flaps 40.
> During the approach the crew became worried about not having enough
> power to fly a full flap approach and selected flaps 40--which they
> were now too slow for. Here's the point all you glass cockpit guys
> should sit up and take notice about. The one guy who was familiar with
> the new glass and FMS was also the one flying the aircraft.
> He became distracted inputting the new approach speed in the FMS.
> There was also some confusion about just who was flying the A/C while
> he had his head down updating the speed. Long story short-- the got
> way slow and into the shaker, and actually stuck the tail into the
> trees and it departed the aircraft first. The nose pitched down hard
> and the nose and left wing impacted next snapping off the nose.
> Several cockpit occupants suffered spinal compression injuries. The
> guys sitting at the crew table behind the cockpit actually came to a
> stop with their legs dangling out over the ground.
>
> The miracle of this was the left outboard fuel tank was broken open
> and none of that fuel managed to find something hot enough to ignite
> it and the other 300k. Again, a bunch of very lucky people.
>
> So I guess there really is a reason we ***** at guys for hand flying
> and making their own MCP and FMS inputs.
>
> I'll send on more stuff as I get it.
>
> All the best
>

 

[GMascelli]

Flew close to the site today as I passed just west of Dover heading south to SBY. Just a nasty looking ending for that giant. I did see a few working in the pattern today and that was a welcome sight.

After crossing the Delaware Bay and making a stop at WWD I headed north to ILG. Dover approach cut me loose to squawk VFR as they were dealing with a C-5 with landing gear troubles. I went about my business and contacted ILG tower so I didn't hear how that worked out.

 

[poadeleted20]

Interesting. We instructors often get the question of retracting flaps if you're coming up short in a light plane on an engine-out approach, and our reply always covers the same problem -- if you aren't very deft about it, the bottom falls out, which is why we always stress not going to landing flaps on engine-out approaches until you're sure the field is made with the power you've got (none in SE's and all but one running in ME's).

 

[Dave Siciliano]

Sounds as if the crew was behind the plane in several areas Ron. It will be interesting to get this from a credible source. This all sounds believable but I just don't know the author first hand.

Dave