B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber Crash Video

http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/excl... 198060-1.html
The crash on takeoff of a 509th Air Wing, Air Force B-2 Spirit bomber,
February 23 operating at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, was caused by
water in the aircraft's sensors, according to an Air Combat report
issued Thursday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZB-iziY2Bw&fmt=18

On Jun 6, 7:58*pm, Larry Dighera wrote:
http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/excl...Video_B2Spirit...
The crash on takeoff of a 509th Air Wing, Air Force B-2 Spirit bomber,
February 23 operating at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, was caused by
water in the aircraft's sensors, according to an Air Combat report
issued Thursday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZB-iziY2Bw&fmt=18

"..in the end, the Air Force's report on the incident suggests the
entire accident could have been avoided..."

"..prior to the flight the aircraft's own systems had prompted the
crew to perform an air-data calibration.."

Pilot error?

-Le Chaud Lapin-

On Fri, 6 Jun 2008 18:20:34 -0700 (PDT), Le Chaud Lapin
wrote in
:

On Jun 6, 7:58*pm, Larry Dighera wrote:
http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/excl...Video_B2Spirit...
The crash on takeoff of a 509th Air Wing, Air Force B-2 Spirit bomber,
February 23 operating at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, was caused by
water in the aircraft's sensors, according to an Air Combat report
issued Thursday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZB-iziY2Bw&fmt=18

"..in the end, the Air Force's report on the incident suggests the
entire accident could have been avoided..."

"..prior to the flight the aircraft's own systems had prompted the
crew to perform an air-data calibration.."

Pilot error?



The $1.4 billion aircraft crashed just off the left side of the
runway and exploded. It was the first-ever B-2 crash and followed
75,000 hours of loss-free service. Link and Grieve both suffered
injuries during ejection, with Grieve suffering compression
fractures to his spine.

The report points to the inaccurate readings as contributing
factors, adding that ineffective communication of critical
information about a technique used to remove moisture from the
sensors also contributed. It's possible that all the pilots had to
do to avert the accident was turn on the pitot heat prior to
performing air data calibrations. But the suggested technique was
not part of checklist procedures.


It sounds more like an incomplete checklist.

On Jun 7, 12:27*am, Larry Dighera wrote:
On Fri, 6 Jun 2008 18:20:34 -0700 (PDT), Le Chaud Lapin
wrote in
:





On Jun 6, 7:58*pm, Larry Dighera wrote:
http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/excl...Video_B2Spirit...
The crash on takeoff of a 509th Air Wing, Air Force B-2 Spirit bomber,
February 23 operating at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, was caused by
water in the aircraft's sensors, according to an Air Combat report
issued Thursday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZB-iziY2Bw&fmt=18

"..in the end, the Air Force's report on the incident suggests the
entire accident could have been avoided..."

"..prior to the flight the aircraft's own systems had prompted the
crew to perform an air-data calibration.."

Pilot error?

* * The $1.4 billion aircraft crashed just off the left side of the
* * runway and exploded. It was the first-ever B-2 crash and followed
* * 75,000 hours of loss-free service. Link and Grieve both suffered
* * injuries during ejection, with Grieve suffering compression
* * fractures to his spine.

* * The report points to the inaccurate readings as contributing
* * factors, adding that ineffective communication of critical
* * information about a technique used to remove moisture from the
* * sensors also contributed. It's possible that all the pilots had to
* * do to avert the accident was turn on the pitot heat prior to
* * performing air data calibrations. But the suggested technique was
* * not part of checklist procedures.

It sounds more like an incomplete checklist. *- Hide quoted text -

At the 2:00 mark of the video you posted, it states...

"Major Ryan Link and Captain Justin Grief? were warned by master
caution light and flight controls systems caution 19 seconds after
brake release while on take-off roll...". It then goes on to say that
the warnings were rescinded after 6 seconds.

I guess they should add to checklist...

"Step 38...when flying $1.4 billion aircraft and computer warns you
that something is wrong, listen to it."

A few months ago, was about to go riding on power trip were top speed
on my VFR-800 could reach 155 mph. As I was leaving parking lot, I
heard a faint clicking noise. It could have been anything, but
discipline dictated that I check, so I did. I found a nice, fat, heavy-
duty staple embedded in the real wheel rubber. Fortunately, it was
embedded at an angle that left the tread useable, but still, it was
there. If anything had happened, I would have had no one to blame
myself. I'd be lying in the hospital (or dead) saying, "Yeah, I did
hear this slight clicking noise coming from somehwere but I ignored it
because I had done a check-out less than 18 hours prior..."

Those pilots had more than a clicking noise. They had a computer
saying, "Something is not right".

-Le Chaud Lapin-

Le Chaud Lapin wrote in
:

On Jun 7, 12:27*am, Larry Dighera wrote:
On Fri, 6 Jun 2008 18:20:34 -0700 (PDT), Le Chaud Lapin
wrote in
:





On Jun 6, 7:58*pm, Larry Dighera wrote:

http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/excl...eVideo_B2Spiri
t...

The crash on takeoff of a 509th Air Wing, Air Force B-2 Spirit
bomber, February 23 operating at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam,
was caused by water in the aircraft's sensors, according to an Air
Combat report issued Thursday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZB-iziY2Bw&fmt=18

"..in the end, the Air Force's report on the incident suggests the
entire accident could have been avoided..."

"..prior to the flight the aircraft's own systems had prompted the
crew to perform an air-data calibration.."

Pilot error?

* * The $1.4 billion aircraft crashed just off the left side of the
* * runway and exploded. It was the first-ever B-2 crash and followed
* * 75,000 hours of loss-free service. Link and Grieve both suffered
* * injuries during ejection, with Grieve suffering compression
* * fractures to his spine.

* * The report points to the inaccurate readings as contributing
* * factors, adding that ineffective communication of critical
* * information about a technique used to remove moisture from the
* * sensors also contributed. It's possible that all the pilots had
to

* * do to avert the accident was turn on the pitot heat prior to
* * performing air data calibrations. But the suggested technique was
* * not part of checklist procedures.

It sounds more like an incomplete checklist. *- Hide quoted text -

At the 2:00 mark of the video you posted, it states...

"Major Ryan Link and Captain Justin Grief? were warned by master
caution light and flight controls systems caution 19 seconds after
brake release while on take-off roll...". It then goes on to say that
the warnings were rescinded after 6 seconds.

I guess they should add to checklist...

"Step 38...when flying $1.4 billion aircraft and computer warns you
that something is wrong, listen to it."

A few months ago, was about to go riding on power trip were top speed
on my VFR-800 could reach 155 mph. As I was leaving parking lot, I
heard a faint clicking noise. It could have been anything, but
discipline dictated that I check, so I did. I found a nice, fat,
heavy- duty staple embedded in the real wheel rubber. Fortunately, it
was embedded at an angle that left the tread useable, but still, it
was there. If anything had happened, I would have had no one to blame
myself. I'd be lying in the hospital (or dead) saying, "Yeah, I did
hear this slight clicking noise coming from somehwere but I ignored it
because I had done a check-out less than 18 hours prior..."

Those pilots had more than a clicking noise. They had a computer
saying, "Something is not right".


You don;'t know that. You know they got a master caution, but you don't
know anything about the master caution system or the system it was
warning of. You know nothing of the porcendures and training involved
either.



Bertie

On Sat, 7 Jun 2008 07:57:57 -0700 (PDT), Le Chaud Lapin
wrote in
:

On Jun 7, 12:27*am, Larry Dighera wrote:
On Fri, 6 Jun 2008 18:20:34 -0700 (PDT), Le Chaud Lapin
wrote in
:

On Jun 6, 7:58*pm, Larry Dighera wrote:
http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/excl...Video_B2Spirit...
The crash on takeoff of a 509th Air Wing, Air Force B-2 Spirit bomber,
February 23 operating at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, was caused by
water in the aircraft's sensors, according to an Air Combat report
issued Thursday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZB-iziY2Bw&fmt=18

"..in the end, the Air Force's report on the incident suggests the
entire accident could have been avoided..."

"..prior to the flight the aircraft's own systems had prompted the
crew to perform an air-data calibration.."

Pilot error?

* * The $1.4 billion aircraft crashed just off the left side of the
* * runway and exploded. It was the first-ever B-2 crash and followed
* * 75,000 hours of loss-free service. Link and Grieve both suffered
* * injuries during ejection, with Grieve suffering compression
* * fractures to his spine.

* * The report points to the inaccurate readings as contributing
* * factors, adding that ineffective communication of critical
* * information about a technique used to remove moisture from the
* * sensors also contributed. It's possible that all the pilots had to
* * do to avert the accident was turn on the pitot heat prior to
* * performing air data calibrations. But the suggested technique was
* * not part of checklist procedures.

It sounds more like an incomplete checklist. *- Hide quoted text -

At the 2:00 mark of the video you posted, it states...

"Major Ryan Link and Captain Justin Grief? were warned by master
caution light and flight controls systems caution 19 seconds after
brake release while on take-off roll...". It then goes on to say that
the warnings were rescinded after 6 seconds.


A little after that it indicates that the ground crew was supposed to
know about using pitot heat before performing their system checks, but
that information wasn't provided to this particular ground crew.


I guess they should add to checklist...

"Step 38...when flying $1.4 billion aircraft and computer warns you
that something is wrong, listen to it."


What you suggest that the pilots may have done as a result of that
computer warning?

On Jun 7, 12:02*pm, Larry Dighera wrote:
On Sat, 7 Jun 2008 07:57:57 -0700 (PDT), Le Chaud Lapin
wrote in
"Step 38...when flying $1.4 billion aircraft and computer warns you
that something is wrong, listen to it."

What you suggest that the pilots may have done as a result of that
computer warning?

Abort takeoff?

-Le Chaud Lapin-

----clip----

The $1.4 billion aircraft crashed just off the left side of the
runway and exploded. It was the first-ever B-2 crash and followed
75,000 hours of loss-free service. Link and Grieve both suffered
injuries during ejection, with Grieve suffering compression
fractures to his spine.


************************************************** *******

I ejected in 1968 and got a compression fracture. Seat was one of the
original seats first used in Jets. It used a 37 mm shell for energy
and the 'g' forces peaked just after firing with the high 'G' causing
the back damage.

Current seats have longer application of thrust and peak 'G' on pilot
is much less (smooth ride).

I'm surprised one of the pilots got a compression fracture unless it
was ground contact.

Big John

On Sun, 08 Jun 2008 09:14:15 -0500, Big John
wrote in :

----clip----

The $1.4 billion aircraft crashed just off the left side of the
runway and exploded. It was the first-ever B-2 crash and followed
75,000 hours of loss-free service. Link and Grieve both suffered
injuries during ejection, with Grieve suffering compression
fractures to his spine.


************************************************* ********

I ejected in 1968 and got a compression fracture.

I'm sorry to hear that. What was the cause of your decision to eject?

Seat was one of the
original seats first used in Jets. It used a 37 mm shell for energy
and the 'g' forces peaked just after firing with the high 'G' causing
the back damage.

Current seats have longer application of thrust and peak 'G' on pilot
is much less (smooth ride).

I'm surprised one of the pilots got a compression fracture unless it
was ground contact.

Big John

It would seem, that being strapped into the seat could result in just
that sort of injury on landing if the pilot doesn't have the option of
jettisoning the seat before landing.

Perhaps the injured pilot's age and weight figured into the cause of
his injury.

Does anyone wear those thick-soled wedgies with the pneumatic void in
the soles to cushion impact anymore?

The current ACES II seats are zero/zero (will get a good chute with zero
forward velocity and zero altitude). It is generally felt that the parachute
landing and wrong body position cause the compression fractures, not the
ejection itself. The seat senses the actual altitude and attitude, and this
determines when it separates, although manual separation is also an option.

You're not supposed to land on your feet, regardless.