Originally Posted by
roadsman
I was working in Eng Ops at Stanley in late 1982 when two QRA Phantoms were scrambled one afternoon, they were then followed by the Hercules tanker which taxied out of the dispersal next to the old air terminal but as it turned onto the runway there was a problem with the nose wheel which either jammed or snapped and the herc was stuck on the runway unable to move. there was great consternation as the phantoms would need refueling or return to Stanley and land but at that point they could do neither. I can't recall how the situation was resolved. I presume the Hercules was eventually towed back to the dispersal and the Phantoms landed without incident. does anybody else recall the incident?
May well be wrong but as I recall it only 1 F-4 involved, 29 sqn crew..(it was during the 29/23 overlap as you say end of 82).
F-4 had launched, the original tanker I think went "inop" on taxi out and the nosewheel collapse happened on it's taxi back in (?).
Second C-130 was eventually despatched from the mid'ish point, entering via a clear intersection and then used reverse I think to back up to the stranded 130 to maximise runway length before power up, brakes off.
Some time later after a fair bit of tanking, the F-4 was recovered into the approach end cables with the stranded 130 still blocking runway.
FWIW the crew brief I believe was if they'd missed the wires the crew would have ejected, so we (Phandet) and others retired to a safe distance from the runway edge just in case.
C-130 I think went off to Montevideo.
Be very interesting to compare notes and see how others remember it.