Page 91 - AirForces - Monthly (February 2020)

Accident Reports

D: Oct 18 While approaching for a routine
N/U: Royal Canadian Air Force/ landing at Kunsan Air Base,
8 Wing/437 Transport South Korea, at around 1530hrs
Squadron local time the pilot ejected, for
T: CC-150 Polaris (Airbus unspecified reasons, before
A310-300) the aircraft crashed. The pilot
S: 15001 sustained minor injuries but
While undergoing routine was later released in good
maintenance, the aircraft was condition after routine checks
towed across the apron from at a medical facility. All military
the north ramp to Hangar 10 at and civil flying operations were
Canadian Forces Base Trenton, temporarily suspended after the
Ontario, by personnel from a incident, but the runway was
privately contracted maintenance reopened on December 4.
company. As the D-14 tow tractor
being used was too large for D: Dec 3
the limited space in Hangar N/U: Argentine Air Force/II
10, which is not normally used Brigada Aérea/Grupo
for the Polaris, the CC-150 was Above: Royal Canadian Air Force CC-150 Polaris 15001 with its nose embedded in a Aéreo 2/II Escuadrón
stopped and uncoupled from it hangar wall at CFB Trenton following its accident on October 18. RCAF Aerofotográfico
outside the hangar, chocked and damage to the port side of the D: Nov 27 T: Learjet 35A
the parking brake set so that a aircraft. This was categorised as N/U: Slovenian Armed S: T-26
smaller D-12 tow tractor could be a Class A mishap, indicating more Forces/15th Military During a navigation aids
used instead. However, before than US$2.5m of damage. No Aviation Regiment/152nd calibration flight at twilight near
the latter could be attached, the personnel were injured. Note that Fixed-wing Squadron San Fernando International
aircraft jumped its chocks, rolled Class A accidents were previously T: PC-9M Hudournik Airport, Buenos Aires, the aircraft
forwards and, despite attempts categorised as those involving While carrying out a routine struck a bird at an altitude of
by the towing crew, could not more than US$2m of damage, but low-level training sortie, the around 1,300ft (400m) and
be stopped. The starboard the cost threshold was increased aircraft struck a power line at declared an emergency before
engine hit the D-12, which was to US$2.5m effective from October around 1000hrs local time near making a safe landing at the
still parked inside the hangar 1. The BAMS-D, a modified RQ-4A, Dravograd in northern Slovenia. airport. Examination of the
and then the nose impacted was introduced as an interim The pilot immediately aborted aircraft on the ground found
the inside of the hangar wall, measure pending service entry of the training mission and diverted a large dent in the leading
resulting in substantial structural the more advanced MQ-4C Triton to the nearest airfield, Maribor/ edge of the port wing.
damage to both the nose cone variant. Although five BAMS- Edvard Rusjan Airport, where
and starboard engine cowling. Ds entered service, one (168739) he landed safely. The pilot was D: Dec 3
The Royal Canadian Air Force crashed into Chesapeake Bay, unhurt, but the PC-9M sustained N: French Sécurité Civile
said it will take “a significant on the US Atlantic coast, on June substantial damage to the tail T: EC145
amount of time” to repair the 11, 2012, while undergoing trials fin. The incident left a number of S: F-ZBPE ‘Dragon 30’
damage. Following inspection by with VX-20 (see Attrition, August properties without electricity until Contact with this helicopter was
engineering teams from Airbus 2012) and another (166510) was the power line could be repaired. lost at around 2130hrs local time
and General Electric, an initial shot down by Iranian air defences on December 2 while it was en
repair plan was formulated which over the Gulf of Oman on June D: Dec 2 route from Marseille Provence
should see the aircraft return 20, 2019 – see Attrition, August N/U: US Air Force/8th Fighter Airport to Le Luc-Le Cannet
to service around August. A 2019. The latest accident reduces Wing Airport, in foggy conditions, to
flight safety investigation has the active fleet to just two. T: F-16CM carry out a reconnaissance and
been launched into the incident. rescue mission. The wreckage
No injuries were reported. was found by a French Army
helicopter at 0114hrs the following
D: Nov 26 morning between the villages
N: US Navy of Rove and Pennes-Mirabeau,
T: RQ-4A Global Hawk/ Bouches-du-Rhône, near
BAMS-D Marseilles, in difficult-to-access
This Broad Area Maritime terrain in the Nerthe Massif area.
Surveillance – Demonstrator All three crew members had
(BAMS-D) unmanned aerial been killed and the EC145 was
vehicle struck foreign object destroyed. The fatalities were
debris during its take-off roll from later identified as Jean Garat –
an undisclosed airfield in the a Sécurité Civile pilot, Michel
Middle East/US Fifth Fleet area of Escalin – a flight engineer
responsibility. Although the base mechanic/winchman, and Norbert
was not specified, the BAMS-D Savornin – a helicopter rescue
is known to have previously been assistant from the Sapeurs
operated from Al Dhafra Air Base Pompiers des Bouches-du-
in the United Arab Emirates. Above: The wreckage of French Sécurité Civile EC145 F-ZBPE after its crash on Rhône (SDIS 13, Bouches-du-
The UAV sustained significant December 3 near Marseilles. SDIS 13 Rhône Fire and Rescue Service).
Abbreviations: D: Date N/U: Nationality/Units T: Type S: Serials

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