Plane crash... how does this happen?

Question

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bDNCac2N1o&feature=related

Answer 1

In the C-130, fuel in the wings is very important in maintaining structural integrity of the wing root.  We have a whole section on fuel management procedures to keep as much fuel as possible in the outboard fuel tanks as long as possible.  There is also a chart that tells you how much fuel you must have in the tanks for a given cargo weight.

When fighting a fire, they load up the cargo compartment with the retardant, drop it, return to base and start the whole process over.  They can do this several times without refueling.  We call them elevator lifts when we drop paratroopers in training.  They do this because it take some time to refuel and time is of the essence when fighting fires.

IMHO, they simply didn't have enough fuel (weight) in the wings to counter the weight of the retardant in the cargo compartment.  Therefore, when they pulled up after their run, the wings created more lift (pushed the wings up) than the wing root could handle with the weight in the cargo compartment pulling down on the aircraft.

Answer 2

There are so many variables ....  The aircraft could have been performing past its safety levels, and/or maybe the metal was stressed and this was the last flight before failure due to that???

Answer 3

Hi mate.

Planes crash for a reason, you don't need to worry about planes crashing, they crash when they go wrong for instance a system fail in fog and can not see the ground or when the plane has not been checked properly and so that part goes wrong and affects the hole Aircraft.

Sorry for spelling

Answer 4

Nice answer and link - Rob G.

Answer 5

Poor maintiance over stressing of the wings> to much weight>

Answer 6

Wow, yeah I remember that one. I think they had a huge structural failure, and considering that the C130 is built like a tank, it's incredible that it happened like that. Glad I wasn't on it....

Answer 7

Give Rob G the points.

Answer 8

the whole weight of the plabne and contents are held by the wings. all that weight is pushing down. the wings are creating a huge upthrust and have to be weighter with fuel to keep them from doing just that in the video. there was probably too much weight in the plane and only a small amount of fuel. so the wings wernt weighted down enough and just done what they are designed to do, then frame buckelded.

Answer 9

While fighting a fire in northern California, the starboard wing of a C-130A Hercules, N130HP, former USAF 56-0538, C/N 3146, operated by Hawkins & Powers Aviation, came off as the centre wing box failed during a pull-out from a drop near Walker, California, followed less than a second later by the port wing. It rolled inverted and crashed into the forest, killing all three crew."  

Answer 10

A flight eng told me that it was the Z-fuel level in the wing tanks that caused the crash.  

Answer 11

Fire retardant is very corrosive. After having been used as a fire bomber for a number of years it suffered from a catastrophic structural failure.  

Answer 12

Or it was an old plane or there was a major draft caused from the fire.

Stil hectic though...

Answer 13

Very unfortunate accident.  Fatigue and poor maintenance