Approach articles from July 2003

Approach archives from July 2003

Flounder one scenario.(Afghanistan Operation Enduring Freedom)(safe landing after hydraulic circuit failure)
July 1, 2003... After four months of Operation Enduring Freedom flights, our five-hour missions had become routine, and we weren't dropping ordnance. Each day was Groundhog Day, with similar kneeboard cards, short briefs, routes, tankers, and debriefs in CVIC....

Bravo Zulu.(mishap avoided at NAS Whiting Field)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... You can avoid a mishap if you remove one link in the chain of events--a fact 2ndLt. Kyle Roberts, a Marine Corps student aviator assigned to VT-3 at NAS Whiting Field, knows very well. He effectively removed that critical link and prevented a...

About another hour.(Operation Enduring Freedom )(malfunction of military jet's hydraulic system)
July 1, 2003... A jet occasionally may try to tell you something during preflight. Like most JO's, I know that when the jet is talking, it may not say what I want to hear. My crew recently experienced our jet trying to talk to us while on a mission supporting...

Cleared to land... can you make it?(safe landing after air traffic control misjudgement and poor weather)
July 1, 2003... With a storm front moving through Virginia Beach, we knew when we arrived at the squadron our good deal, section low-level obviously wouldn't happen. Weather called for low ceilings and light precipitation throughout the morning, so we...

Waiting on safe speed.(the danger of complacency)
July 1, 2003... Our WestPac deployment, in support of the JCS Battle Group, had begun four months earlier and had been grueling. The dynamics of Arabian Sea operations, schedule changes, and the increased number of flight hours kept everyone on their toes. Our...

Bad-weather CV approaches.(ORM corner)(operational risk management and constant velocity)
July 1, 2003... Trapping aboard the carrier has to be the most thrilling challenge experienced by carrier-based naval aviators. The last 15 to 18 seconds of a flight are intense. However, the Case I, II, or III approach leading up to the ball call, at...

Stuck throttle in paradise.(Cooperation in Transportation And Communication)(military jet single engine approach to ship due to throttle malfunction)
July 1, 2003... My second COMPTUEX was just as busy as my first one, and I rapidly approached 50 hours for the month. We almost had defeated the simulated forces of evil, and, tonight, I would pad those hours while getting good training in the mighty "War...

Chop the prop, not the sailor.(Operation Southern Watch)(military pilot in the Northern Arabian Gulf)(life saved after flight deck accident)
July 1, 2003... The flight deck is a busy and, often, scary place. On a December night. I learned how busy and how scary it could be. Out Hawkeye squadron just had arrived in the Northern Arabian Gulf to support Operation Southern Watch. The air wing and...

I'm pretty sure he saw them.(Crew Resource Management)
July 1, 2003... We have been learning the seven skills of crew-resource management for years. It is a basic, some say commonsense, philosophy we use to make sure a mission is accomplished safely and effectively. Failure to use CRM can result in mission...

My dark and stormy night.
July 1, 2003... We all have the "dark and stormy night" stories, or we will one day. The course of events that puts you there happens fast and without regard to your wants and desires. When the event is over, all you can do is learn from it, don't do it again,...

Night respot becomes night in the box.(Bahrain mission complete after malfunctions and refueling)
July 1, 2003... The first day out of Manama, Bahrain, found our stomachs still full of Schwarmas and pita bread. The air wing scheduled itself for a one day CQ-ex to get our warriors current before returning to "the show." A routine night respot would turn...

Don't slice for life.(Operation Desert Shield)(marine expeditionary unit mishap)
July 1, 2003... The following story unfolded on a benign spring day in the Mediterranean during Operation Desert Shield. Our squadron's MEU covered contingencies in the Med as the force buildup continued toward a conflict in the desert. With the clouds of war...