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June 24, 1994 - Hotshot B-52 pilot crashes and kills his crew at Fairchild AFB Login/Join 
Get my pies
outta the oven!

Picture of PASig
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This is definitely a military culture thing and seems to be specific to the Air Force where (pilot)officers seem to be made into these hot shot God-like individuals that cannot be questioned or reigned in. Or at least people are afraid to and here it led to tragedy.

It's just not the same in the Army or Marines where officers have different roles.


 
Posts: 34469 | Location: Pennsylvania | Registered: November 12, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Lost
Picture of kkina
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quote:
Originally posted by sourdough44:
Watched the video, learned that the steep turn was part of a ‘go around’ with the other aircraft still on the runway. In my mind that’s even more of a fail in airmanship.

His version of a go around was at 250’ above the ground, very high angle of bank. And again, done in a B-52.

The idea would be to be back on final at some point, stabilized, for the planned ‘roll & go’. That is NEVER going to happen with the tight turn at 250’AGL. Midway in the turn the right seater should have done more than speak up.

There was mention of control inputs, after the aircraft was stalled.

That Guam crash next in line was tragic also, 2008 I think.

Apparently he cut the turn way short possibly to avoid crossing over a restricted area just behind the tower where nuclear weapons were stored. The question remains "why?" Why not just go around it as he should have?



ACCU-STRUT FOR MINI-14
"First, Eyes."
 
Posts: 16826 | Location: SF Bay Area | Registered: December 11, 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by PASig:
This is definitely a military culture thing and seems to be specific to the Air Force where (pilot)officers seem to be made into these hot shot God-like individuals that cannot be questioned or reigned in. Or at least people are afraid to and here it led to tragedy.

It's just not the same in the Army or Marines where officers have different roles.

I wouldn't say it's exclusive to the USAF...senior officers have great sway over their subordinates' careers and in some ways their quality of life regardless of service. They can very easily lean on those below them and influence/change issues.

Ward Carroll points out one egregious example with a USMC pilot & air group commander, at the 1988 El Toro airshow.
 
Posts: 15030 | Location: Wine Country | Registered: September 20, 2000Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Originally posted by john1:
Does anyone have any information regarding the 1981 (approx) ceash of a B-52 in Otero County, Colorado?


https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/48314
 
Posts: 16001 | Location: Eastern Iowa | Registered: May 21, 2000Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Dances With
Tornados
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quote:
Originally posted by john1:
Does anyone have any information regarding the 1981 (approx) ceash of a B-52 in Otero County, Colorado?



There’s very little that I can find, looks like a sad story of flying too low and hitting sand dunes. Here are a few:

Link #1 click here

Link 2, click here

Link #3 click here
.

Edit: Oops looks like I was on page 1 and didn’t see the above post. Sorry.
.
 
Posts: 11964 | Registered: October 26, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
John has a
long moustashe
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I was in the area of La Junta back then and saw B-52s 0n their bomb runs pretty often. It was not unusual to see one overhead with their bay doors open.
A friend of mine got up to piss just when the crash happened and said he thought it was dawn when he looked out the window.
thanks for the info, guys.
 
Posts: 601 | Location: Rural NW Oklahoma | Registered: June 16, 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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