Mishap of B-52 at Fairchild Air Force Base Washington

Video Title :	Mishap of B-52 at Fairchild Air Force Base Washington
Description :	Please try to keep from using vulgarities and profanity. I feel we can make our points without using profanity. I have no problem with calling the pilot a jerk, however remember there can be children viewing this thread so try to keep suitable for public. July-7-2007 As far as I know is the first time this much of the video has been made readily available to the GP when I posted this on Youtube. ;) More footage then I have seen on the net on this subject. Mishap 24 June 1994, a B-52H of the 325th Bomb Squadron, 92d Bomb Wing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994_Fairchild_Air_Force_Base_B-52_crash In this photograph you can see what is apparently an ejection hatch. http://img464.imageshack.us/img464/210/b52crsh2cf5.jpg This photograph was shot in mid-impact with the ground. http://img464.imageshack.us/img464/945/b52crash3rj9.jpg The photographs were shot in-between the time frame that there was apparently a plasma ball from the wing clipping power lines. US air show standards are the highest, but this was a case of systemic disregard for safety. Since this crash, the bar has been set higher more enforcement and awareness. It bothers me to see some other counties still have very poor safety at major air shows. The former soviet block has had several crashes that I would consider safety neglect a factor, if not the cause. Aerobatics should not be done over crowds. Aerobatics should be kept in a safe margin away from the crowd and to some extent the flight line. I even frown on extremely low passes over crowds. Pilots and management/command should have restraint from flying planes to extreme limits at air shows. A margin / buffer zone should be between the aerobatic area and the crowd. The B-52 was just practicing; if he had crashed in a crowd at an air show the loss of life would be high. The B-52 did some low high speed passes over personnel area and flight line; if there was a failure, he could have possibly destroyed all the aircraft on the flight line (and equipment, buildings) or and killed a lot more personnel. I love aircraft and air shows and the US. I hate to see a bunch more rules, I would prefer pilots and people in charge do there best to keep things safe with knowledge, reasonable action. I think the US and many other countries have learned from this accident to take air show safety more rationally. However, a few air shows like to try to out perform other air shows with unsafe flashy showboat shows. When you push the limits you tend to exponentially increase the risks. If a pilot makes a goof or if there is a failure, with buffer zones the risk to the crowd can be minimized. --- On 24 June 1994, a B-52H of the 325th Bomb Squadron, 92d Bomb Wing at Fairchild Air Force Base (AFB), Wash., crashed while preparing to land after practicing maneuvers for an air show, killing all four crewmen. The pilot in command had over a long period of time demonstrated a disregard for Air Force flying rules and regulations, and this was known by the senior commanders in the wing. No appropriate action had been taken to discipline him or rein in his noncompliant behavior. More info at http://s92270093.onlinehome.us/CRM-Devel/resources/paper/darkblue/darkblue.htm http://www.zoominfo.com/Search/PersonDetail.aspx?PersonID=14464006 In my opinion, I would consider this pilot a superb "stick and rudder" pilot. However there is more to being a pilot and flight then "stick and rudder", in my opinion he was very poor in some aspects of safety. It's like a football player that is in excellent physical condition and physical ability, but ignores strategy and team effort. There is more to being a pilot than one aspect, just as there is more to being an athlete then a single aspect. Other good videos long videos of the same plane and pilot. Courtesy of jescates http://youtube.com/watch?v=UJb08ZzejAA http://youtube.com/watch?v=hWUgDLFokNw
Views :	1498786
Rating :	4.31
Keywords, Tags :	Aerobatics B-52 Stratofortress Bomber Fairchild Air Force Base AFB USAF Mishap Crash Show Safety Bud Holland CRM
Video Length :	9 : 58

Comments :

the problem is guys though is what made him do this crazy stunt,i dont think anyone will know,only suffuring families..R.I.P

I believe he cut power to the wrong set of engines. If he cut power to the left 2, the right [top in video] would push /turn the jet towards the ground. If he would have cut power to the right 2 [top] then he would be alive today. Full power to the left [bottom] & right rudder , he would have made the turn. But it probably was just a "stall".

thats a shame...what an amazing pilot, wish he pulled out of that..:(

it's very easy to be judgemental, when you have never had your hands on the controls of an aircraft when something goes wrong. This mans job was to operate the aircraft outside of it's known safe flight operations envelope. There is only one person that knows what actually happened & what actuallt went wrong. My heart goes out to his family & friends. I survived a straight in punch, in an AT-602 with LOCKED controls. I'm glad that the only video of the crash, is inside my head. Ron Y. NE ARK

Agav8r802: I disagree. The man's job was to fly the aircraft within design parameters: many time he violated those parameters. He was warned and ordered not to violate those parameters again, his last flight he violated orders again, it was the last time he violated orders. His job was to fly as aircraft within safety guidelines and regulations and to use common sense; he failed to do any of those. So you claim to be a pilot that advocates breaking FAA, military and other safety regulations?

Agav8r802: I landed an aircraft safely after the ailerons locked up; fortunately for me they locked up in a neutral position and aircraft I was flying was somewhat stable, and fortunately I was not doing aerobatics when the failure occurred. I received quite a bit of admiration from fellow pilots that I was able to land aircraft safely without ailerons.

Agav8r802: My father was a student when his Army air Corps AT-6 lost power; he asked his instructor if he wanted to take it. The instructor told my father to go ahead and land it, that it would be good training, my father did a successful gear up landing in a freshly plowed cornfield. Of course the plane was pretty beat up, but they were able to diagnose the problems and rectify the maintenance issues and aircraft was in good enough condition that it was salvageable.

if he survived, i would kill him, he doesn't deserve to live,

There are old pilots and there are bold pilots; there are no old, bold, pilots. I feel sorry for the crew and there family's, Pilot error his fault end of story.

As a professional pilot for a US airline,I must disagree.Great stick and rudder skills are not a requirement of a good pilot.We have all had bad landings,approaches and maneuvers.Knowing when enough is enough is paramount.Many of the best sticks Ive flown with are the scariest, while the average stick is often the safest.Generally pilots are a cocky group.Repeated bad judgement killed that crew,no disorientation,no lack of ability.