CV22 Crash in Afghanistan

[RescueRandy]

I'm sure this has reverberated through the entire Air Force SOF/CSAR community. I know it has here at DM. Godspeed to our brothers.

[Guest Rubber_Side_Down]

For the respect of the families, please do NOT jump the gun if you know anything, BUT...

Please let us know when you hear of names

From what I'm hearing, they're still trying to locate the last few next-of-kin. It should be soon.

I'm sure this has reverberated through the entire Air Force SOF/CSAR community. I know it has here at DM. Godspeed to our brothers.

These guys had a lot of friends. Saw lots of FB posts tonight paying respects to these fellas.

[ClearedHot]

DOD press Release

DOD Identifies Air Force Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two airmen who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died April 9 near Kandahar, Afghanistan, in a crash of a CV-22 Osprey. They were assigned to the 8th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.

Killed were:

Maj. Randell D. Voas, 43, of Lakeville, Minn.

Senior Master Sgt. James B. Lackey, 45, of Green Clove Springs, Fla.

For further information, please contact the Hurlburt Field Public Affairs office at 850- 884-7464.

**************************************************************************************************************

A dark day for AFSOC...

Randell Voas was a prior service Warrant Officer in the Army and flew helos for a number years before taking a commission and flying MH-53s for the USAF.

"JB" was a phenomenal human being. He worked for me for a few years and was simply one of the best people I have ever known.

God bless your families brothers.

Edited April 10, 2010 by ClearedHot

[stract]

I knew Randy from his stint as an IP at Mother Rucker.

Here's a toast...

[GovernmentMan]

[HeloDude]

I know I commented on this earlier, but just wanted to say that Randy was a great guy and a great instructor. He and the others will surely be missed.

[backseatdriver]

A toast...

[BQZip01]

RIP, sir/SMSgt

Edited April 12, 2010 by BQZip01

[Stitch]

[busdriver]

I know I commented on this earlier, but just wanted to say that Randy was a great guy and a great instructor. He and the others will surely be missed.

Solid "2" on this. Randy was an IP at Rucker when I went through.

RIP brother

[Breckey]

AIB is released. Long read but well worth it.

[RescueRandy]

AIB is released. Long read but well worth it.

Definitely worth the read. A lot of good information for all helo guys out there.

[busdriver]

Seemed pretty inconclusive to me. I haven't seen the SIB yet.

[stract]

SIB was released a couple months ago. Go find an SE type to pull it up in AFSAS for you...

[Guest DaJudge]

Findings on Osprey Crash Overturned

December 18, 2010

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Senior Air Force generals overturned the findings of their own investigation team and ruled that the fatal crash of a CV-22 Osprey in Afghanistan in April was largely due to flight crew mistakes and not a mechanical problem.

But the general who led the crash investigation said Thursday that there was strong evidence to indicate that the $87 million-plus aircraft, which has a history of technical problems, experienced engine trouble in the final seconds leading to the crash.

Four of the 20 people on board were killed in the April 9 crash, including the chief pilot.

Crash site evidence showed that the pilot tried an emergency roll-on landing, as if it were a conventional airplane, rather than a vertical, helicopter-type landing the Osprey is designed to perform. The pilot performed the landing so well he nearly saved the aircraft and prevented a greater loss of life, the Air Force's Accident Investigation Board concluded in the report released late Thursday.

"I think they knew they were going down and they had some kind of power problem," chief investigator Brig. Gen. Donald Harvel said in an interview with the Star-Telegram after the report was released.

The pilot, Harvel said, "made what is in my opinion a perfect roll-on landing," but the aircraft's nose landing gear collapsed and the aircraft flipped tail-over-nose when it ran into a 2-foot-deep drainage ditch.

In his report, Harvel wrote that the preponderance of evidence pointed to an engine problem.

"It is unlikely that this very experienced and competent [pilot] would have chosen to execute a roll-on landing on rough terrain if he had power available to go around and set up for another approach."

But the senior Air Force officer who ordered the investigation disagreed.

"I find the preponderance of the evidence ... does not support a determination of engine loss as a substantially contributing factor," Lt. Gen. Kurt Cichowski, vice commander of Air Force Special Operations Command, wrote in a response that stands as the official Air Force position.

Harvel said it was clear to him early on that Cichowski would not accept the findings of the Accident Investigation Board if it disagreed with the service's own internal safety report, which was done in the days immediately after the crash but was not made public.

Release of the public investigation report had been delayed for months due to internal Air Force wrangling.

Brian Alexander, a prominent New York aviation safety lawyer and former Army helicopter pilot, said the official Air Force response to the accident report showed that the service leadership is more interested in preserving the controversial V-22 than the safety of its own personnel.

"While there may have been issues with the conduct of the flight, you cannot ignore a finding of the preponderance of the evidence that there was a power loss," Alexander said.

The fatal accident in Afghanistan was the first combat loss of an Osprey. The novel tilt-rotor aircraft developed and produced jointly by Bell Helicopter of Fort Worth and the Boeing Co. has a long and troubled history since work on the program was begun nearly three decades ago.

© Copyright 2010 Fort Worth Star-Telegram. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[JarheadBoom]

The pilot, Harvel said, "made what is in my opinion a perfect roll-on landing," but the aircraft's nose landing gear collapsed and the aircraft flipped tail-over-nose when it ran into a 2-foot-deep drainage ditch.

Interesting that this happened...

IIRC, the Osprey has a canted forward bulkhead (rather than the more traditional vertically-oriented forward bulkhead), designed to avoid that exact scenario.

[Breckey]

The appendicies in the AIB had a pretty good analysis of this exact scenario. The aircraft touched down at something like 40 kts above the max roll on speed. Either way, the airframe itself held up pretty well considering it flipped over at almost 70 kts

[Napoleon_Tanerite]

Our favorite fish wrapper is soliciting input from the peanut gallery. Here's my input-- leave investigating mishaps to the experts, or at least those with more than a spectator's version of the events. This is a new low, even for AFT.

[contraildash]

Isn't that the usual guy who writes about how we need a bazillion fighters?

Edited January 13, 2011 by contraildash

[LoneStar]

Interesting work Michael is doing over there. No suprise this guy has been working his ass off to get things done over there as much as he can.

https://www.michaelyon-online.com/bowe-bergdahl-two-messages-from-the-taliban.htm