Hornet crash near Miramar:

[Pugs]

I find it hard to believe that all class "A" result in any sort of grounding period. In my case my class "A" was a Hornet cooking off the CADS in station one while we were chained to the deck. Resulted in loss of a 4/6 ALQ-99 pod ergo class "A" as cost at the time was $1.6M and it went over the side. I flew again that afternoon. When we lost a jet due to a wire parting the crew was down for two days thanks to some stitches and sore backs but were back at it within 48 hours. Just after I left the squadron a crew planted one of our jets at Fallon. Back seaters flew again with a week. Front seaters were a bit longer as there were some aviation skills to look into. I could be wrong but are we so fat on Aviators that a squadron can afford to lose someone for months?

Seems, just like the pirates code, it's more of a guideline than a rule

 

[bunk22]

The unfortunate by-product of the times in which we live makes the leadership element of Naval Aviation ultra-sensitive to things like that. Most of the time, they're concerned in examining every angle of a mishap before drawing any conclusions WRT aircrew error. Even in such "no brainer" circumstances like a bird strike, I can see certain kinds of people asking questions like "Did the MP check the BASH report? Was it up to date? Does the command/community have a robust BASH program in place," etc. In the end, it's probably not going to place the MP at fault for a bird strike, but people would rather go through the motions for CYA purposes.

Brett

Plus, the Navy can afford to look into these mishaps, they don't need as many folks now days and can be very critical. Again, I knew I would be fine but letting me sit for 7 months, when the student was up in 4 months, was absurd....IMO. There's also the case of monday morning QB'ing from outside sources who can make an investigation last longer than intended. I know of another case but won't comment in detail. It was just well known that this outside person caused some issue and grief.

In another mishap (B), with a good friend of mine, it was mechanical failure.....he was given an A1 yet he was punished FITREP wise by his command anyway. I knew the CO and XO at the time and it doesn't surprise me at all how he was treated. The skipper that came in after my mishap hated me for that mishap. It didn't happen under his watch, I was cleared to fly again, but he hated me with a passion regardless. It was tough to work for him with the almost daily barrage of insults and ass chewings. I'm not kidding either. Worst I've ever been treated. I didn't get a bad FITREP (like my buddy above) out of it but didn't stand out either and we all know how that goes.

 

[SteveG75]

My first Class A was a mid-air collision resulting in ejection. Two months down waiting for the FNAEB results. There was a jurisdictional issue since the pilot was an AF exchange guy.

Second Class A was a ground mishap (no intent for flight since we were in tension when the tailpipe came apart and the aircraft burned). I was flying the next day.

 

[scoober78]

Ouch.

About the picture...was the canopy removed during firefighting? I'm assuming you emergency egressed...does the canopy on the -6 come clean off when emergency actuated? Just trying to figure the missing glass out.

 

[Brett327]

Ouch.

About the picture...was the canopy removed during firefighting? I'm assuming you emergency egressed...does the canopy on the -6 come clean off when emergency actuated? Just trying to figure the missing glass out.

My understanding is that it sides back past the stops and departs the aircraft. Rumor has it that "Meat" took out one of the firefighters with his canopy during that evolution. No good deed goes unpunished.

Brett

 

[SemperGumbi]

The smiley was noted!

Thanks for duely noting it! For clarification: I was talking about some of the assumptions made in the reposrts and in Approach, not that those reports are at all idle exercises. I think they are very useful.

I just think the speculation comes in when they make unknowable (thats for Rummy) assertions. E.g. "The pilot _______ in an effort to _________." Or whenever I see the word "apparently."

Those reports are a really educated guess sometimes, especially when the only people who can answer the questions aren't alive anymore.

Again, I don't disagree with anything posted there, just adding...

 

[Lawman]

My first Class A was a mid-air collision resulting in ejection. Two months down waiting for the FNAEB results. There was a jurisdictional issue since the pilot was an AF exchange guy.

Second Class A was a ground mishap (no intent for flight since we were in tension when the tailpipe came apart and the aircraft burned). I was flying the next day.

Play the lotto a lot Steve? I mean your probably owed something in Karma about now.

How long were you in the aircraft during that fire? I mean in a situation like that do you wait for the crash crew to put it out and break you out of the cockpit? Or do you just yank the handle, hope for favorable winds, and say a prayer for the deck crew?

 

[mules83]

My understanding is that it sides back past the stops and departs the aircraft. Rumor has it that "Meat" took out one of the firefighters with his canopy during that evolution. No good deed goes unpunished.

Brett

Not the same A-6 but you get the idea how the canopy ejects.

 

[SemperGumbi]

Cool picture. Where did you find it, mules?

 

[nittany03]

My understanding is that it sides back past the stops and departs the aircraft. Rumor has it that "Meat" took out one of the firefighters with his canopy during that evolution. No good deed goes unpunished.

Brett

Not the same A-6 but you get the idea how the canopy ejects.

I'm glad I wasn't the guy to get hit by THAT! Holy cow . . .

 

[mules83]

Cool picture. Where did you find it, mules?

The "oops list"

http://www.micom.net/oops/

 

[SteveG75]

Play the lotto a lot Steve? I mean your probably owed something in Karma about now.

How long were you in the aircraft during that fire? I mean in a situation like that do you wait for the crash crew to put it out and break you out of the cockpit? Or do you just yank the handle, hope for favorable winds, and say a prayer for the deck crew?

We stayed in the jet for about two minutes or so. After all, we always briefed that the safest place was in the jet. When the canopy filled with smoke, I pulled the canopy jettison and we climbed out. Brett refered to a firefighter I knocked off the jet. He was trying to disconnect the canopy from the hydraulic ram so they could open it manually. I just went for the jettison.

I have the PLAT video at home. Tailpipe was a brand new unit. Low powered fine but self destructed at high power on the cat. Real heros were our AME who went up and pinned the seats after we egressed and our flight dech chief who pinned the stores and opened the engine bay doors for the firefighters, whil the jet was burning.