USAF C17 crash in Alaska, four killed

[sn26567]

Four crew were killed in a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster that crashed on Wednesday at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska.

The C-17 Globemaster crashed just after takeoff in a wooded area just northeast of the air field. Three of the dead were members of the Alaska Air National Guard (reserve) and the fourth was on active duty at Elmendorf.

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[Nevihta]

Really strange how crashes happen in "series"...

[regi]

Really strange how crashes happen in "series"...

and especially this bird

[galaxy]

and especially this bird

Air shows are unfortunately favorite places for crashes.

[galaxy]

The Air Force has just released its probe into the July 28 crash of a C-17 cargo plane in Alaska...during practice for an upcoming air show, killing all four on board:

After the initial climb out and left turn, the pilot executed an aggressive right turn. As the aircraft banked, the stall warning system activated to alert the crew of an impending stall. Instead of implementing stall recovery procedures, the pilot continued the turn as planned, and the aircraft entered a stall from which recovery was not possible. Although the pilot eventually attempted to recover the aircraft, he employed incorrect procedures, and there was not sufficient altitude to regain controlled flight.

Investigators blamed hot-dogging pilots for the crash. It's one thing to fly like this when you're the lone occupant strapped into a fighter, but something else when your joy-riding kills three of your compatriots. See the minute-long fatal flight here. "The footage has been edited to cut off just prior to the aircraft's impact," the Air Force says, "out of consideration and respect for the families of the deceased."

Video :
http://www.pacaf.af.mil/shared/media/do ... 10-080.wmv

Read more:
http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2010/12 ... e-tragedy/

[Doering]

That is so sad! The liftoff was very aggressive too. All those maneuvers were performed far too close to the ground with no margins for correction. A terrible learning experience.

[DeltaWiskey]

That is so sad! The liftoff was very aggressive too. All those maneuvers were performed far too close to the ground with no margins for correction. A terrible learning experience.

You are a (military) pilot yourself?
These kind of exercise/rehearsal are not uncommon, those are performed by properly trained pilots (certainly in the miltary)... It might look close to the ground, but there is still is room for correction if something goes wrong. I don't know the reason the pilot (plane?) didn't recover as there was still room for correction when things started to go wrong...

[Doering]

That is so sad! The liftoff was very aggressive too. All those maneuvers were performed far too close to the ground with no margins for correction. A terrible learning experience.

You are a (military) pilot yourself?
These kind of exercise/rehearsal are not uncommon, those are performed by properly trained pilots (certainly in the miltary)... It might look close to the ground, but there is still is room for correction if something goes wrong. I don't know the reason the pilot (plane?) didn't recover as there was still room for correction when things started to go wrong...

Yes, I fully understand what you are saying and agree. But based on reading other descriptions, the pilot did not have the experience in that aircraft to permit a recovery at that altitude if the correct procedures were not performed.