Fri, Jun 06, 2008
Moisture In Transducers Led To Flight Control Errors
The US Air Force says distorted data introduced by a B-2
Spirit's air data system skewed information entering the bomber's
flight control computers, ultimately causing the crash of the
aircraft on takeoff at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, February 23.
That's the conclusion reached in an Air Combat Command accident
investigation report released Thursday.
Moisture in the aircraft's Port Transducer Units during air data
calibration distorted the information in the bomber's air data
system, causing the flight control computers to calculate an
inaccurate airspeed and a negative angle of attack upon
takeoff.
According to the report, this caused an, "uncommanded 30 degree
nose-high pitch-up on takeoff, causing the aircraft to stall and
its subsequent crash."
Earlier reports stating a fire onboard may have
contributed to the crash were apparently erroneous.
Instead, the USAF says, moisture in the PTUs, inaccurate airspeed,
a negative AOA calculation and low altitude/low airspeed were
substantially contributing factors in the mishap.
Another substantially contributing factor was the ineffective
communication of critical information regarding a suggested
technique of turning on pitot heat in order to remove moisture from
the PTUs prior to performing an air data calibration.
The pilot received minor injuries, and the co-pilot received a
spinal compression fracture during ejection. He was treated at
Tripler Army Medical Center, Hawaii, and released. The aircraft was
assigned to the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base, MO.
The cost of the lost aircraft is about $1.4 billion.
More News
"As previously announced on February 29th, our IM-1 mission ended seven days after landing, as Odysseus' mission was not intended to survive the harsh temperatures of the lunar nig>[...]
Marker Beacon An electronic navigation facility transmitting a 75 MHz vertical fan or boneshaped radiation pattern. Marker beacons are identified by their modulation frequency and >[...]
Have A Story That NEEDS To Be Featured On Aero-News? Here’s How To Submit A Story To Our Team Some of the greatest new stories ANN has ever covered have been submitted by our>[...]
Also: Moron With A Laser, EAA Aviation Museum, FAA v Santa Monica Propeller Service, Frontier MEC Lauds FO Boom Supersonic has confirmed details surrounding the successful first te>[...]
We're Everywhere... Thanks To You! Even with the vast resources and incredibly far-reaching scope of the Aero-News Network, every now and then a story that should be reported on sl>[...]