We lost a T-34C off Corpus Christi late last week, with two instructor pilots aboard. Mid-afternoon, weather fine. One man found dead, the other still missing. Hard to understand, and the likelihood is we’ll never know what happened out there in the bay. No one left to speak with, and no witnesses. Although when I was a “selectively retained graduate” instructor in basic jets, the old heads used to warn us that the most dangerous cargo a two-seat airplane can carry is two instructors.
More tragic still, although more comprehensible, is the mid-air collision between one of a Marine four ship of AH-1 Super Cobras and a Coast Guard C-130 that has the potential to have snatched nine souls off Santa Catalina. The mishap occurred at 1910 on Thursday evening, only an hour or so after sunset – almost too soon to don night vision devices, but perhaps too dark to see and avoid as is the custom in military airspace. Especially when operating under separate controllers, with cultural lighting in the background.
Tough week.
Aviation in itself is not inherently dangerous. But to an even greater degree than the sea, it is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity or neglect.
— Captain A. G. Lamplugh, British Aviation Insurance Group
Lex:
Concur. Understand the 130 was on a real-life SAR mission; not sure from reports out here in fly-over country what tasking or evolution the Cobra was flying. I guess my first question is who, if anyone, was talking to Beaver and was the collision inside Beaver’s airspace to begin with.
Regardless of the details, it’s a tough week. It’s a tough business.
VR,
Comjam
I can’t speak to the Corpus incident, but the Dago incident seems to another FUBAR situation. People not talking to each other and apparently not watching for someone else to see and avoid. I would hate to be the people involved in the post-mortem.
Aviation is a great thing to be in, but the risks are real and like the insurance guy says, very unforgiving.
That sort of incident with the 130 always strikes close to home. Lost a couple of close friends in separate P-3 accidents back in the day.
These things always seem to be overlooked by the press. By that, I mean that they are all about counting casualty rates and keeping lists of names of those lost in action, but they fail to see the daily grind, the almost constant slow loss of great people just doing their jobs. Training. Honing their skills.
It is indeed a hard business we were/are all in.
God bless those folks and their families.
The C-130 was from my old station CGAS Sacramento. My last job before retirement was as Ops there with 4 C-130′s and 4 HU-25 Falcons. From experience, I can assure you that if our guys were in the warning area they were talking to Beaver. With the now routine use of NVG, I have to wonder if the Cobra was lights off. I would imagine the lights would interfere with night vision, especially in formation, but I have been out if it too long to have any knowledge of current equipment and procedures. With NVG they should have been able to see anything in front of them, but not behind them. I could envision the 130 over-running the cobra if they were lights out.
I’m not casting blame on the Cobra crew, but trying to understand how such a thing could happen if both aircraft were lighted.
Most TMS(Type Model Series) NVG training rules require lights on for training flights with NVGs(especially in Co-use airspace) and as already stated the time of day this mishap occurred would most likely have precluded the use of NVGs. Regardless of who is talking to Beaver most mutual use airspace is governed by MARSA when multiple units are utilizing such airspace. Also, Beaver, much like Giant Killer or Sea Lord on the east coast can provide radar advisories but not necessarily IFR separation. Finally, there have been plenty of mishaps(midairs) while both aircrew and airplanes were operating with NVGs and lights. They(NVGs) don’t turn night into day(common misperception) and they certainly don’t make seeing the outline of an airplane easier until within about a mile, depending on the size of the aircraft. To wonder how or why this mishap occurred is the job of the AMB and to the best of their ability I’m sure they will flesh out as much possible information as possible.
It mattters to some how the C-130 crash occurred, to others it’s too late to matter… just find the remains of loved ones, if possible. My heart goes out to the people of Air Station Sacramento. Angels with angels, now.
Well said Mike…too often we armchair QB mishaps before families are even notified…sad really. Fair winds and blue skies to all lost in these mishaps.
Between the mishaps in Afghan, CA and Corpus it is not going to be a year to remember for the safety aspects. Lost a friend in T-34 mishap at P’cola several years ago. 2 instructors coming back from Mobile and nose dived into the bay. Never did find out what/why/when/who. Was on his last tour prior to retirement. Mustang, and great guy. The lack of knowledge is sometimes more troubling long term than the loss. We know it is a dangerous profession, but we all assume that – even when things go wonk – we can work it out. I pray that their families find consolation and peace in knowing that their lost were doing what they loved. Welcome them home, Dear Lord.
I hope the families find solace in exactly what I told my family, for over twenty years to think of, should I wind up with landings not equaling takeoffs.
Remember that these valiant volunteers were doing exactly what they wanted to do – what they passionately embraced. That they were given the finest equipment the taxpayers could provide. That they were the best trained aircrews in the world. That what they were doing was important, and made a difference. But at the end of the day, it is a business of manageable risks, and while they may be managed, those risks will mean that some will pay the ultimate price. But never forget, they were doing what they almost certainly loved to do.
Mid-air collision is what I worry about most while flying, especially while flying jumpers. In the climb to altitude it’s very difficult to see whats in front of you due to the steep climb angle. In the decent doing 165 kts and 6000 feet per minute you had better keep your head on a swivel. I lost 5 good friends 15 years ago when a Cherokee with an instructor and his student hit our Cessna 182 at 500 feet shortly after takeoff. Its a big sky out there, but not that big.
[...] it is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity or neglect.” Neptunus Lex, sadly, reminds us of the truth behind that quotation from Captain A. G. Lamplugh. It’s not always the battle that’s [...]
It was a very hard week for the groundpounders, too. Just ugly all the way around.
May they all rest in peace, and may their families someday find some peace of their own, too.
This story hit me hard. I’m a plank owner of CGAS Sacramento and was the first tool crib petty officer there in 1978. I worked for a JG named Chuck Uriwitz and flew HC-130Hs out of CGAS San Francisco and CGAS Sacramento. May God take those nine precious souls who have entered into their rest. Semper Paratus/Semper Fidelis!
AM3 Douglas E. Monroe USCG 75-79