E3 having a bad day!

[Woff1965]

I came across photo on another board - it shows a NATO E3 taking an early bath in Greece - fortunately there was only 1 injured. However, does anyone have any more info on the accident?

http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/3536/awacs.htm

(PS - it looks expensive!)

[Bear 555]

A suspected multiple bird strike caused the crew to abort the takeoff at high speed. The E-3 ran off the runway and along a stone pier projecting into the water before veering to the right. Impact broke the fuselage between the wings and cockpit, but there were no serious injuries.

(from the web)

Bear 555

[MarkD]

looks nasty - written off?

[Magic Mushroom]

The accident occurred in 1996 (April I think) when the NATO E-3A was taking off from the NATO AWACS Forward Operating Base at Preveza (now renamed Aktion) in Greece for an Op Deliberate Guard (or was it Op Joint Guardian, I need to check my logbook! Whatever it was, it was the Op after the Dayton Accord saw the ending of Op Deny Flt) mission over the former Jugoslavia.

As the ac accelerated down the runway, one of the pilots saw some birds pass down the (Port?) side of the ac. However, no impacts were noted and the engine indications remained good, so no abort was called. However, after V1, further birds were seen to pass down the side of the ac. Despite engine indications again remaining good, one of the pilots (the capt I think) aborted takeoff.

The crew braked heavily but not surprisingly proved the laws of physics inherent in the concept of V1 by over running the end of the runway and ending up on the causeway. The ac back broke behind the Display Computer rack and in front of the forward row of mission crew seats.

After opening at least one of the main doors and finding them too high for a safe exit, the crew discovered that the aft galley exit had ended up miraculously alligned with the causeway. Most of the crew ended up going out that door.

The only major injury was the flt eng who ended up with cracked or broken ribs I think after being thrown against the throttles. Additionally, some of the crew recieved fuel burns from the fuel spilling out of the ruptured tanks.

In the NATO crew's defence, the incident occurred less than a year after the USAF tragically lost an E-3B and its crew in Alaska following a massive birdstrike on takeoff. However, it's fair to say that the accident report highlighted some CRM issues. Of note, the ac was fully serviceable when it left the runway, and no evidence of a birdstrike damage was found to the airframe or engines.

The ac in question was written off and used for spares. In fact, the mission consoles have recently been modified to E-3D standard and are now in the sim at Waddington!

If anyone wants any more info:

a. You need to get out more, and ...

b. Let me know as there are plenty of copies of the accident report at Waddo.

Regards,
M2

[CVN76]

I know this is a very old thread, I will try this anyway...

About that NATO AWACS, do you have an electronic copy of the accident report you can email to me? Or is it on the internet somewhere?

[CVN76]

Nevermind. I just received an e-mail from somebody I know in NATO AWACS and he said the report is not releasable. I had thought it was.

I was actually stationed there when it happened, and I know some of the people that were on the jet. The Canadian Tactical Director actually went back in the plane in a somewhat of a panic making sure everyone got out. The crew was separated. Some had to go out the front and into the water (and fuel) and met up at the end of the causeway, while the others were on the side that accessed land.

I wanted to reference the report for a paper I am doing.

[Smurfjet]

The only major injury was the flt eng who ended up with cracked or broken ribs I think after being thrown against the throttles.

Did this happen with his seat belt fastened?

[brickhistory]

Did this happen with his seat belt fastened?

AWACS FE does the T/O and landings with only his lap belt secured. Shoulder straps would prohibit him/her from reaching/covering the throttles during these phases of flight. SOP, at least for USAF E-3s/E-8s.