B-1 Gear Up Accident?

[Say Again Over]

I thought there was some airman sitting in a shack at the end of the runway to prevent stuff like this happening, where is NG?

 

[SpiderMan]

Did they ever fix it and fly it out?

 

[EA6BDriver]

I was the Air Ops Officer at this particular base a few years ago (and dealt with a couple of similar events). Also, I was the Aviation Safety Officer there. I can assure you the Navy has the same rules about mishap information getting out as the USAF does. Privileged info is (supposed to be) used exclusively to prevent another mishap. Non-privileged info is for the lawyers to fight over when determining who's to blame. If things are done correctly, these two info streams should never cross.

As for the base XO (Pearl), he is very likely not an aviator (don't know him, but that was the case with my XO when I was out there) so may not have had the same training about mishap info getting out as we military aviators get from Day 1. But I'd also say it's a pretty safe assumption that he had no idea his emails would show up on the web. The base is very remote. Comms with the outside world almost invariably are done via email, which, as we all know, immediately opens them up to being used (and abused) in other forums.

Whoever posted these comments to the public domain should be ashamed, at the very least. I can think of a few other things to add, but will refrain.

I would argue we are all prone to making mistakes. If you're lucky, it's a missed radio call. If you're unlucky, it's something like we have depicted here. But that fact remains, we're not perfect. So, given that we're all potentially one flight away from that next mistake, I would hope you can agree that none of us would want our misfortune splattered all over the internet, with a bunch of virtual on-lookers acting as judge, jury and executioner. However, I guess that's the age we live in.

Fly safe.

 

[FN FAL]

And FYI the military isn't in the habit of airing dirty laundry on issues like this for the public.

I hear ya, it wouldn't be good for the morale of the country if the taxpayers found out wankers were stalling C5's for no good reason.

 

[Tri-holer]

Originally posted by Draginass:
"Release of some information about mishaps and accidents could give any potential enemy information on weaknesses in equipment or training. Just because you wanna know, doesn't mean you need to know"

Now, if the enemy can use this information to prevent the operation of the gear handles on the B-1 fleet, they can ground it quicker than Congress can.

Seriously, somebody screwed the pooch, and if it anything like the B-1 that went in up at Ellsworth back in '91 or so, you can expect to see him (or her) promptly promoted. F*** up and move up.

National security issue it is not. The things that would seem to be national security issues such as cracks in C-5 wings or other things that could ground a fleet and impair our strategic abilities are made public almost as soon as they are detected. Someone screwing up in a plane is just that - a screw up, not a national security issue.

 

[Draginass]

Crew training (or lack of) as well as proficiency, etc. are most certainly issues that a potential enemy would value knowing.

You don't have a "right" to know everything, nor are you the final arbitror of national security issues . . . . but rather just another armchair expert with a computer.

 

[SIG600]

I hear ya, it wouldn't be good for the morale of the country if the taxpayers found out wankers were stalling C5's for no good reason.

Oh ya, cuz commercial pilots are of such a high caliber. Eastern 401 anyone? If I have an accident in a military a/c, you have absolutley no right to ever know what the details of the investigation are. I don't care what your arguement is.

 

[Freight Dawg]

Hey Sig, you don't see me out trying to pretend to put bombs on targets, so don't come run to be a civy pilot for FedEx or any other airline. We don't wanna train you on how to get from point A to B in the WX, make a schedule, fly a SID or STAR, land on snowy and Icy runways...and how to fly in RVSM airspace. Oh yaeh I forgot, on the civy side you take check rides every sixmonths and you have this thing called a license that you could lose....hey what does a Military pilots license look like...oh yeah I forgot you take a test and get a CIVY. You can't fly in the MIL forever. Later D!CK

Flying safety should be about the safety of all pilots no matter what the background.

 

[SIG600]

Hey Sig, you don't see me out trying to pretend to put bombs on targets, so don't come run to be a civy pilot for FedEx or any other airline. We don't wanna train you on how to get from point A to B in the WX, make a schedule, fly a SID or STAR, land on snowy and Icy runways...and how to fly in RVSM airspace. Oh yaeh I forgot, on the civy side you take check rides every sixmonths and you have this thing called a license that you could lose....hey what does a Military pilots license look like...oh yeah I forgot you take a test and get a CIVY. You can't fly in the MIL forever. Later D!CK

Flying safety should be about the safety of all pilots no matter what the background.

You're right, years as a CFI, part 135, and corporate aviation... I don't know anything about any of that. And ya, mil guys never fly sids/stars (every flight), or fly in snow and icy... blah blah blah.

 

[SnackPak]

Freight Dick,

You are a tool.

By the way, when was the last time you landed on a carrier, at night with a 200 foot ceiling?

Thats what I thought, loser.