I’m comforted to know the intake plug was retrieved while floating by.
I can just imagine the conversation with the Squadron Commander and the Wing Commander for all involved. Word of prayer, perhaps?
help me understand this:
pilot “hit 97% power” was this rpm? EPR? some new instrument?
engine only “75% power.” is this all telemetry? how do they know? or an FDR after recovery?
Sorry, but that slow start of the roll would have alerted any “woke” pilot to a problem. But just to think it will get batter later down the deck, only to blow the canopy right at the edge. That is some sleepy crews there.
Don’t they have to go to full power before release of brakes? I would have thought the pilot would have noticed a power issue before brake release.
The accident made the news back then. This article is about the interim report about the cause. This report was recently released to the public.
I must say, that is one sturdy (and expensive) cowl plug! I would have thought it would have been sucked into the engine. A $100 million dollar airplane destroyed buy a $10 dollar chunk of foam!
Yeah, that only works if the pilot properly inserts the plugs. When I walk around at places like Oshkosh, I’m always amazed at the number of plugs with the rope hanging under the prop.
Those cowl plugs will get you if you don’t watch out. I used to have a client with a twin-jet corporate airplane with tail mounted engines. One time on a trip, the pilot had the “smiley face” covers put on the engines. The boss came back early and was in a hurry to get going so the pilot did an abbreviated walk-around and missed that the right cover was still in place. When he attempted to start that engine, the cover got sucked in, damaging the engine. The less than forgiving boss fired him on the spot.
I would ding them too if I hadn’t once…never mind.