Apologies if already posted, I recieved this in an email and thought it interesting enough to post here.
The P-3C that almost went into Puget Sound waters a few days ago 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 word is that the crew finally recovered control of the aircraft
>>> about 100 feet above MSL by pulling 7 Gs.
>>>
>>> The bird was landed back at NASW.
>>>
>>> Max damage was sustained by the aircraft, including almost tearing off a
>>> wing.
>>>
>>> Aircraft BuNo 161331.
>>>
>>> My first thought is that this was a Vmc incident:
>>>
>>> At Whidbey, P-3C 161331 was doing a Functional Check Flight.
>>>
>>> They shut down #1 engine.
>>>
>>> With #1 off, #2 engine exhibited vibrations and was shutdown.
>>>
>>> With two engines off on the same side the aircraft stalled.
>>>
>>> 7 G's were reported to pull it out of the stall.
>>>
>>> 45 consecutive rivets were pulled out on the stbd wing during the 7 G
>>> pull out (rolling pull), after peaking at negative 2.4g's as well.
>>>
>>> They did five spin rotations from 5500 ft -- they bottomed out "between
>>> 50 and 200 ft."
>>>
>>> They could see the inside of the fuel tanks when they landed.
>>>
>>> They were at 160 KIAS, appr flaps during a prop fails to feather drill
>>> on #1 when #2 started surging.
>>>
>>> They bagged #2, but while doing so got to 122 KIAS.
>>>
>>> When they added power, they were way below VMC air, and departed.
>>>
>>> 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.
