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team at [email protected]Attrition
Repor t
USAF T-38C accident
report released
N AIRCRAFT accident
investigation report
into the loss of a US
Air Force T-38C Talon during a
sortie from Laughlin Air Force
Base, Texas, last November
20 (see Attrition, January 2018,
p91) was released on August- The report identifies the
aircraft as 64-13213 ‘XL’ from the
47th Flying Training Wing (FTW),
which was using callsign ‘Bully
29’ at the time of the accident.
The Talon crashed at 1546hrs,
local time, approximately 12
miles (19km) northwest of
Laughlin, completely destroying
the aircraft and fatally injuring
the mishap requalification
pilot (MRP) occupying the rear
seat. The mishap aircrew (MC)
consisted of a mishap instructor
pilot (MIP) in the front seat, who
was supervising the MRP. The
MIP successfully ejected and
sustained minor injuries. The
MRP did not eject and was fatally
injured during ground impact.
The MIP, MRP and mishap
aircraft (MA) were assigned to the
87th Flying Training Squadron,
47th FTW, at Laughlin. During the
mishap sortie, the MA crashed
while returning to base following
a reported aircraft malfunction.
The destroyed aircraft is valued
at approximately $11m.
The Accident Investigation
Board President determined, by
preponderance of evidence, the
cause of the mishap to be dual
airframe mounted gearbox failure.
A substantial contributing factor
to these gearbox failures was a
lack of maintenance guidance
addressing similar repeated
failures of the aircraft. The
board president also found, by a
preponderance of evidence, the
cause of fatal injuries suffered
by the MRP was the MC’s failure
to complete the before take-
off checklist item that called
for the proper ejection seat
system settings. Finally, the
Board President found, by a
preponderance of the evidence,
that factors that substantially
contributed to the mishap weretask mis-prioritisation, checklist
interference, instrumentation and
sensory feedback systems, and
the delayed decision to eject.
The MRP was a T-38 instructor
pilot undergoing requalification
training after return from a non-
flying overseas deployment.
During the sortie, the MA
experienced an airframe-mounted
gearbox failure on the left engine,
resulting in the loss of the left
alternating current generator
and left hydraulic pump. The
MC accomplished required
checklists and co-ordinated for
immediate landing at LaughlinAFB. More than four minutes
later, while manoeuvring to final
approach, the MC detected
additional failed electrical systems
accompanied by failure of the
right engine hydraulic pump
and the right airframe-mounted
gearbox. With failures of both
gearboxes and their associated
hydraulic pumps, the MA suffered
total hydraulic failure and was
uncontrollable by the MC, leaving
ejection as the only suitable
alternative. The MC transmitted
their intent to eject, but delayed
ejection because of concern
for a populated area below.Above: T-38C 64-13195 ‘XL’ from the 47th FTW/87th Flying Training Squadron flying near Laughlin AFB, Texas, on May 16.
A similar aircraft from the unit, 64-13213 ‘XL’, was lost in a crash on November 20 last year. USAF/Senior Airman Moshe PaulAbove: The 15ft-deep (4.6m) impact crater created when the T-38C crashed shows there was little recognisable debris
as the aircraft impacted the ground at an estimated 60-70° nose-low and right wing 90° down attitude. USAFA
90 // OCTOBER 2018 #367 http://www.airforcesmonthly.com90-93 Attrition AFM Oct2018.indd 90 10/09/2018 14:45:34