Tue, Mar 29, 2005
Says Army Should Have Marked Hole In Iraq Runway
You should've told
someone. That's the gist of a USAF report on the total loss of an
MC-130H Combat Talon II in Iraq December 29th. In essence, the Air
Force blames the Army for not spreading the word on runway damage
at a remote airfield in Northern Iraq.
As ANN reported in January, the aircraft, from the
16th Combat Wing based at Hurlburt Field in Florida, was landing at
an isolated Army airbase in northern Iraq, when it dove into the
hole. The crevice measured 86 feet wide and 73 feet long and was
three-feet deep.
None of the Combat Talon's crew was hurt, but four soldiers in
the hold were injured -- one suffering a broken leg, another
undergoing treatment for a blood clot.
The SNAFU appears to have been the kind that makes military
commanders both big-eared and bald ("You did WHAT??? Great
googley-moogley!" said while cupping ears, slapping forhead and
pulling hair).
Apparently, neither of the two Army units based at the field --
the 116th Rear Area Operations Center and an ANG helicopter unit
from South Carolina -- reported the runway crater to the Air Force.
Both units denied having any operational responsibility for the
field.
An Army aircraft crew did report the problem -- but the report
was "misdirected," according to the Northwest Florida Daily News.
While Air Force crews that landed there in the daytime did share
information on the hazard among themselves, no one apparently
bothered to file a formal notice.
The price tag for that little bit of miscommunication? One
MC-130H Combat Talon II valued at $85 million. Would someone please
call the claims adjuster?
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