P-3 Near Crash Last Week

[Flare]

Yikes!

https://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2052559/posts

Nice job by the crew!

[Check 6]

As a former P-3 guy, BZ to the crew.

[Phil Ken Sebben]

Looks like Whidbey has a new display plane. Glad they landed safely!

[JarheadBoom]

Holy shit...

Makes what I did to an S-76 earlier this week look like child's play.

[Mambo]

And I just got FCF Qual'd today. That kinda brings it all into perspective. Glad the crew recovered and got it home.

[tac airlifter]

And I just got FCF Qual'd today. That kinda brings it all into perspective. Glad the crew recovered and got it home.

I didn't know you were FCF qual'd, didn't you just recently upgrade to IF? You're a fast burner bro. Anyway, good luck with the FCF thing, the last three they tried didn't even make it off the ground. Yikes!

[MKopack]

Amazing to see that they made it back, great flying and a testiment to a strong airframe.

I spent four years working the Orions at the LM Depot (PDM) in Greenville, SC, and even then it was sad to see the condition of many of the aircraft. All those hours flying at low level over the saltwater have really taken their toll. It got to the point where we couldn't remove all of the wing and tailplane corrosion, and over 50% of the aircraft showed front and rear spar cracks. In a lot of cases the B's that we pulled out of Davis Monthan to mod (with an E-2 rotodome) for the Customs Service were in better condition and with fewer hours.

I hope the 737 (P-8?) program turns out alright for the Navy, as they are definately going to be going into it without a backup, as the Orions are really going to be nearing their end.

Mike

[afnav]

Has anyone heard anything about a P-3 almost crashing at Whidbey this summer? I saw pictures of its wing, complete with 45 popped rivets and the wing spar torn like paper.

I don't know too many details, but they said that plane was done.

[ClearedHot]

Has anyone heard anything about a P-3 almost crashing at Whidbey this summer? I saw pictures of its wing, complete with 45 popped rivets and the wing spar torn like paper.

I don't know too many details, but they said that plane was done.

The US Naval Safety Center issued the following release for the incident -

Mishap Date: 07/22/2008 Severity: A FM Time: 13:00 Evt Ser: 69798

Reference: VP-1 221300JUL08

Acft: P003C Count: Y Destroyed: N Major Command: COMNAVAIRPAC

Custodian: VP-1 Fatalities: 0 Buno: 161331

Location: WHIDBEY ISLAND

Summary: AIRCRAFT OVERSTRESSED DEPARTED CONTROLLED FLIGHT.

Tuesday, 22 Jul 2008, a P-3 Orion from VP-1 was flying an approach to NAS Whidbey Island with the #1 engine in a simulated failure mode. At 160 KIAS, the #2 engine started to surge, so they had to chop power to it. As all this was happening, they were still decelerating, so by the time they added power to #3 and #4, they were at 122 knots, and in the dry terms of investigators, “departed controlled flight.” The P-3 did FIVE rotations in a flat spin, dropping 5500 feet, finally recovering between 50 and 200 feet AGL (above ground level), pulling a whopping 7 positive G’s on the airframe after sustaining 2.4 negative G’s in the spin. The rolling pullout burst 45 rivets on one wing, physically RIPPED the main spar, and bent the entire airframe… the crew could see INSIDE the fuel tanks of the wing.

The P-3C that almost went into Puget Sound waters was from NAS Whidbey. It was a CPW-10 aircraft being operated by VP-1. Squadrons don’t own aircraft any more. The P-3 fleet has so deteriorated because of under-funding and over-use that there are less than 100 still flyable*. The P-3s belong to the wing and are “lent to the squadrons on an as-needed” basis.

The mission was a NATOPS pilot check, with a CPW-10 pilot (LT) aboard, a VP-1 LT and LTJG, plus VP-1 aircrewmen that included two flight engineers. The bird was landed back at NASW. Max damage was sustained by the aircraft, including almost tearing off a wing. Aircraft BuNo 161331.

At Whidbey, P-3C 161331 was doing a Functional Check Flight. They could see the inside of the fuel tanks when they landed. SDRS recorded the flaps being raised and the landing gear being cycled down and then back up. Aircraft released all the fuel in tank #3 when it appears that the seam between planks 3 and 4 split. Tank #4 also lost its fuel load when plank #1 separated from rest of the aircraft wing.

[afnav]

Those are the same pictures I saw. I can't believe they recovered that aircraft.

[Guest tmickel]

I read an article in a Navy safety magazine that was written by the pilot of this mission. He said they didn't even realize how badly mangled the plane was until they landed, then they couldn't believe they made it.

[MKopack]

From Lockheed today. Despite the new 737 replacements in production today, there will be P-3's flying for a long time...

Mike

U.S. Navy P-3 Orions to Receive Lockheed Martin New Production Outer Wings

Thursday September 4, 4:23 pm ET

MARIETTA, Ga., Sept. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT - News) has received a $129.3 million contract to build a total of 13 new outer wing sets for the U.S. Navy's P-3 Orion fleet. The all new production outer wings will be delivered to the Navy beginning in early 2010 for installation on selected aircraft.

"Lockheed Martin has a long, proud history of providing P-3 sustainment and support to the U.S. Navy," said Ray Burick, Lockheed Martin vice president of P-3/S-3 programs. "This new wing order is the next step in that partnership."

Lockheed Martin's P-3 wing production line opened in March 2008 and is the cornerstone of the company's P-3 Aircraft Service Life Extension Program (ASLEP). Lockheed Martin currently has the Royal Norwegian Air Force and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Service under contract for P-3 Life Extension Kits, and has submitted a response to the Canadian Forces under a Request For Proposal. A proposal for the Taiwan P-3 fleet is also in work.

"As the P-3 Orion original equipment manufacturer, Lockheed Martin is uniquely qualified to sustain and support the world's P-3 fleets," said Burick. "Aside from the operators of these aircraft, nobody knows the P-3 better than Lockheed Martin."

The complete ASLEP solution replaces the aircraft outer wings, center wing lower section and horizontal stabilizers with new production components. All fatigue-life limiting structures on the aircraft are replaced with enhanced-design components and improved corrosion-resistant materials that will greatly reduce maintenance costs over the aircraft's service life.

"Lockheed Martin is committed to providing a range of solutions that enables operational effectiveness for P-3 Orion operators worldwide for decades to come," said Burick. "We're fully prepared to support the U.S. Navy and all our customers in their future maritime surveillance activities."

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2007 sales of $41.9 billion.

[Champ Kind]

So, the Navy is making an effort to repair near-brokedick airplanes. What a concept.

Maybe Big Blue should take a hint, instead of making worthless policies about "Professional Mondays."

[Zippy]

Has anyone heard anything about a P-3 almost crashing at Whidbey this summer? I saw pictures of its wing, complete with 45 popped rivets and the wing spar torn like paper.

I don't know too many details, but they said that plane was done.

There is some word on the street in the community, but most people are pretty tight lipped since its an ongoing investigation. But yes, that plane is done.

There are now some very in depth examinations into pilot proficiency training (PPT) hours going on throughout the fleet, as well as changes to Standardization notes.

The chain of events leading up to this incident could have been broken with better ORM, CRM and use of NATOPS procedures. The P-3 itself is a very forgiving aircraft- it took a series of mistakes for things to end up this badly, but the crew is alive- and that is the most important thing.

I will say that if the rumors are correct- Great job by the FE getting #1 restarted in the spiral- that was probably the thing that saved the crew.