Read first before
viewing:
Here's the F-16 dead
stick into Elizabeth City, NC: A fairly short RWY for jets, (about 6,000 ft
long), but qualifies for an “Emergency landing field" in the grand scheme of US
aviation.
You'll probably have
to watch the video several times to appreciate how intense the situation and how
busy the pilot was all the way to stopping on the runway. Very apparently, the
pilot was one-of-four F-16s in a flight returning to their base, (most probably
from the Navy Dare bombing range south of Manteo), and the F-16 in question had
already reported a "Rough-Running Engine" to his flight leader before the start
of the video.
A few comments not
readily apparent are:
- The whole episode,
from start-to-finish only takes about 3 1/2
minutes!
- The video begins as
the flight is being followed on radar. The flight leader asks for the Elizabeth
City tower UHF freq which is repeated as 355.6 and the entire flight switches to
that freq: Just one-more-task for the pilot to execute in the cockpit as he
reports that his engine has QUIT. He has to activate the Emergency Unit (EPU)
to maintain electric and hydraulic power. This unit is powered by Hydrazine:
(the caustic fuel that Germany created in WW II to power their V-2 Rockets and
their ME-163 rocket fighters among others.) Thus, the last call about requesting
fire support after the jet is safe on deck, and pilot breathing
easy.
- Meanwhile, back in
the cockpit, the pilot is busily attempting to "Re-light" his engine:
(Unsuccessfully, of course) while tending to everything
else.
- The video is taken
using the Head-Up-Display (HUD) camera which also has a voice
recorder.
- The HUD is a very
busy instrument, but among things to notice are the 'circle' in the middle which
represents the nose of the aircraft and where it is 'pointed': "The velocity
Vector".
- The flight leader
reports they are 7-miles out from the airport and at 9,000 ft altitude. Since
the weather is clear and the airport is in sight, this allows for adequate
"Gliding distance" to reach a runway with the engine OFF. Rest assured, jet
fighters glide sorta like a rock. They don't enjoy the higher lift design of an
airliner like that which allowed Sullenburger to land in the NY
river.
- Coming down 9,000
ft in only 7-miles requires a helluva rate of descent, so the pilot's nose
remains well below the "Horizon" until just prior to touching down on the
runway. The HUD horizon is a solid, lateral bar, and below the horizon, the
horizontal lines appear as dashes. You'll see a "10" on the second dashed line
below the horizon which = 10-degrees nose
low.
- Radio chatter
includes the flight leader calling the tower and the tower stating runway 10
with wind 070@5MPH +
altimeter setting of 30.13: yet another step for the pilot to
consider.
- The flight leader
calls for the pilot to jettison his external fuel tanks and asks another pilot
in the flight to "Mark" where they dropped.. The tower later tells the pilot to
land on any rwy he chooses.
- Pilot reports
"Three in the green" indicating all three gear indicate down and locked which
the fligh t leader
acknowledges.
- You will hear the
computer voice of "Bitchin'-Betty" calling out "Warnings". More confusing
chatter when none is welcome or even necessary. (That's "Hi-Tech" for
ya.)
- The pilot has only
ONE CHANCE to get this right and must also slow to an acceptable landing speed
in order to stop on the short runway. You'll see Black rubber on the rwy where
"The rubber meets the road" in the touchdown area. Note that during rollout, he
gets all the way to the far end which you can see by all the black skid marks
where planes have landed heading in the opposite
direction.
OK: That's more than
ya probably wanted to know, but you have to appreciate the fine job this guy did
in calmly managing this emergency situation. He is a "USAF Reserve" pilot and
those guys generally have plenty of experience. That really pays
off.
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