Plane crashes on Elmendorf [C-17]

KTUU ^ | Wednesday, July 28, 2010 | KTUU

[Gondring]

Good friend was there and saw it. Lots of unhappy personnel running around!

Here's to hoping that was "once in a lifetime!"

[hoagy62]

I remember when the 92nd Bomb Wing and 92nd ARW out of Fairchild AFB in Spokane were putting together a flight demonstration team called the “Thunderhawks”. It was a B-52 and a KC-135-R that demo’d what the planes could do.

First was the crash of the B-52 during a practice. It’s in a video that’s been seen everywhere. The second crash was of the -135 on base. The pilot was doing a tight turn and lost altitude. Took out a maintenance sergeant on the ground in his car as well. It pretty much killed the “Thunderhawk” idea.

When I lived at the north end of the McChord AFB runway a year ago, we always saw the C-17’s flying and doing maneuvers, practicing AA and missile avoidance for landing in Iraq. Some AF guys who work on them call them, ‘fighters on steroids’ because of their maneuverability.

[cmdr straker]

Tanker crashed first then a few years later the B-52 crashed was there for both. The tanker caught the wake of the buff and compressor stalled. The guy on the ground was the lead boomer who was suppose to be flying that day on the Tanker.

[mad_as_he$$]

c130’s are an instrument of torture invented by sadists that thought noise would drive men insane after 20 hours. They were right.

[Eye of Unk]

For almost every night at around 5:30-9pm where I live since I moved there in 1996 there is a group of at least three sometimes four C130-s that have buzzed my house at a low level as if coming in for a landing.

From what I have learned they were training runs and its the flight pattern for coming back to Elmendorf, in the last couple of years I have hardly heard the planes as much since they started using C17-s instead.

I am about 13 miles north of Wasilla.

[Hurricane Andrew]

Original link now reporting that all 4 crew members are dead. Prayers for their families.

[NCC-1701]

"..There was the Russian counterpart next to it and it was even larger!..."

Here is the bird of which you speak:

[Vor Lady]

That’s why they used to be called the aluminum cloud.

[ILS21R]

[Fundamentally Fair]

There was the Russian counterpart next to it and it was even larger!

I went to a show out at Brown (1988ish) and there was an AN-124 there that put on one hell of a flying demo. I was sure the thing was going to crash...

[Retired Greyhound]

They build these up the street from me in Long Beach.

Amazing to watch them take off and land.

[SkyPilot]

Tragedy.

Another airshow "practice" crash.

Flying an aircraft, outside of normal operation parameters, isn't child's play.

Lots of comparison to the Fairchild B-52 crash will be made, but we don't know what happened here. That B-52 crash is still studied in military schools, and as part of aircrew Cockpit Resource Management (CRM). The truth is that that pilot (Lt Col "Bud" Holland) was an out of control, reckless psychopath.

I bet all military airshows are put on indefinite hold - either that or they just make them boring "static displays", which don't really 'wow' the public.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Update as of 9:29am....

** 3 Alaska Air National Guard, Kulis Air National Guard base, and 1 active duty US Air Force, Elmendorf AFB, confirmed dead...names not released

** No decision regarding cancellation of this weekend’s air show

[RVN Airplane Driver]

Any airplane that has in-flight refueling will make your butt real tired...

[WSGilcrest]

Great video showing the 17’s capabilities... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFkdJjtmeEA

[Kathy in Alaska]

***The Arctic Thunder Air Show will go on as scheduled this weekend.

***The railroad goes thru the base and the crash site. The track has been damaged. Train passengers are being taken by bus from Ship Creek to Birchwood.

Latest News Release........

http://media.adn.com/smedia/2010/07/29/07/20100729_c-17_release_2.source.prod_affiliate.7.pdf

[skeptoid]

Here is the bird of which you speak:

Not necessarily.

You posted a pic of the An 225, which is a a variant of the An 124. Both of them weigh more and carry lots more than any C5.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C-5_Galaxy = Payload: 270,000 lb (122,470 kg)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonov_An-124 = Payload: 150,000 kg (330,000 lb)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonov_An-225 = Payload: 250,000 kg (550,000 lb)

The pic you posted is the An 225; TWICE the payload of a C-5. Its progenitor, the An 124 carries a payload 22% larger than the C-5. BTW, only ONE 225 has been produced and it's in service. Construction of a second was begun but never finished.

(note: the pics are not the same scale)

Here is a useful comparison of the An 225 and other iconic airplanes:

[Kathy in Alaska]

TAPS

RIP

Maj Michael Freyholz
Pilot assigned to the Alaska Air National Guard's 249th Airlift Squadron.

Maj Aaron Malone
Pilot assigned to the 249th Airlift Squadron.

Capt Jeffrey Hill
Pilot assigned to Elmendorf's 517th Airlift Squadron.

MSgt Thomas Cicardo
249th Airlift Squadron loadmaster

Amazing Grace

[PERKY2004]

Prayers up.

[Halgr]

Semper Fi Gentlemen