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C-17 Lands at Wrong Airport


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I wasn't aware you could FOIA a safety report...even if it was a Class E HATR.

HATRs are not privileged like most mishaps, so the information can be released. Having read the safety report, I will say that they got most of the facts right, but there's a couple goofy points of emphasis.

The report, obtained by the Tribune under the federal Freedom of Information Act, does not address why the C-17A Globemaster III was flying from Italy to MacDill, nor does it identify who was calling the shots.

The flight July 20 originally was bound for Kabul, Afghanistan, the report says, but the destination was changed to Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington, then changed to MacDill — an hour before takeoff — by the unidentified aircraft "user."

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Sounds like these guys had a rough couple days before this flight. Two days off in Rome and almost non-existent flight planning facilities in which to read through the flight plan that somebody else did for them? Instead of punishment they should be submitted for DFCs.

Checks, if this were a Herc crew, we would've been coordinating dips, 1801, PPR, lodging, trans, etc. etc. IFM package, what's that??

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"In addition, because of the changes in destination, the crew was unable to review the physical layout of MacDill during a preflight briefing, something Air Force rules recommend be done as often as possible."

I guess after watching the 2nd Season of 24, there was not enough time during the flight 10 hour flight to at least glance at the Airfield Diagram/FLIP.

Wxman

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"In addition, because of the changes in destination, the crew was unable to review the physical layout of MacDill during a preflight briefing, something Air Force rules recommend be done as often as possible."

I guess after watching the 2nd Season of 24, there was not enough time during the flight 10 hour flight to at least glance at the Airfield Diagram/FLIP.

Wxman

Edited by Buddy Spike
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I caught a ride on a C-17 not to long ago. I was a PAX but the AC asked me if I wanted to ride up front. Having never been in a C-17 before I jumped at the opportunity. There were two Loads and they both stayed down stairs for the take off. I'm not sure what there Vol 3 says about monitoring PAX, but as soon as we where wheels up one of them hit the bunk. Everything went pretty smooth except one moment when the IP took the jet. There wasn't a headset for me so I didn't here the ATC transmission, but what I could make of it the Co dialed in the wrong heading, IP took the aircraft and corrected, no big deal, it happens.

When we were getting ready for the decent I gave up my seat so one of the young Airmen could sit for the approach and landing, I see it all the time so it's not that big of a deal for me. There was a second MX guy who sat in the other seat because he hadn't seen it before either. I thought nothing of it because I figured he would get kicked out once the Load got up there. That never happened. The Load was woken up and went straight from the bunk back downstairs and stayed there.

After talking to a few Loads I found out that this wasn't something out of the ordinary. They aren't taught how to read approach plates and they don't spend much time up front. I think that's a CRM fail. Having an extra set of eyes can never be a bad thing. Especially if its been a long day and a pair of those eyes can be rested.

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I caught a ride on a C-17 not to long ago. I was a PAX but the AC asked me if I wanted to ride up front. Having never been in a C-17 before I jumped at the opportunity. There were two Loads and they both stayed down stairs for the take off. I'm not sure what there Vol 3 says about monitoring PAX, but as soon as we where wheels up one of them hit the bunk. Everything went pretty smooth except one moment when the IP took the jet. There wasn't a headset for me so I didn't here the ATC transmission, but what I could make of it the Co dialed in the wrong heading, IP took the aircraft and corrected, no big deal, it happens.

When we were getting ready for the decent I gave up my seat so one of the young Airmen could sit for the approach and landing, I see it all the time so it's not that big of a deal for me. There was a second MX guy who sat in the other seat because he hadn't seen it before either. I thought nothing of it because I figured he would get kicked out once the Load got up there. That never happened. The Load was woken up and went straight from the bunk back downstairs and stayed there.

After talking to a few Loads I found out that this wasn't something out of the ordinary. They aren't taught how to read approach plates and they don't spend much time up front. I think that's a CRM fail. Having an extra set of eyes can never be a bad thing. Especially if its been a long day and a pair of those eyes can be rested.

Not_sure_if_serious.jpg

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At the "risk" of keeping this thread bumped, I'll chuckle and add-

I'm not sure how the tanker thing got so easy or hard or the C-17 so overtaxed that we'd train the Boomer/LM to read an approach plate.

NOT saying there isn't the time and the place, but there SHOULD not be the need to go to a training course. 8th deployment and looking for something new to learn? OK.

I've spent plenty of time sweating and freezing downstairs working on the GROUND with the LMs and load teams, WHEN it made sense. Doesn't mean I needed or wanted to be trained.

In flight you may have 0 pax, 1, 39, 41, 169. Different loads, rules and LMs make too many variables to standardize a LM chart reader. But, like all bad ideas, it keeps coming back each new generation. Then comes the indignant end-around to still try and have it pushed.

At least in crew cockpit jets- If 2 pilots can't fly IMC, non-radar, to Mins or a missed with an engine out, anywhere in the world, anytime in a duty period, not hit something, find the right airport and leave the jet in a reuseable condition without a Class-something, you're doing something wrong as a culture, not an MDS/MAJCOM/pissing contest stratification inserted here...

I'll show a LM how to read a low level chart, just as an appreciation. I'll let them up during flight- some get it, some could fly it, some don't want to be near it. Should I have them mission plan it and brief the turns? Night? NVG? IMC? Really? Kind of like an approach plate. Same skin in the game.

Lots of words to say good intent, hard to apply.

The rest of the post cracks me up. This is why I like letting little kids ride in the cockpit if I have open seats. No cameras/youtube/feeds/blogs/etc for them to go post on, just an impression to be taken-in.

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At least in crew cockpit jets- If 2 pilots can't fly IMC, non-radar, to Mins or a missed with an engine out, anywhere in the world, anytime in a duty period, not hit something, find the right airport and leave the jet in a reuseable condition without a Class-something, you're doing something wrong as a culture, not an MDS/MAJCOM/pissing contest stratification inserted here...

This.

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This.

That

Let's not forget some guys wrecked a C-5 at Dover because someone thought it was a good idea to have the engineers back-up the pilots instead of doing their job as engineers and watching the engines.

For those that forgot the C-5 mishap at Dove the Engineers had the pilots display up on their MFD instead of the engine display so they could back the pilots up on altitudes and what not. Yes, I know, the pilots didn't do their jobs either that day, but the "extra set of eyes" did nothing to stop that train (C-5) wreck.

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