C-5 down at Dover

MKopack · by **MKopack** » 03 Apr 2006, 14:10

Giant C-5 military jet crashes in Delaware

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- An Air Force C-5 cargo jet crashed and broke into pieces Monday while trying to make an emergency landing at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, officials said.

The crew of the C-5, the largest aircraft in the U.S. military inventory, declared an in-flight emergency and came down short of the runway at Dover, officials told CNN.

The C-5 was being operated by an Air National Guard unit, the officials said.

Seventeen people were onboard when the plane went down at 6:45 a.m. ET, officials told The Associated Press. Allen Metheny, assistant director in the Delaware Department of Public Safety, said some people were taken to hospitals with injuries, according to AP.

Television images showed the plane had broken into at least three pieces, with the cockpit separated at a right angle from the rest of the fuselage. The plane's tail was not visible in the TV images.

Kevlax2 · by **Kevlax2** » 03 Apr 2006, 16:11

No fatalities, they said right after takeoff they had a number 2 engine flameout. With a full load of cargo and fuel would losing an engine on a C-5 force the plane to land?

C-5 Cargo Plane Crashes at Dover Air Base

By RANDALL CHASE
The Associated Press

DOVER, Del. - A C-5 cargo plane, the military's largest aircraft, crashed Monday just short of a runway at Dover Air Force Base after developing problems during takeoff, officials said. All 17 people aboard survived, though several were injured.

The plane went down about 6:30 a.m., according to Tech. Sgt. Melissa Phillips, a spokeswoman for the base.

Officials with the state and the military had no immediate details on the extent of the injuries to those aboard. BayHealth in Dover had about 10 people from the plane, including some who appeared able to walk, hospital spokeswoman Pam Marecki said.

The huge C-5 broke into three pieces, with the cockpit separated from the fuselage and left lying at a right angle to the main part of the plane. The broken-off tail assembly was several hundred yards away and a wing was shattered, but there was no evidence of smoke or flames.

Emergency crews, some in hazardous materials suits, examined the wreckage in light rain and under overcast skies.

According to initial reports, the plane had just taken off and had some indications of a problem, said Col. Ellen Haddock, spokeswoman at the Pentagon's Joint Chiefs of Staff. It turned back to land and fell short of the runway, she said. It wasn't immediately clear if the plane was carrying cargo when it went down.
Click here for details!

Maj. Ange Keskey of the Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois confirmed 17 people were aboard and said the crash is being investigated.

The C-5 Galaxy, made by Lockheed, is one of the largest aircraft in the world. It was first delivered to the military in 1970. Even with a payload of 263,200 pounds, the latest version can fly non-stop for 2,500 miles at jet speeds, according to Lockheed Martin Corp.

Dover is home to the 436th Airlift Wing, with more than 4,000 active-duty military and civilian employees, and operates the largest and busiest air freight terminal in the Defense Department. The base is also home to the Charles C. Carson Center for Mortuary Affairs, which processes bodies from the nation's wars.

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Kevlax2 · by **Kevlax2** » 03 Apr 2006, 16:39

Looks like there was a fire in the far left engine? Is that smoke stains or dirt on the topside of the wing above the destroyed engine?

The plane appears to have been lined up with the runway. Looks like it turned 90 degrees sideways as it skidded to a stop and the cockpit broke off.

Guysmiley · by **Guysmiley** » 03 Apr 2006, 17:08

Geez, glad the crew is ok. I think the stain on the top of the wing is dirt kicked up when the number 1 engine dug in (the engine appears to have been torn off the pylon).

It's surreal to see those big rescue trucks look like toys next to the wreck.

MKopack · by **MKopack** » 03 Apr 2006, 18:27

Photos show the aircraft to be Lockheed C-5B 84-0059/0062 based at Dover. I may have flown on that one on the way to the Gulf way back when...

Mike

HazF16 · by **HazF16** » 03 Apr 2006, 20:36

here's some better pics.. glad the crew is ok

Guysmiley · by **Guysmiley** » 03 Apr 2006, 21:07

With all that foam on the left wing I'm going to amend my guess to say the streak on the top of the wing is fuel/oil from when the engine was torn off...

Kevlax2 · by **Kevlax2** » 03 Apr 2006, 21:33

Guysmiley wrote:With all that foam on the left wing I'm going to amend my guess to say the streak on the top of the wing is fuel/oil from when the engine was torn off...

Heh....I wonder if that is a reportable spill in Delaware...

Back to my original question....would a fully loaded with cargo and fuel C-5 have to immediately land if they lost an engine on takeoff? My guess is that 75% power is not enough to fly under those conditions...

cutlassracer · by **cutlassracer** » 03 Apr 2006, 21:41

I was working on that plane last week! Left here (Robins AFB Depot) about wed I believe. Was here for a major structural repair that all C-5's are getting. Basically replacing old panels in the torque deck. That would be the area aft of the pressure bulkhead of the troop compartment. Above center cargo door. There were some nervous folks around here this morning. Seems to be something to do with the #2 engine. All we know is the same news sources all of you have. Nothing through the "channels" yet. Maybe tomorrow.

cutlassracer · by **cutlassracer** » 03 Apr 2006, 21:45

Was 0059

apags27 · by **apags27** » 04 Apr 2006, 01:15

Well I guess we know who to blame now. :wink:

Just Kidding.

Scorpion1alpha · by **Scorpion1alpha** » 04 Apr 2006, 01:56

It is a great day in knowing in such an accident, there were only minor injuries to report.

Roscoe · by **Roscoe** » 04 Apr 2006, 13:40

Amazing...it split right in the middle of the crew deck (note the emergency slide is behind the break) yet no fatalities.

I gotta find my logbook. I may have some time in that jet when it passed through San Antonio Depot.

Roscoe · by **Roscoe** » 04 Apr 2006, 13:49

cutlassracer wrote:I was working on that plane last week! Left here (Robins AFB Depot) about wed I believe. Was here for a major structural repair that all C-5's are getting. Basically replacing old panels in the torque deck. That would be the area aft of the pressure bulkhead of the troop compartment. Above center cargo door. There were some nervous folks around here this morning. Seems to be something to do with the #2 engine. All we know is the same news sources all of you have. Nothing through the "channels" yet. Maybe tomorrow.

From an article today:

Officials said the plane, which was bound for a U.S. naval air station in Spain, and then on to the Middle East, had made an unscheduled maintenance stop last month at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia, but they did not offer any details.

Guysmiley · by **Guysmiley** » 04 Apr 2006, 19:07

They must not have had any squishies in the passenger area behind the cockpit(thankfully!) A nominal crew for a C-5 is just pilot, co-pilot and loadmaster, correct?