The Destruction of C-130D 70-495 at DYE III

This flight was scheduled as a routine resupply mission with food and laundry to two Greenland Ice Cap Radar Stations, DYE 3 and DYE 2. Structural steel and construction hardware were added for DYE 3 as opportune cargo. Additionally, a student copilot and a student navigator were to receive mission and ski operation training. Takeoff from Sondrestrom AB was scheduled for 1100L. The crew filed an ICAO instrument clearance in Base Operations at 1020L. Weather briefing was received by phone from the Danish weather facility, and crew briefing was conducted by the pilot at the aircraft prior to engine start. Although the engineer and loadmaster had reported at the aircraft at 0915L engine start was delayed until approximately 1140L due to an engine runup required by maintenance, cargo loading, and tie-down requirements. The flight was cleared 1FR via standard instrument departure direct to DYE 3 at cruise altitude of FL 130. The copilot, flying from the right seat, executed an uneventful takeoff from Sondrestrom AB at 1152L on Runwav 29, and the enroute flight to DYE 3 was normal. Enroute, approximately 95 nm from DYE 3, DYE 3 weather was received as being 1000 feet broken,15 miles visibility, with winds of 270 degrees true (315 degrees magnetic) at 3 knots.

This mission was set up during the afternoon prior to the 5 June flight. Captain Jared, as mission commander, coordinated with International Telephone and Telegraph (ITT) contractor and Danish Arctic Contractors (DAC) and established that ITT cargo (food, laundry, movie film) would be transported to DYE 3 and DYE 2. plus DAC construction cargo (steel beam, pipe sections, miscellaneous construction supplies) to DYE 3. He posted the flight schedule and briefed the officer crew members at the BOQ and briefed the enlisted crew members and maintenance by telephone. He scheduled his own crew for the mission, with a projected takeoff at 1100L the following day.

The loadmaster received the load composition briefing from both ITT and DAC loading personnel when they arrived at the aircraft. He signed a DD Form 1387-2. "Special Handling Data/Certification" stating that Red Label flammable liquid cargo (paint) was aboard and that no passengers were permitted. Aircraft loading was delayed due to a maintenance engine runup on number one engine, and loading did not begin until approximately 1100L. Possibly due to this interruption of the planned flight preparation sequence, the pilot was not informed of the Red Label cargo. Shortly before engine start, DAC brought out a passenger for DYE 3. He was allowed on the aircraft and seated on the forward left side of the cargo compartment.

Captain Jared briefed the crew on mission specifics on the interphone prior to engine start, with reference to the aircraft commander's briefing checklist. Major Layton was briefed to conduct the complete navigation tasks for the mission, and Lieutenant Dustin was briefed to fly the aircraft from takeoff through the approach and landing at DYE 3.

A complete DD Form 365F, "Weight and Balance Clearance", was not made out by the loadmaster nor requested by Captain Jared. A partial form was completed in order to arrive at a gross weight. The Board reconstructed a Form 365F with the following findings: Cargo weight, 19,431 lbs total aircraft/cargo takeoff weight, 115,495 lbs (max allowable 124,200 lbs); percent MAC -takeoff 29.9 (limits 20.3 - 30 percent); total landing weight, 109,495 lbs (max allowable 124,200); and percent MAC - landing 29.5 (limits 19. 2 - 30 percent).

The Standardized Approach

A normal descent to minimum enroute altitude (11,000 feet) was started at 24 nm from DYE 3. At 10 nm, the descent was continued to airborne radar approach (ARA) pattern altitude (9700 feet). A standard ARA pattern for landing on DYE 3 Runway 34 (Tab 0) was initiated at 1242L. Field elevation at DYE 3 is 8700 feet. On the initial passage over the site, the altimeters were cross checked in accordance with standard procedure with a station altimeter setting of 30. 41. The entire ARA was conducted below the clouds with no restriction to visibility, with good depth perception, and an easily discernible horizon.

The aircraft was configured for landing (full flaps, gear and skis down) and ARA descent from 9700 feet was begun at 6 1/2 nm from the approach end of Runway 34. The instructor pilot directed the copilot to perform the approach and landing, and to fly the navigator's headings and altitudes to approach minimums of 300 feet/1mile. The navigator stated that his announced phase point altitudes were adhered to throughout the ARA portion of the approach. At two miles the copilot leveled the aircraft at 9000 feet MSL and added power so that the airspeed stabilized at 113 knots. As the aircraft approached one mile, the IP told the copilot to "go visual" because he observed that the aircraft's displacement of about 500 feet to the left of the extended runway centerline would make landing difficult if corrections were delayed. The copilot made a heading change of approximately 30 degrees to the right, using minimum bank, to intercept the extended runway centerline. After stabilizing on the correction heading (approximately 010 to 020 degrees), the copilot continued to descend to an altitude estimated by the crew to be 40 to 100 feet from the snow. A left turn correction to runway heading was initiated too late to prevent overshooting, resulting in the aircraft position being slightly right of the runway's right edge. The airspeed had been reduced to 102 knots for landing performance data). The copilot attempted to adjust the flight track to the runway center by use of left rudder (while maintaining wings level to prevent wing tip contact with the snow) and applied power. The aircraft turned beyond a good left correction and entered a noticeable right skid, the IP ordered "Go-around" and moved the flap lever from 100 percent to a position he estimated was 50 percent. The copilot echoed the command and advanced the throttles to maximum power; however, the aircraft continued in a severe right skid at approximately 50 feet above the snow and at an airspeed of 101 knots. Airspeed continued to deteriorate, and the flight engineer yelled, "90 knots", but full power was already applied. As the aircraft began to sink, the copilot threw in full left aileron in an effort to prevent a cartwheel on impact.

The aircraft contacted the snow in a left wing down attitude, with full power, and in a severe right skid at a point 3000 feet down and 75 feet to the left of the runway on a heading of about 310 degrees. Debris indicates that the left wing tip contacted the snow first, followed by the left ski, then the right ski. The aircraft slid in a gradual arc for 648 feet before coming to a rest 113 degrees from the runway heading.

CERTIFICATE OF DAMAGE

C-130D, Serial Number 57-0495, was damaged beyond repair. All landing gear and skis, both pylon tanks, and number one engine were torn from aircraft by impact. Twelve feet of left wing and six feet of right wing were sheared from aircraft. Remainder of left wing and number two engine were destroyed by fire. Left side of fuselage from wing leading edge to left paratroop door was severely burned, while fuselage skin aft of paratroop door to leading edge of horizontal stabilizer was burned The right wing was burned from shear point inboard to the inboard wall of number four fuel tank. Bottom of fuselage and wheel well structure badly damaged by departing gear and skis and by ground impact All four props were sheared off along with front gear box case section. Tail assembly appears to have rotated about five to ten degrees. Interior of cargo compartment damaged by steel cargo. Aircraft considered destroyed.

(Signed)

Maintenance Officer