thedrifter
08-19-05, 06:57 AM
Brake woes on Boeing F/A-18 jets
By Ted Bridis
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The frontline fighter jet of the Navy and Marines has suffered recent accidents blamed on brake failure, exposing a problem that has spurred urgent warnings from commanders, military documents obtained by The Associated Press show.
Brake problems affecting the Boeing-built F/A-18 Hornet pose "a severe hazard to Naval aviation" that could kill pilots and ruin valuable aircraft, a Navy air wing commander wrote last year after one of his jets roared off a runway and splashed into San Diego Bay, destroying the $30 million plane.
Many of the brake failures have been traced to a $535 electrical cable — about as thin as a drinking straw — that controls the jet's antiskid brakes, the equivalent of antilock brakes on a passenger car.
Investigators say the cable can chafe or break, because it runs close to where heavy tie-down chains secure the jets to a carrier deck.
Boeing told The Seattle Times the problems have resulted from improper maintenance of the cables, rather than from a flaw in the plane's design.
"This is an issue the Navy has done extensive engineering analysis on. This is a maintenance issue. They are addressing it as a maintenance issue. This does not require a redesign," said Patricia Frost, a Boeing spokeswoman.
The Navy concurred, saying it has issued new maintenance procedures to F/A-18 mechanics and pilots.
"At this point, a redesign is not being considered," said James Darcy, a Navy spokesman.
In the San Diego crash, Navy investigators cited "a trend of similar, if not identical, emergencies" that date to 1990 but went unnoticed until a series of failures last year, according to records The AP obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.
One Navy pilot aborted a landing last fall when his brakes failed after a combat mission over Iraq. He took off again, circled the runway in Kuwait for a second landing attempt, then lowered his tailhook and caught the emergency arresting cable on the ground.
He was not hurt, and there was no damage to the jet.
A month earlier, a Marine commander was seriously injured when he ejected after he lost his brakes landing on a short runway at Marine Corps headquarters in Quantico, Va. Other failures have occurred as recently as February.
Making matters worse, some pilots did not know the proper procedures for brake emergencies and took actions that contributed to crashes, the records show.
The Navy ordered fleetwide inspections last fall and is continuing to monitor the brake cables. "This matter is by no means closed," Darcy said.
Boeing produced more than 1,600 F/A-18s for the Navy, Marines and foreign militaries between 1978 and 2000. Boeing built the forward fuselage and wings of each plane and assembled the fighters at factories in St. Louis.
The upgraded F/A-18 Super Hornet entered service in 1999, and Boeing continues to build one and two-seat versions of that jet. No antiskid brake failures have occurred on the Super Hornet.
The U.S. military owns 561 Hornets, including those flown by the elite Blue Angels aerobatic team.
Collectively, they represent a mainstay of Navy and Marine aviation, operating from both aircraft carriers and runways. They drop bombs and dogfight, and flew more than 50,000 sorties during the height of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Investigators have concluded that cockpit procedures were confusing for Hornet pilots landing with brake failures.
Lt. Jason Walker, low on fuel, was landing in San Diego at night after two unsuccessful landing attempts aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. The jet's brakes failed one second after touchdown and, among other problems, Walker couldn't find the cockpit controls to engage emergency backup brakes.
He ejected as the jet sped off the runway and into the bay at 60 mph.
The Navy determined Walker shouldn't be disciplined. Investigators concluded his brake cable had severed.
The Navy last fall ordered fleetwide inspections of brake components, instructed mechanics to immediately replace any cables they previously had repaired and reminded pilots about procedures to help them land safely even when antiskid brakes fail.
But fresh problems have surfaced. At The AP's request, the Naval Safety Center in Norfolk, Va., found about two dozen formal reports describing failures of the Hornet's antiskid brakes since 1990.
The incidents caused the loss of one jet, damage of at least $1 million to another, damage of up to $200,000 on three others and one serious injury.
Officials acknowledge their tally of formal reports probably understates the number of brake failures. One report filed in January referred to 14 Hornet brake failures and tire blowouts in a single squadron during 2004 alone.
The Navy said pilots should be able to land safely despite problems if they follow proper emergency procedures.
Pilots landing on shore are instructed to turn on the antiskid brakes, but pilots leave them switched off for carrier landings.
Investigators in the San Diego and Quantico accidents determined pilots didn't follow procedures when the brake system failed.
Investigators and documents also said the Navy's instructions and computerized simulators do not train pilots adequately for brake hazards.
"The brake problem and loss-of-directional-control-on-ground emergency procedures are confusing," wrote investigators in the San Diego accident.
Days after the crash in San Diego harbor, the Navy used a heavy crane to hoist the destroyed jet out of the sea.
The call sign "Lucky" was stenciled outside Walker's waterlogged cockpit.
Seattle Times business reporter David Bowermaster contributed to this report
Ellie
http://p089.ezboard.com/bthefontmanscommunity
By Ted Bridis
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The frontline fighter jet of the Navy and Marines has suffered recent accidents blamed on brake failure, exposing a problem that has spurred urgent warnings from commanders, military documents obtained by The Associated Press show.
Brake problems affecting the Boeing-built F/A-18 Hornet pose "a severe hazard to Naval aviation" that could kill pilots and ruin valuable aircraft, a Navy air wing commander wrote last year after one of his jets roared off a runway and splashed into San Diego Bay, destroying the $30 million plane.
Many of the brake failures have been traced to a $535 electrical cable — about as thin as a drinking straw — that controls the jet's antiskid brakes, the equivalent of antilock brakes on a passenger car.
Investigators say the cable can chafe or break, because it runs close to where heavy tie-down chains secure the jets to a carrier deck.
Boeing told The Seattle Times the problems have resulted from improper maintenance of the cables, rather than from a flaw in the plane's design.
"This is an issue the Navy has done extensive engineering analysis on. This is a maintenance issue. They are addressing it as a maintenance issue. This does not require a redesign," said Patricia Frost, a Boeing spokeswoman.
The Navy concurred, saying it has issued new maintenance procedures to F/A-18 mechanics and pilots.
"At this point, a redesign is not being considered," said James Darcy, a Navy spokesman.
In the San Diego crash, Navy investigators cited "a trend of similar, if not identical, emergencies" that date to 1990 but went unnoticed until a series of failures last year, according to records The AP obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.
One Navy pilot aborted a landing last fall when his brakes failed after a combat mission over Iraq. He took off again, circled the runway in Kuwait for a second landing attempt, then lowered his tailhook and caught the emergency arresting cable on the ground.
He was not hurt, and there was no damage to the jet.
A month earlier, a Marine commander was seriously injured when he ejected after he lost his brakes landing on a short runway at Marine Corps headquarters in Quantico, Va. Other failures have occurred as recently as February.
Making matters worse, some pilots did not know the proper procedures for brake emergencies and took actions that contributed to crashes, the records show.
The Navy ordered fleetwide inspections last fall and is continuing to monitor the brake cables. "This matter is by no means closed," Darcy said.
Boeing produced more than 1,600 F/A-18s for the Navy, Marines and foreign militaries between 1978 and 2000. Boeing built the forward fuselage and wings of each plane and assembled the fighters at factories in St. Louis.
The upgraded F/A-18 Super Hornet entered service in 1999, and Boeing continues to build one and two-seat versions of that jet. No antiskid brake failures have occurred on the Super Hornet.
The U.S. military owns 561 Hornets, including those flown by the elite Blue Angels aerobatic team.
Collectively, they represent a mainstay of Navy and Marine aviation, operating from both aircraft carriers and runways. They drop bombs and dogfight, and flew more than 50,000 sorties during the height of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Investigators have concluded that cockpit procedures were confusing for Hornet pilots landing with brake failures.
Lt. Jason Walker, low on fuel, was landing in San Diego at night after two unsuccessful landing attempts aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. The jet's brakes failed one second after touchdown and, among other problems, Walker couldn't find the cockpit controls to engage emergency backup brakes.
He ejected as the jet sped off the runway and into the bay at 60 mph.
The Navy determined Walker shouldn't be disciplined. Investigators concluded his brake cable had severed.
The Navy last fall ordered fleetwide inspections of brake components, instructed mechanics to immediately replace any cables they previously had repaired and reminded pilots about procedures to help them land safely even when antiskid brakes fail.
But fresh problems have surfaced. At The AP's request, the Naval Safety Center in Norfolk, Va., found about two dozen formal reports describing failures of the Hornet's antiskid brakes since 1990.
The incidents caused the loss of one jet, damage of at least $1 million to another, damage of up to $200,000 on three others and one serious injury.
Officials acknowledge their tally of formal reports probably understates the number of brake failures. One report filed in January referred to 14 Hornet brake failures and tire blowouts in a single squadron during 2004 alone.
The Navy said pilots should be able to land safely despite problems if they follow proper emergency procedures.
Pilots landing on shore are instructed to turn on the antiskid brakes, but pilots leave them switched off for carrier landings.
Investigators in the San Diego and Quantico accidents determined pilots didn't follow procedures when the brake system failed.
Investigators and documents also said the Navy's instructions and computerized simulators do not train pilots adequately for brake hazards.
"The brake problem and loss-of-directional-control-on-ground emergency procedures are confusing," wrote investigators in the San Diego accident.
Days after the crash in San Diego harbor, the Navy used a heavy crane to hoist the destroyed jet out of the sea.
The call sign "Lucky" was stenciled outside Walker's waterlogged cockpit.
Seattle Times business reporter David Bowermaster contributed to this report
Ellie
http://p089.ezboard.com/bthefontmanscommunity