Crash of a Lockheed KC-130T Hercules near Itta Bena: 16 killed

Date & Time: Jul 10, 2017 at 1549 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
165000
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Cherry Point - El Centro
MSN:
5303
YOM:
1992
Flight number:
Yanky 72
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
16
Captain / Total flying hours:
2614
Copilot / Total flying hours:
822
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed MCAS Cherry Point-Cunningham Field in the early afternoon on a personnel transfer mission to El Centro NAS, California. En route, while cruising at an altitude of 20,000 feet, the n°4 blade on the engine n°2 detached, struck the left side of the fuselage, penetrated the cabin, then the right side of the fuselage and eventually impacted the right stabilizer that detached. The aircraft suffered a catastrophic structural failure, causing the cockpit to separate and detach. The airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a soybean field located 11 km southwest of Itta Bena. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 16 occupants were killed.
Crew:
Maj Caine M. Goyette, pilot,
Cpt Sean E . Elliott, copilot,
S/Sgt Joshua Snowden, flight engineer,
Sgt Owen J . Lennon, flight engineer.
G/Sgt Mark A. Hopkins, gunnery
G/Sgt Brendan C . Johnson, gunnery
Sgt Julian M. Kevianne, crewmaster,
L/Cpl Daniel I. Baldassare, crewmaster.
Passengers:
Cpl Collin J. Schaaff
S/Sgt William J. Kundrat,
S/Sgt Robert H. Cox,
S/Sgt Talon R. Leach,
Sgt Chad E . Jenson,
Sgt Joseph J . Murray,
Sgt Dietrich A. Schmiernan,
PO Ryan Lohrey.
Probable cause:
The investigation determined the cause of the mishap to be an inflight departure of the number four blade from the number two propeller. This propeller blade (P2B4) liberated while the aircraft was flying at a cruise altitude of 20,000 feet . The liberation of P2B4 initiated the catastrophic sequence of events resulting in the midair breakup of the aircraft and its uncontrollable descent and ultimate destruction. Post- mishap analysis of P2B4 revealed that a circumferential fatigue crack in the blade caused the fracture and liberation. This fatigue crack propagated from a radial crack which originated from intergranular cracking (IGC) and corrosion pitting. The analysis also revealed the presence of anodize coating within the band of corrosion pitting and intergranular cracking on the blade near the origin of the crack. This finding proves that the band of corrosion pitting and intergranular cracking was present and not removed during the last overhaul of P2B4 at Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex (WR-ALC) in the fall of 2011. The investigation concluded that the failure to remediate the corrosion pitting and intergranular cracking was due to deficiencies in the propeller blade overhaul process at WR-ALC which existed in 2011 and continued up until the shutdown of the WR-ALC propeller blade overhaul process in the fall of 2017. The investigation also examined whether any operational or intermediate level maintenance inspections or maintenance actions exist which could have detected the underlying causal conditions prior to the mishap. The investigation concluded that while these inspections exist, it cannot be quantifiably determined that these inspections would have detected the causal condition. The investigation arrived at this conclusion due to the fact that the growth or propagation rate of an IGC radial crack cannot be predicted. Though no evidence exists to determine when the radial crack had grown to a detectable area, beyond the bushing, there exists a distinct possibility that it could have been detected if the radial crack had grown past the bushing and the off wing eddy current inspection was performed.
Final Report:

Crash of a Lockheed C-130H Hercules in Wamena: 13 killed

Date & Time: Dec 18, 2016 at 0609 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
A-1334
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Timika – Wamena
MSN:
4785
YOM:
1978
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
12
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
13
Circumstances:
The four engine aircraft departed Timika-Moses Kilangin Airport at 0535LT bound for Wamena. While approaching Wamena, the crew encountered marginal weather conditions and the aircraft descended through several cloud layers when it impaxted a hilly terrain about four minutes before ETA at 0613LT. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 13 occupants were killed. The wreckage was found less than 2 km southeast from runway 33 threshold.

Crash of a Lockheed C-130H Hercules at Montijo AFB: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jul 11, 2016 at 1200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
16804
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Montijo AFB - Montijo AFB
MSN:
4777
YOM:
1978
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a local training exercise at Montijo AFB, consisting of touch-and-go maneuvers. During the takeoff roll on runway 26, the four engine aircraft deviated from the centerline to the left then went out of control, veered off runway to the right and eventually crashed 1,460 meters past the runway threshold, bursting into flames. Four crew members were injured while three others were killed. The aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire.

Crash of a Lockheed C-130J-30 in Jalalabad: 14 killed

Date & Time: Oct 2, 2015 at 0016 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
08-3174
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Jalalabad - Bagram
MSN:
5648
YOM:
2011
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
14
Captain / Total flying hours:
943
Copilot / Total flying hours:
338
Aircraft flight hours:
2551
Circumstances:
On 2 October 2015, at approximately 0016LT, the airplane crashed after takeoff from runway 31 at Jalalabad Airfield, on the second scheduled leg of a contingency airlift mission. The mishap aircraft was assigned to the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. The mishap crew (MC) was from the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron. The MC consisted of the mishap pilot (MP), the mishap copilot (MCP), and two mishap loadmasters. Also on board were two fly-away security team (FAST) members and five contractors travelling as passengers. Upon impact, all eleven individuals onboard the aircraft died instantly. The aircraft struck a guard tower manned by three Afghan Special Reaction Force (ASRF) members, whom also died. The MA and cargo load were destroyed, and a perimeter wall and guard tower were damaged.
Probable cause:
The Accident Investigation Board (AIB) president found by a preponderance of the evidence that the causes of the mishap were the MP’s placement of the hard-shell NVG case in front of the yoke blocking forward movement of the flight controls, the distractions experienced by the MP and MCP during the course of the ERO, and the misidentification of the malfunction once airborne. The AIB president also found by a preponderance of the evidence that environmental conditions, inaccurate expectations, and fixation substantially contributed to the mishap.
Final Report:

Crash of a Lockheed KC-130B Hercules in Medan: 139 killed

Date & Time: Jun 30, 2015 at 1150 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
A-1310
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Medan – Tanjung Pinang
MSN:
3616
YOM:
1961
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
111
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
139
Circumstances:
Two minutes after takeoff from Medan-Soewondo AFB Airport Runway 23, while climbing in good weather conditions, the crew reported technical problem. The aircraft encountered difficulties to gain height, banked to the right, hit a utility pole and the roof of a building then crashed inverted in a huge explosion in a suburb located less than 5 km from the airport. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and several buildings were destroyed as well. All 122 occupants as well as 17 people on the ground were killed. 20 others were injured. It is believed that an engine failed during initial climb.
Crew:
1st Lt Sandi Permana, pilot,
1st Lt Pandu Setiawan, copilot,
Lt Dian Sukman P, copilot,
Cpt Riri Setiawan, navigator,
Serma Bambang H, radio operator,
Peltu Ibnu Kohar, flight engineer,
Pelda Andik S, flight engineer,
Peltu Ngateman, load master,
Peltu Yahya Komari,
Pelda Agus P,
Dan Prada Alvian.