PDA

View Full Version : Sad Story of B-52 Crash



BajaMike
06-23-2007, 10:20 PM
I just happened on this on Wikipedia.....happened back in 1994....
http://www.rob.com/pic/B52_crash/B52CRSH2.jpg
"The B-52 crash at Fairchild Air Force Base was a fatal air crash that occurred on June 24, 1994, killing the four crew members of a United States Air Force (USAF) B-52 Stratofortress during a training flight. In the crash, Bud Holland, who was the command pilot of the aircraft based at Fairchild Air Force Base, call sign Czar 52, flew the aircraft beyond its operational parameters and lost control.
As a result, the aircraft stalled, hit the ground, and was completely destroyed. Video of the crash was shown throughout the United States on news broadcasts.
The accident investigation concluded that the chain of events leading to the crash was primarily attributable to Holland's personality and behavior, USAF leaders' reactions to it, and the sequence of events during the mishap flight of the aircraft.
Today, the crash is used in military and civilian aviation environments as a case study in teaching crew resource management. Also, the crash is often used by the USAF and US Army during safety training as an example of the importance of compliance with safety regulations and correcting the behavior of anyone who violates safety procedures.
"At 07:30 local time (Pacific Time Zone) on June 24, 1994, at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, a USAF B-52H bomber crew stationed at Fairchild prepared to practice an aircraft demonstration flight for an upcoming air show. The crew consisted of pilots Arthur "Bud" Holland (46 years old), Mark McGeehan (38), Robert Wolff (46), and weapon systems officer/radar navigator Ken Huston (41).
Holland was the designated command pilot for the flight, with McGeehan as the copilot and Wolff designated as a safety observer. Holland, McGeehan, and Huston were lieutenant colonels and Wolff was a colonel. Holland was the chief of the 92nd Bomb Wing's Standardization and Evaluation branch, McGeehan was the commander of the 325th Bomb Squadron, Wolff was the vice commander of the 92nd Bomb Wing, and Huston was the 325th Bomb Squadron's operations officer.[1]
The mission plan for the flight called for a demanding series of low-altitude passes, 60 degree banked turns, a steep climb, and a touch-and-go landing on Fairchild's Runway 23. The flight was also Wolff's "fini flight"—a common tradition in which a retiring USAF aircrew member is met shortly after landing on his or her final flight at the airfield by relatives, friends, and coworkers, and doused with water.
Thus, Wolff's wife and many of his close friends were at the airfield to watch the flight and participate in the post-flight ceremony. McGeehan's wife and two youngest sons watched the flight from the backyard of McGeehan's living quarters, located nearby.[2]
The B-52 aircraft launched at 13:58 and completed most of the mission's elements without incident. Upon preparing to execute the touch-and-go on Runway 23 at the end of the practice profile, the aircraft was instructed to go-around because a KC-135 aircraft had just landed and was on the runway. Maintaining an altitude of about 250 feet above ground level (AGL), Holland radioed the control tower and asked for permission to execute a 360 degree left turn, which was immediately granted by the tower controller.
The B-52 then began the 360 degree left turn around the tower starting from about the midfield point of the runway. Located a short distance behind the tower was an area of restricted (no fly) airspace, reportedly because of a nuclear weapons storage facility.[3]
To avoid flying through the restricted airspace, Holland apparently flew the aircraft in an extremely tight, steeply banked turn while maintaining the low, 250-foot AGL altitude.
Approximately three quarters of the way around the turn, at 14:16, the aircraft banked past 90 degrees, descended rapidly, and hit the ground, exploding and killing the four crew members.
Although McGeehan attempted to eject, the ejection sequence was interrupted by the crash before he could clear the aircraft. No one on the ground was physically injured. The crash was videotaped and the video was shown repeatedly on news broadcasts throughout the United States.[4]
Very sad.....

boatsnblondes
06-23-2007, 10:45 PM
The article is overly nice to the pilot.....do a little research and you will find out he was a real hot shot who should never have been in the no. 1 seat.....

BajaMike
06-23-2007, 10:58 PM
I know the history of the pilot, and his rep of being a "hot shot".....also, note it was his last scheduled flight, and his friends and family were on the flight line watching the whole thing.
I've flown on lots of combat, rescue and fire fighting missions and I'll fly with a confident, "hot shot" pilot anyday over a less confident, "by the books" pilot....when the going gets tough the so called "hot shot" (usually) get the job done and get you back alive.
:idea:

BajaMike
06-23-2007, 11:03 PM
Some of the history of Lt Col Holland.........
From 1991 to 1994 many significant events occurred which characterized Holland's indifference to the regulations of the Air Force in relation to flying procedures. B-52 pilots are required to follow Tech Order 1B-52G-1-11, or the Dash 11, which states all the capabilities and limitations of the aircraft.
May 19, 1991
Fairchild Air Force Base held an airshow and Holland was aircraft commander of the exhibition. During the event, he exceeded the B-52's banking and pitch limits. He also flew directly over the crowd which is a violation of FAR (Federal Aviation Regulation) Part 91 policy. Though both his commanders were present and realized the violations, nothing was done.
July 12, 1991
A change of command ceremony took place and Holland was aircraft commander. He performed the same maneuvers as he did during the air show except now he accomplished a "wingover", where the pilot rolls the aircraft onto its side and allows the nose of the aircraft to fall towards the Earth to regain speed. Damage can occur during this maneuver. This time his commanders realized this was setting a bad example for the younger B-52 crews, yet it is unknown whether Holland was punished.
May 17, 1992
During the airshow Holland exceeded the recommended bank angles and performed a flyby down the runway. At the end of the pass he completed a high pitch angle climb, or pitch-up, at about 60 degrees nose high, and leveled off with a wingover. Though it is known that Holland was verbally reprimanded, there is no documentation.
April 14, 1993 - April 15, 1993
This time Holland was mission commander of a two aircraft exercise to bomb ranges in the South Pacific. During an exercise named Global Power, Holland permitted his crew members to photograph his wingman at close visual formation, as well as allowing one of his crew to film live munitions being released from the B-52. Both acts disregarded regulations. During this episode, the leadership both encouraged and discouraged Holland to act in the way he did. There was no disciplinary action taken.
August 8, 1993
Holland was the 1993 Fairchild B-52 exhibition commander. Banking and pitch angles were exceeded. Holland was able to fly the aircraft at nearly a 90 degree angle. By this time many younger pilots wished to emulate Holland. At least two incidents occurred where less experienced pilots attempted to imitate Holland with a pitch-up and a fly-by at 60 degrees, both were successful. Holland was not disciplined.
March 10, 1994
This day Holland flew practice munitions to a range in Yakima. An authorized film crew recorded the event. He was taped flying within 30 feet of the ground and during another pass prompted the film crew to duck for cover. During one of these passes the aircraft would most likely have crashed if the co-pilot, Captain Eric Jones, had not intervened. After the mission Jones stated he would not fly again with Holland to the squadron commander, Lt Col Mark C. McGeehan, who then recommended Holland be grounded. Holland was never grounded and these events prompted McGeehan to make the decision restricting his crews from flying with Holland unless he was in the aircraft. Holland was upset by the fact that McGeehan had attempted to have him grounded. Holland verbally confronted McGeehan by stating he did not respect him as a man, commander, or pilot.
June 17, 1994
Holland flew the practice route in his B-52 in preparation for the upcoming airshow. He exceeded pitch and bank restrictions. His commander witnessed the display and concluded it was all within Air Force parameters. During the briefing for the show a few days earlier Holland had stated that he would perform another wingover and no one objected. By this time Holland's actions had polarized the air crews, many refused to fly with him. Also, the B-52 Wing was being dismantled at Fairchild so this airshow may have been the last one.
[edit] Final flight
Further information: B-52 aircraft crash at Fairchild Air Force Base
On June 24, 1994 a second airshow practice took place. Upon preparing to land at the end of the practice airshow profile, the crew was required to execute a "go around" or missed approach because of another aircraft on the runway. At mid-field the aircraft began a tight 360 degree left turn around the control tower at only 250 feet altitude. Approximately three quarters of the way through the turn the aircraft banked past 90 degrees, stalled, clipped a power line with the left wing and impacted the ground.

ekimzark
06-24-2007, 05:06 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7aLEKBlhNk Sad.
This one has more footage about 10 mins long http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQa4PpIkOZU

ECeptor
06-24-2007, 05:30 AM
Sounds like the pilot had amazing talent but equally amazingly poor judgement.
If you drive anything and damn near everyone refuses to ride with you...might be telling you something.

SmokinLowriderSS
06-24-2007, 05:54 AM
There is a difference between a "hot shot" who can do amazing things on demand IN AN EMERGENCY, and a "hot shot" who is simply dangerous, constantly dangerous. A "show-off".
I recall this one. From his history, he's one of the "dangerous" ones who should have been squared away by his command structure. There is where the primary failure lays.
He took 1 too many unneeded risks, 1 too many times, and when it bit him, it bit 3 other people too.

Daytona100
06-24-2007, 07:48 AM
Hold my Beer and watch this!!!!!!!! Sounds like he pushed his luck one too many times.

Rexone
06-24-2007, 07:59 AM
Looks like he forgot he wasn't in an F16.
Even as a layperson in this field I can see at that speed, heavy aircraft, there won't be enough lift at 90º to remain airborne without sufficient space to dive and regain airspeed to level out and create lift.
Sounds like this guy had been a showoff and lucky for a number of years.

Riverkid
06-24-2007, 04:32 PM
Not enough airspeed. This happens to a lot of BIGGER guys. Keep pushing it until... BANG! I have a friend who is retired Navy flyer from Vietnam, Then flew 747's until he was retired. We go flying, and it's who, what, where. We did some flights by my place and he never had my place ever leave the wing tip. He's great. They all have friends like this guy... :(