Approach articles from July 2005

Approach archives from July 2005

Press on.(Admiral's Corner)
July 1, 2005... As I prepare to turn over command of the Naval Safety Center to RADM George Mayer, I want to reflect on my two years at the NSC helm. In May of 2003, all of DoD was challenged to reduce mishaps across the board by 50 percent before FY06. We're...

Aircraft investigations: what's up with that 60-minute phone report?(WORK ZONE: REDUCING MISHAPS BY 50%)
July 1, 2005... Just as you are putting the finishing touches on your CNO Aviation Safety Award submission, the duty officer calls and you hear those words you have been dreading since completing ASO school, "One of our aircraft just crashed!" You race to...

Mishap-free milestones.(WORK ZONE: REDUCING MISHAPS BY 50%)
July 1, 2005... Mishap-Free Milestones HS-10 12 years 63,098 hours VP-30 41 years 407,000 hours HMH-465 15 years 40,000 hours VP-45 36 years 226,000 hours VAW 113 38 years 74,700 hours VPU-2 23 years 58,700...

The drill--we lost an aircraft.(ORM Corner)
July 1, 2005... "I have just learned that we lost an aircraft." This was the statement presented to the members of Patrol Squadron Sixteen by the new commanding officer during quarters. The squadron duty officer just had rushed into the room after...

Hit 'em where it hurts.
July 1, 2005... Thirty-foot seas, more than 30 degrees of roll, and more than 100 knots of wind across the flight deck. Were we stuck in yet another typhoon on this cruise? Well, no. We actually were tucking tail and running in the other direction. After...

Confusion in tension.(BEST PRACTICES)
July 1, 2005... The end of a long day of fleet carrier qualifications (CQ) was near, and I only needed one more night trap. We had the gas and time. so things were looking up. The CQ had been conducted in-and-around numerous flight-deck-certification flights,...

Fast track to nowhere.(speeding, traffic accidents, counseling)
July 1, 2005... While assisting with a maintenance evolution aboard one of our squadron's aircraft, I overheard a disturbing conversation between two enlisted personnel. One said, "Hey I got my car back from the shop the other day... It's running really great...

Growing up right: the culture of safety and the dichotomy of war.
July 1, 2005... The night air is cool, a sweet relief from the scorching heat of the daytime,strength-sapping temperatures in the low 100s. Calm pervades the flight line; nary a bird spinning, skid or PHROG. Suddenly, the serenity is pierced by the distinct...

The longest delay.(aircraft mishap)
July 1, 2005... I had completed the best possible JO tour with the VS-24 Scouts: two combat cruises filled with moonless, overcast night traps, unforgettable port-call memories, and other squadron functions to reminisce on later in life. However, my last...

AMB analysis.
July 1, 2005... Postflight analysis by the AMB revealed that a major fire occurred in the ECS compartment. In the immediate vicinity of the heat-source center are various wiring harnesses, hydraulic lines, bleed-air ducting, and an APU fuel line. As the fire...

Crew resource management and real-life incidents.(aviation mishaps)
July 1, 2005... Every issue, Approach runs stories in which aviators make CRM errors. These stories have comparatively happy endings. Some real-life incidents don't end that way. Here are brief descriptions of two of them. A tacair pilot was part of a 4 v...

Beyond limits: we shut off the right engine, did the checks, but, when it came time to restart, nothing happened.
July 1, 2005... We only had a few weeks left in our six-month deployment to Iwakuni, Japan, and we were enjoying a relatively ice--for Iwakuni--Friday afternoon. The maintenance department was catching up and getting the jets ready for our departure, and we...

Bravo Zulu.(helicopter mishap)
July 1, 2005... Crosshair 61 was Dash 2 in a flight of three during a combat flight from a forward-operating base (FOB) in eastern Afghanistan to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. It was just after sunset when the flight crew prepared to land at their...