It Was A Beautiful Day For Flying... But A Hawk Had Other Plans

The skies over West Texas March 10, 2005 could have come right off a picture postcard:  blue, cloudless and so clear you could see horizon to horizon. It was, as one Air Force pilot put it, a perfect day for flying.

Capt. Andreas Ix and his C-17 Globemaster III aircrew were participating in a low-level training mission over Lubbock, TX. Included in the crew were two student pilots and a student loadmaster. Everyone in the air that day felt prepared, all having received thorough mission briefings earlier that morning... all but one.

"Somehow, a red-tail hawk didn’t get the briefing that morning," said Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. John. D.W. Corley in a Pentagon ceremony May 12. "While the aircraft was 300 feet off the ground and traveling at 300 knots, that bird 'schwacked' the front end of the C-17, sheering off the aircraft’s radome."

In recognition of his immediate actions after the bird strike -- which both saved the lives of the people onboard, and ensured  the multi-million dollar aircraft would survive to fly another day -- Captain Ix received the 2005 Koren Kolligian Jr. Trophy.

The trophy is given annually for outstanding feats of airmanship by aircrew members who, by extraordinary skill, exceptional alertness, ingenuity or proficiency, averted accidents or minimized the seriousness of the accidents in terms of injury, loss of life, aircraft damage or property damage.

"It’s funny that I’m being recognized with a safety award for a situation that was so unsafe," said Captain Ix. "But really, if it weren’t for the actions of my crew, we wouldn’t be here."

As he put it, the moment the bird hit the radome, which houses the aircraft’s radar antenna, he immediately relied on the others around him to get him out of the tough situation.

"We had little to no technical guidance for a situation like that," he said. "Even the checklist and manual only covered a situation described as 'loss of radome with no technical loss.'"

Yet there were no radar capabilities and no way for Captain Ix to know his speed or altitude. For about one hour, he used guidance from both his team in the air and on the ground and in the radio tower to maintain the aircraft in the air, the whole time, "with the lever pulled into my lap.  The aircraft wanted to drop."

He said he played out scenarios in his head as to how to get his crew on the ground safely.

"I had to make a serious decision," he said. "There were six people on board, but only five [parachutes], which is legal, but not fun. And underneath, there was a grassfire on the plains, which meant even if they did bail out, they could have been burned. But if I put down the aircraft, a fire would result. I knew my decisions could result in injury, or worse, death."

He said in that moment, though, a calm voice from the tower came over the airwaves and directed him to land back at Altus.

"A lot needs to be said for the crew resource management that day," said Captain Ix, referring to the team of people at all levels who are responsible for the safety of aircrew and aircraft. "A lot of people dropped everything that day to make sure we all returned safely."

The ceremony ended with Captain Ix presenting a gift to the family of the award’s namesake, 1st Lt. Koren Kolligian Jr, who was declared missing in the line of duty when his T-33 aircraft disappeared off the California coast September 14, 1955. His lone surviving sister was present at the ceremony, along with other descendants.

"It’s the only piece of the aircraft I was allowed to take home," said Captain Ix of the glide slope antenna fixed onto a plaque. "It was positioned right behind the radome, and it’s what allowed us to make it home safely."

General Corley said Captain Ix represents the very best of America’s sons and daughters.

"Everyone should be as proud of him as I am," said Gen. Corley. "He is an outstanding example of what it means to be an Airman."

(Aero-News salutes Staff Sgt. Julie Weckerlein, Air Force News Service)

FMI: www.af.mil