ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 60813
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| Date: | Thursday 21 May 2009 |
| Time: | 13:19 |
| Type: |  Northrop T-38A Talon |
| Owner/operator: | United States Air Force (USAF) |
| Registration: | 68-8153 |
| MSN: | T6158 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | 12 mls N of Edwards AFB, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
A T-38A aircraft assigned to the 412th Test Wing impacted the ground 12 miles north of Edwards Air Force Base (AFB), California, while participating in a United States Air Force Test Pilot School (USAFTPS) training mission. The mishap navigator (MN) ejected from the aircraft and sustained serious injuries. The mishap pilot (MP) did not initiate ejection and died upon impact with the ground. The mishap aircraft (MA) was completely destroyed upon impact.
The AIB president found clear and convincing evidence that the cause of this mishap was the failure of the rudder operating mechanism, causing the rudder to deflect 30 degrees left. This hardover rudder induced an uncontrollable yaw and a resulting roll, causing the aircraft to depart controlled flight. This condition is unrecoverable in the T-38. The AIB president found substantial evidence to conclude that due to a maintenance error, one of the seven bolts securing the rudder operating mechanism (Critical Safety Items) was improperly secured. The unsecured bolt worked its way free over an unknown period of time, eventually backing out of its location sufficiently to allow the two critical components to separate, thus disconnecting the flight controls from the rudder actuators. The pilot's properly-executed zero-to-negative-g input was the final, but not causal, condition that allowed the bolt to finally work free, disconnecting the rudder's controls. The pilot-induced pitch down, followed immediately by a non-pilot-induced rapid yaw and roll, incapacitated the MP, from which he never recovered. Improper maintenance practices, including training, documentation, and oversight of maintenance personnel, were a factor in allowing this mishap.
Sources:
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/national/Air.Force.jet.2.1016187.html_
http://usaf.aib.law.af.mil/T-38A_Edwards_21May09.pdf
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 22-May-2009 01:27 | Bleiente | Added |
| 22-May-2009 02:27 | slowkid | Updated |
| 22-May-2009 02:34 | slowkid | Updated |
| 09-Jan-2010 10:11 | harro | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Location, Phase, Source, Narrative] |
| 22-Jun-2011 13:48 | TB | Updated [Cn, Operator, Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 06-Sep-2014 14:43 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 06-Sep-2014 16:13 | Aerossurance | Updated [Narrative] |
| 21-May-2022 04:45 | Aerossurance | Updated [Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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