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a “jet-like flame” shot across the cargo ramp floor. That flame erupted into a fireball as the aircraft’s loadmaster was reaching for a fire extinguisher to put it out. The Hercules had just become airborne (10ft) when the flight crew was altered and the pilot immediately brought the aircraft back down on the 10,000ft (3km) runway. The crew escaped with just one minor injury and fire crews responded within three minutes, but the rear of the aircraft was so badly damaged that it was deemed too expensive to repair.

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The investigation determined that a series of deficiencies in the modification and its approval process, as well as its installation and in-service maintenance practices were directly causal to the fire

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A botched modification program unnecessarily changed the original design for a hydraulic system modification when a drawing was misread. A longer hydraulic hose was necessary after that change but an inappropriate design process short-cut meant the shorter hose remained listed as an alternative. The shorter hose was fitted to the modified fleet and resulted in chaffed electrical wiring and a fire that damaged an aircraft beyond economic repair over ten years later.

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