[operation clinton cleanup]

The T-3A is the newest version of Slingsby Aviation's T-67 Firefly line of military training aircraft. The prototype began flying in the summer of 1991, and the Air Force accepted delivery in February 1994. Of the total fleet of 110 T-3s which originally cost $32 million, 57 were stationed with the Air Force Academy's 557th Flying Training Squadron in Colorado Springs, with another 53 with the 3rd Flying Training Squadron in Hondo, Texas. Final assembly of the British-made T-3 was done in Hondo by Northrup Grumman.

The Air Education and Training Command at Randolph AFB announced on 12 October 1999 that the T-3A Firefly would be dropped by the Air Force, after having been grounded for more than two years. In 1998 the Air Force intiated the privately run Introductory Flight Training which uses private flight schools to screen pilot candidates. The success of this program persuaded the Air Force to drop the T-3 from service. The T-3 fleet was grounded in July 1997, following an inexplicable engine failure in Colorado. Three instructors and three students were killed in crashes since the plane went into service in 1994. Two crashes were the result of pilot error, while a third occurred because of a stall condition from which the pilot was unable to recover. The predecessor T-41 had no fatal accidents in 30 years of flight, although the T-41 was incapable of performing the aerobatics and spins that were the hallmark of the T-3. The T-3's engine had failed 66 times at takeoff or landing, and the Air Force grounded 57 of the planes on 10 occasions due to problems with the engines, fuel systems and brakes.

[Criminal Number 18F]

Two crashes were the result of pilot error, while a third occurred because of a stall condition from which the pilot was unable to recover.

In other words, three crashes due to pilot (that would be the instructor pilot) error, one of which the IP was a general's kid or something.

The predecessor T-41 had no fatal accidents in 30 years of flight, although the T-41 was incapable of performing the aerobatics and spins that were the hallmark of the T-3.

Of course, aerobatics and spins are not a necessary part of primary flight training. And the T-41 may have been placarded against spins (anybody remember?), but it can perform them to any number of rotations and recover with normal anti-spin control inputs. It was placarded against aerobatics, but I doubt that there was one in the fleet that was never looped and rolled.

By the way, they sold the T-41s and actually got more than they paid for them!

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F