Student Felt Control Stick 'Jump' During Spin Recovery
On Sept. 13, an 80th Flying Training Wing flight, call sign
Blade 46, took off as a standard T-6 Texan II training sortie to
practice aerobatics and spins in the practice airspace at Sheppard
AFB in Texas. But when the aircraft experienced a serious flight
control malfunction, the flight became a fight to bring the
aircraft home safely.
Baumann, Olivares USAF Photo
Second Lt. Derek Olivares, a Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training
student, was on a routine training flight with his instructor pilot
Capt. Frank Baumann, 459th Flying Training Squadron, when he
experienced flight control problems during recovery from a spin
maneuver. Olivares said he knew something was wrong when he felt
the control stick jump during the spin.
"When I looked at the flight instruments, they were indicating a
left bank even though I had full deflection of the control stick to
the right," he said. "That's when I told Capt. Baumann there was
something wrong with the controls."
Baumann calmly yet immediately took over the controls and confirmed
that the stick felt different; he did not have control of the
elevator, which provides the aircraft with the ability to climb and
descend. "It took about three minutes to recover the aircraft to
level flight just by using the trim and ailerons alone," he
said.
After recovering to level flight and realizing the severity of the
situation, Baumann told Olivares to double check all his gear in
the event they would need to eject from the aircraft. "I checked my
harness about three times to make sure that everything was tight
and good to go," Olivares said. Baumann reported the in-flight
emergency to the supervisor of flying, who directed him to the T-6
operations supervisor, Maj. Gary Greicar, who immediately gathered
wing leadership, safety and maintenance personnel together to think
through possibilities and come up with a plan.
"The people on the ground were acting like another crew member. Our
job was to support the pilots with ideas and solutions to safely
recover the aircraft," said Greicar.
A chase-ship support aircraft piloted by Capt. Wade Maulsby, 459th
FTS instructor pilot, joined up with the stricken aircraft to
provide assistance and perform an exterior inspection, looking for
anything unusual. The communication with the team on the ground and
the chase ship reassured the pilots that they were not alone in the
skies - it was truly a team effort. The team on the ground
recommended the pilots conduct a controllability check in the
practice airspace to determine if the aircraft was controllable at
landing speeds and configuration.
HBC File Photo
Through the controllability check, the pilots learned that each
seat in the aircraft had control of different functions. Olivares
in the front seat had no control of the ailerons to turn the
aircraft, while Baumann in the back seat could not control the
elevators to make the aircraft climb or descend - flying the
aircraft would require both pilots.
After deciding it was possible to land the aircraft, the pilots
practiced five or six simulated landings in the airspace with the
gear and flaps extended. They reviewed contingency plans and
thought through worst-case scenarios while practicing the landing.
"We didn't know what else was wrong with the aircraft, so we had to
prepare solutions if other things went wrong," said Baumann.
Racing against the clock and the deteriorating visibility, the
crew worked together to bring the T-6 home - Olivares controlled
the aircraft's descent with the elevators, while Baumann controlled
the ailerons, rudder and power. Through impressive crew resource
management and coordination, they were able to successfully put the
aircraft on the runway with a surprisingly smooth landing. "There
was lots of celebration and relief when the aircraft was safely on
the ground. We were all excited, and it was an awesome feeling,"
stated Olivares.
Baumann attributed the flight's success to communication between
key players and the training he has received. "Having a smart
wingman, a student who kept his calm and the support and experience
on the ground were the main contributors to our success," he said.
"It was the whole crew concept. We were getting information from a
lot of different sources, and it was important to take advice and
find the crucial information that was applicable to us."
Olivares attributed their success to the trust and confidence
that he has in the instructors at Sheppard. "I was glad that it was
Capt. Baumann in the back. He is my assigned IP, and I had flown
with him before. I know him and how he flies and was very confident
in his abilities. Having Capt. Maulsby on the wing was very
encouraging as well."
A post flight maintenance investigation revealed that a critical
component of the flight control system failed, causing the control
sticks in the front and rear cockpits to function independently
rather than in unison as would normally be the case. As a result of
the mishap, the T-6 fleet of 446 aircraft across all Air Education
and Training bases went through a 100 percent maintenance
inspection before returning to flying operations.
ANN Salutes 2nd Lieutenant Sara Harper, 82nd Training Wing
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