C-141 crew guides aircraft to safety

6/24/2003 - MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, Calif. (AFPN) -- A C-141 Starlifter aircrew from here led three people on a civilian cargo aircraft to safety after an apparent navigational-equipment malfunction caused them to become disoriented in bad weather off the coast of New Zealand.

“They appeared to have no reliable navigational fix,” navigator Maj. Jeff Puckett told a TV news crew. “That’s not a good place to be over the South Pacific.”

The two Canadian pilots and a New Zealander engineer were flying a twin-engine Convair 580 from American Samoa to New Zealand on June 18 when air traffic controllers became concerned the aircraft had not appeared on their radar 20 minutes before its scheduled landing.

The controllers contacted the plane but lost the connection before determining its location. Officials at the National Rescue Coordination Center in Wellington launched a rescue effort and contacted the March reservists, who were on their way to Christchurch, New Zealand, to participate in aircraft software testing. The aircrew from the 452nd Air Mobility Wing flew east and within an hour made contact with the aircraft about 250 nautical miles off the country’s coast.

“The sound of their voices indicated they were very happy to see our aircraft,” said Lt. Col. Jeffrey Richenberger, the C-141 pilot.

The Air Force Reserve Command crew directed the civilian pilot to turn on his emergency locator beacon, and they escorted the aircraft to a safe landing at Gisborne, New Zealand.

A malfunction apparently led the civilian crew off course during their flight. They knew they were in trouble when their instruments said they were over New Zealand but all they could see was the Pacific Ocean, the crew said. (Courtesy of AFRC News Service)

,,, here's another south of the border tale...

Air ordeal described
[http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2549103a6003,00.html]
24 June 2003
By JOHN MYERS [Manawatu Evening Standard, New Zealand]

Thirty-three Linton [New Zealand] Army engineers kept their cool last night while their RNZAF Hercules crew handled one of the worst scenarios in the book - fire in the air.

The engine fire at 27,000ft on the way home to Ohakea from the Solomon Islands was one of the most serious emergencies in 35 years of RNZAF Hercules flying.

The passengers are mainly 2 Engineer Regiment soldiers, coming home after month-long Exercise Tropic Twilight. Others came home on Saturday.

Flight Lieutenant Greg Caie, formally recognised for his handling of an aircraft emergency in East Timor five years ago, diverted 180km to New Caledonia and landed on three engines.

Squadron Leader Tony Davies, acting commander of RNZAF 40 Squadron, told the Manawatu Standard this morning he'd not heard of a Hercules engine fire in 17 years with the squadron.

"It's one of the worst things that could happen, especially with passengers on board and out in mid-ocean," he said.

"The passengers stayed very calm, nobody was hurt, and I understand they praised their aircrew - said the loadmaster kept them very well informed."

Sq Ldr Davies said the emergency started with liquid being seen flowing from an engine cover.

The engine was shut down, but moments later "a bright orange glow" was seen on the alloy engine cover.

Flt Lt Caie triggered a fire extinguisher and began a swift descent and diversion to New Caledonia.

A second fire extinguisher was needed before, as the big transport came down through 22,000ft, the glow disappeared. The three-engined flight to the French airfield at New Caledonia was uneventful.

Sq Ldr Davies said another Hercules would be flying to New Caledonia today with a replacement engine and everything needed to investigate the incident and complete the repair.

"This had the potential to end up very serious, but the crew was confident of a safe outcome," he said.

Nice to see both the posted story, and the other bit about the herky-bird.

Zoomies always made fun of us for jumping out of "perfectly good airplanes..."

I couldn't figure out why any military aircraft that crashed pronged in w/crew on board. Far as I'm concerned, if the toilet overflows, I'm outathere!

Nice to see military folks, from whatever country, keeping their cool and taking care of business.

Hell, given that they're not party members, I suspect I'd have more in common with a ChiCom grunt paratrooper than most 'rats.

One of the men in my EOD unit related a story to me why he got out of the airborne and volunteered for EOD. They were at Fort Bragg heading for the DZ in a C119. One of the tail booms cracked and you could see it moving from inside the aircraft. The pilot came back to check it, they told everyone that they would have to make an instant emergency exit unless they didn't want to jump. He informed them that the ones who did not want to jump, to please follow him back up to the cockpit so he could give them a real quick lesson on how to fly the aircraft since the pilot was planning on jumping also. Everybody got out okay with the crew right behind them.

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