Safety chains used at Aviano AB to stop F-16

F-16.net ^ | 12/3/2010 | Stars ans Stripes via F-16.net

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

An F-16C block 40 experienced problems after landing from a training flight Wednesday afternoon at Aviano Air Base, Italy. This prompted the base to use safety chains to bring it to a stop about 30 yards from the base perimeter. The pilot safely left the aircraft, no one was injured on the ground and no fuel was spilled during the incident, according to a news release from the 31st Fighter Wing

[Robert A Cook PE]

Funny that the Air Force is now so “enviro-f*cked” that the fact that no fuel was spilled is (almost) more important in their press release than whether the pilot was injured or the plane destroyed beyond repair.

[ASOC]

LOL

Safety chains?????

Is that cheaper than a BAK-15?

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Yes, it’s always the uppermost thought in my mind in any accident — “Was any fuel spilled? Were any critters harmed? Is the environment safe?”

Enviromania, PC, sharia law...they are all going to get many of us killed.

[Old Flat Toad]

Safety chains? Old MA1A barrier?

[Jaxter]

Had to have been the MA1A. Nylon netting and anchor chain. According to AIRPORT-DATA.COM Aviano’s runways are equipped with BAK-12s. I wonder why the pilot didn’t engage one of those?

[patton]

I did not know that they had tire chains. Like my plows.

[flowerplough]

no one was injured on the ground and no fuel was spilled during the incident, and no animals were harmed in the making of this film.

[ops33]

Could be any number of reasons. Many fighter bases have multiple sets of barriers on the runway, BAK12/14 approximatly 1/3 from both runway ends and another barrier, often connected to chains, at the start of the overrun. The aircraft may have been going to fast for an approach end engagement and needed to take the departure end cable. It could have been out of service or the tail hook may have bounced over the cable. That would have left him with a cable attached to anchor chains across the start of the overrun.

[Yo-Yo]

That's why USAF aircraft have arrestor hooks. They're not strong enough for carrier landings (or are the landing gear,) but they are enough for an emergency stop on a runway.

The wires are always rigged, so there is no need to raise a barrier. If you hit the overrun with your hook down, you'll snag the cable and drag some chain.

Some runways use a pair of reels with strapping material for braking.

[Jaxter]

Part of the reason for having multiple barriers on a single runway is if hookskip causes a miss the next one will get it. In my 25 month tour as a crew chief in Barrier Maintenance (BAK-12) I saw probably 100+ engagements and zero hook skips. I took this picture of a ROKAF F-4 at Taegu AB, Korea in '72 or '73.

[ops33]

I have seen a few. When I worked in the control tower at Cannon I saw one barrier engagement where the hook failed to catch the cable. An F-111 was landing with asymetrical flaps, which means landing at a higher than normal landing speed. This required the aircraft to engage the departure end BAK12. The tension on the cable was not set correctly and instead of catching the cable the tailhook slid over it. Aircraft wound up off the end of the overrun with very hot brakes. I also remember at Myrtle Beach an A-7 trying to catch the approach end cable. The pilot was late in lowering the hook and it bounced and missed the cable. He eventually took the departure cable. Just like you said, that’s why runways have multiple cables. BTW, nice pic.

[Jaxter]

Our cables were always tensioned properly and the donuts were always properly spread. ;) Seriously, the A-7 pilot should have had the hook down on final before he hit the runway. I saw a ROK F-4 come totally without hydraulics and dropping like a rock (pun intended) and dumping fuel. He hit the runway bounced a couple of times and hit the barrier at about 170 Kts. The fuel dumps were still open when he stopped and the plane was immediately engulfed in flames. We had a great fire department and they has been waiting on the taxiway and were there in seconds and the paint was barely singed. This was what was known as a Regime 4 engagement and we had to change the cable and tapes immediately. The ROKs had some great pilots. Thanks for the compliment on the pic.

[NYFreeper]

It probably was an E-5 (Navy version of the MA-1A without the webbing, just a hook cable). Not to many MA-1A’s left in the USAF, they mostly have been converted to E-5’s. E-5 are on their way out too, being replaced by the textile brake barrier.