Forwarded to me are these photos of a C-130 crash in Iraq, with a narrative:
“A lack of communication”
Last week one C-23 Sherpas flew into a US operated airfield in Iraq during the day and saw there was construction equipment on the runway. Yet there was no NOTAM (notice to airmen). A trench was being dug in the runway, and it was not marked. It’s a long runway and they just landed beyond the construction. They filed a safety hazard report that was immediately forwarded to our higher headquarters and to the Air Force wing based here.Well, it seems the construction continued and still was not marked or NOTAMed or anything. A C-130 landed on the runway the night of the 29th and didn’t see the construction. It wound up going through what is now a large pit on the runway. A few pictures are attached. The C-130 was totalled.
There were several injuries to the crew and the few passengers that were on board but luckily nobody was killed. Quite the set of failures somewhere in the system regarding this improper construction and no notifications about it.
That’s incredible!
Incredible that no one was hurt, but more incredible that it happened in the first place.
Although in the context I’m leery of the phrase “U.S. operated.”
I used to deploy to airfields like this with an Air Mobility Command’s TALCE (Tanker / Airlift Control Element). A TALCE
http://public.amc.af.mil/Library/Factsheets/talce.htm
is comprised of approximately 100 people up to 500+ depending on the mission and is usually commanded by a rated pilot or navigator 0-5 / Lt. Col. They are made up of tower guys, loaders, ground power, ground marshallers, schedulers, cops, Force Protectors (me) and Air Traffic Controllers, plus a lot of other folks.
One of the reasons TALCEs exist is to prevent the kinds of screw-ups that happen on poorly maintained strips in the various S***Holes we always seem to operate in.
For this situation to exist without the TALCE filing NOTAMS, putting ?closed runway? markers up and filing a lot of other more technical reports to the AMC, the theater DIRMOBFOR (Director of Mobility Forces) and DoD is, IMO, inconceivable.
That?s why I wonder about the phrase ?U.S. operated.? Does that mean USAF G.I.s on the ground or possibly a contractor operated facility? I will feel my legacy is impugned if this happen on the watch of a proper TALCE.
Another thing. Look at the pictures of the 130. This ain?t your average ?trash hauler.? It?s tricked out with sensors and antennas all over. It?s been a few years but I think this is the same as this
http://www.af.mil/media/photodb/photos/030303-F-0000G-004.jpg
Which, I believe is a MC-130 E or H model or variant thereof, it?s been awhile.
That hole cost Uncle some big damn bucks!
P.S. On closer examination, the photo I posted turned out to be the EXACT same aircraft, ID number 0012!!! damn I’m good!
more here, the 130 was highlighted in an article of fixing and getting aircraft back to the warfighters. They ain’t gonna fix this puppy though!!!
http://www.af.mil/photos/index.asp?galleryID=17
Jim,
Excellent work! I tried for about 20 minutes to find some sort of “photo comparisons of C-130 models”, but there are so many different models I was unable to find it. Well done!
I agree this wasn’t any ordinary C-130, just from the cartoon nose. I’ll bet there’s some electronics salvaged before it goes to the great recycling bin in the sky.
Alan,
Don’t beat yourself up, I had an advantage in that I was pretty sure it was one of the “exotics” 130’s that I worked with i.e. MC-130 E or H “Talon series” or EC series of C&C birds and just googled till I found the right one.
I was pretty damn surprised when I realized the PR article about the repaired birds was the same aircraft!!!
Sometimes even a blind chicken get a worm.
Jim
hi dude!
your post made it – they took the information and made an article in one of the most famous german online magazines out of it
http://www.spiegel.de/panorama/0,1518,337332,00.html
congratulations, your (or your buddy’s?) pictures have even made it to spiegel-online.de, the largest and probably most popular german online-source for news.
the image tags led me on to your blog, which i like very much! keep up the good work! :)
greetings from germany!
This is a MC-130H “Combat Talon II” With the new DIRCM Mod that’s being installed on these aircraft. It’s from Hurlburt Field, Florida. AFSOC assett, worth approximately 155 million bucks.
“U.S. Operated” does not mean “USAF Operated”. It does not even mean “U.S. Military Operated.” There are many strips of runway used by AFSOC MC-130 aircraft which are U.S. operated but not USAF operated. TALCEs are primarily to support large scale airlift operations, and are not required for the small scale operations of Air Force Special Ops.