The Air Force has identified the three Airmen killed in Friday’s crash of a KC-135 in Kyrgyzstan.
Capt. Mark T. Voss, 27, of Colorado Springs, Colo.,
Capt. Victoria A. Pinckney, 27, of Palmdale, Calif., and
Tech Sgt. Herman Mackey III, 30, of Bakersfield, Calif.
They were apparently a Fairchild AFB-based crew.
Also at AF.mil.
Initial reports indicate (and Air Force sources reportedly confirm) a US Air Force KC-135 has crashed after takeoff from Manas, Kyrgyzstan, which is a transit hub for US forces in Afghanistan.
Five people were on board, said Elmira Shyrypova, at the Kyrgyz Emergencies Ministry press office. The U.S. military didn’t give the number of those on the plane and said “the status of the crew is unknown.”
Purported photos of the crash site show KC-135 wing parts and a McConnell AFB tail flash.
KC-135s can carry cargo and are also refuelers for the many fighter aircraft supporting combat operations in Afghanistan.
Also at FoxNews.
The US Navy reported an F/A-18F Super Hornet crashed while operating off the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the North Arabian Sea:
Search and Rescue (SAR) swimmers from an SH-60F of HS-5 “Night Dippers” recovered the two aircrew and safely delivered them back to the carrier.
Unlike Air Force reports, which withhold details until a month-long investigation is completed, the initial Navy release speculated as to the cause of the crash:
The two aircrew, from VFA-103 “Jolly Rogers” based in Virginia Beach, Va., safely ejected from their jet when it incurred an engine failure at 12:20 p.m. local time.
In case you were wondering, the F/A-18 has two engines.
At the recent Air Force Association symposium, US Air Force Chief of Staff told the story of Maj Luc “Gaza” Gruenther, who was killed during a training flight in January:
Gruenther was a pilot with the 555th Fighter Squadron in Aviano Air Base, Italy, when the Air Force lost contact with him during a training mission over the Adriatic Sea, Jan. 28. Three days later, Gruenther’s body was recovered.
As Welsh told the story of Gruenther, eyes welled with tears in the audience.
“About 1,000 folks showed up to the memorial of Gruenther,” Welsh said. “As the missing man formation passed the memorial, Gruenther’s family got to wave on, saying a final goodbye to their son, husband and wingman. I like to think that Gruenther kept pulling up on the formation and touched the face of God.”
Gruenther’s wife went on to give birth to a baby girl the very next day.
Aviano Air Base held a memorial for Maj Lucas “Gaza” Gruenther, the US Air Force fighter pilot killed when his F-16 crashed last week. Nearly 1,200 people attended, including senior Air Force leaders and Italian dignitaries.
During the memorial service, many spoke of his inspiring nature and enthusiastic spirit, recalling his selfless and admirable qualities that he exemplified in his everyday life.
Gruenther had already been selected for Major, though he had Continue reading
The body of Capt Lucas Gruenther, the F-16 pilot lost on Monday off the coast of Italy, was recovered Thursday. Though he had been missing, hopes had been raised after the recovery of a drogue chute and helmet among aircraft debris – seeming to indicate a successful ejection into the chilly waters.
From the family’s statement:
A compassionate husband, a loving son, and a devoted brother; Luc leaves behind a family who loves him dearly and a legacy Continue reading
Aviano Air Base has begun using its own F-16s to support the search for Capt. Lucas Gruenther, who went missing during a four-ship training sortie Monday night. Debris has been found believed to be from his aircraft.
It seems he is soon to become a new father:
Gruenther and his wife, Cassy, are expecting their first child in two to three weeks, the Bee reported.
Along with the Aviano AB wing commander, our prayers are with his family:
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Capt. Gruenther and his family,” [31st Fighter Wing Commander Brig. Gen. Scott J. Zobrist] said.
The US Air Force reported it lost contact with an Aviano Air Base assigned F-16 Monday night:
The aircraft, assigned to the 31st Fighter Wing, was performing a training mission over the Adriatic Sea when the base lost contact with the pilot at approximately 8 p.m…
While the aircraft has not yet been found, search teams are working under the assumption that the aircraft crashed in the Adriatic.
The F-16 was reportedly working with a four-ship in poor weather night conditions, and made a radio call about a problem before losing contact.
Our prayers are with the pilot and family.
Update: The Stars and Stripes reports on the corrective actions put in place to prevent future aircraft from misidentifying the runways.
The Tampa Tribune obtained the report of last July’s “unscheduled landing” of a C-17 at Peter O. Knight airport in Florida — when it was supposed to land at MacDill Air Force Base a few miles away.
The crew of a military cargo jet landed at the wrong airport in Tampa in July, in part, because of fatigue, complacency and a lack of flight discipline, an Air Force investigation has found.
Fortunately, the crew realized their error and were able to Continue reading
Multiple news outlets reported a California Air National F-16 crashed in the California desert on Friday.
No details were given, except that it was a medium altitude emergency and the pilot safely ejected.
The F-16 military jet went down in Owens Valley in Inyo County. The pilot safely ejected from the aircraft.
Pilots at the 144th Fighter Wing are on what’s called a “safety stand down” day, meaning all flights are grounded as part of standard procedure following a crash.
As is standard procedure, the Air Force will investigate the mishap and report it some months from now.
The AF.mil article announcing the Air Force “health and welfare” inspections has become a repository for interesting stories about how inspections are being conducted locally. Two interesting replies:
12/7/2012 8:13:40 AM ET
We had a team of inspectors come through my workcenter yesterday. They took down all of our photos of aircraft with nose art because someone might be offended. They also made me take down a USO photo of the dallas cowboy cheerleaders that was signed thanking my shop for our service…mitch, sheppard
Targeting nose art is an interesting choice, given the Air Force itself displays traditional “pin up” nose art the National Museum of the Air Force. For the time being, the Wright Patt base commander, Col Cassie Barlow, has Continue reading
The first QF-16 — an F-16 modified to be used as a target drone — has arrived at Tyndall AFB for testing.
The QF-16 is a supersonic reusable full-scale aerial target drone modified from an F-16 Fighting Falcon. At this time, the 53rd WEG uses QF-4s, made from 1960s F-4 Phantoms, to conduct their full-scale aerial target missions.
If the drone is put into production within a reasonable time, the QF-16 will mark the first time an active US Air Force combat airframe will be able to shoot down itself in training. Prior target drones — including the current QF-4s — were put into use after their active counterparts were retired.
The US Air Force took the unusual step of issuing a follow-up press release on the crash of a Tyndall F-22 last week. Normally, the initial announcement, accompanied by the ominous “a board of officers will investigate…” is the last word heard.
Despite initial media speculation, there are no indications that point to the life support system leading to this incident or playing any role in this crash. A thorough investigation is being conducted in accordance with standard Air Force and Department of Defense policy…
In this case, the Air Force appears to be a intentionally responding to speculation, apparently to squash possible connections to the recent “scandals” over F-22 safety.
An F-22 has crashed near Tyndall AFB, Florida. The pilot was reportedly able to safely eject, and no one on the ground was hurt.
As with all incidents, the Air Force will investigate it and report on it in some months. Notably, this one will likely draw significant attention, both due to recent “scandals” with F-22 safety and the relative cost of each of the less than 187 aircraft. Actually, make that 186.
The Associated Press penned a piece saying the US Air Force has been saddled by an aging fleet of aircraft thanks to “past inattention” and a “lack of urgency.”
For decades, the U.S. Air Force has grown accustomed to such superlatives as unrivaled and unbeatable. These days, some of its key combat aircraft are being described with terms like geriatric, or decrepit.
The article then details some of the aircraft the Air Force is flying, including the KC-135, B-52, and U-2 (1950s), and F-15, F-16, and A-10 (1970s). Modern era Continue reading