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KC130 & F35 Mid-air collission in CA Desert

As a retired Inflight Refueling Tech. I'd really like to know what the hell happened here too? I'm not familiar with what the KC-130 refueling procedures are, but they sure as hell can't be any different then the KC-135/10 procedures that I used. I always hated the "probe & drogue" system that the Navy & Marines use. I'll take Boom & Receptacle refueling any day, it's easier, safer, and faster offloads. This had to be a rookie pilot, but where was the instructor in all this? The audio is unclear, I wish they had the A/R freq. posted up to hear what happened.
 
I agree. I can't figure out how the F35 clipped a wing and two prop's
were damaged! Must have been some kind of turbulence? Doesn't
anyone have the authority to call things off if it's too rough?
 
zyzzyx said:
Doesn't
anyone have the authority to call things off if it's too rough?
Click to expand...
Yes, that's what the Boom Operator is for!
We also had a Warning that read, "WARNING: Flying two airplanes in close vertical proximity is not safe"! Duh, yea think?
 
the 130 landed in a field not far from me. Local newscasters were funny acting as though AAA could come grab that thing. DOH!!!!
 
Belly landing with all that fuel on board. Bet the pucker factor was in full force
 
69a100 said:
As a retired Inflight Refueling Tech. I'd really like to know what the hell happened here too? I'm not familiar with what the KC-130 refueling procedures are, but they sure as hell can't be any different then the KC-135/10 procedures that I used. I always hated the "probe & drogue" system that the Navy & Marines use. I'll take Boom & Receptacle refueling any day, it's easier, safer, and faster offloads. This had to be a rookie pilot, but where was the instructor in all this? The audio is unclear, I wish they had the A/R freq. posted up to hear what happened.
Click to expand...

what’s the minimum altitude for refueling ops?
 
69a100 said:
As a retired Inflight Refueling Tech. I'd really like to know what the hell happened here too? I'm not familiar with what the KC-130 refueling procedures are, but they sure as hell can't be any different then the KC-135/10 procedures that I used. I always hated the "probe & drogue" system that the Navy & Marines use. I'll take Boom & Receptacle refueling any day, it's easier, safer, and faster offloads. This had to be a rookie pilot, but where was the instructor in all this? The audio is unclear, I wish they had the A/R freq. posted up to hear what happened.
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With no knowledge myself, I have to agree; rookie error.
 
As a guy who flew the receiving end (F16) for ~13 years, my guess is New Guy, and the deferential speeds between the 2 aircraft. Hercs are slow as sh*t, and I can tell you even on a KC 135, when the receiver starts getting toward max fuel load, and in a single engine jet, you start bumping up against needing more power than mil, but afterburner would be too much. So it gets difficult.

Compound that with an aircraft that’s as slow as the Herc...well I’m sure it’s not easy.

New Guy is the likely culprit.
 
"Slow as ****"... about right, and like I said throttled up vs jet at stall speed. My Brother has about 12,000 Herc PIC hours..
 
Richard Cranium said:
With one less, the remaining F-35s just got more valuable....



https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zo...rol-audio-of-kc-130js-collision-with-an-f-35b


https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zo...a-ball-of-fire-after-colliding-with-a-kc-130j
Click to expand...
Remaining F-35s? They're still being built, with the US Air Force, Navy and marine Corps planning on buying a couple thousand more over the next twenty four years. After all this time, Lockheed is finally gearing up for full production.

I'm glad everyone survived.
 
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dart4forte said:
what’s the minimum altitude for refueling ops?
Click to expand...

KC-130's conduct A/R from 10-17K from what I know, the tape and this accident had them in that block. The KC 135 & 10's conduct A/R from 24-28K. We did have some low level A/R training at one time, we did that at 10K in the 135. I was not a fan of it, glad they stopped doing that! I guess they realized that it over stress's the airframe at lower altitudes.
 
69a100 said:
KC-130's conduct A/R from 10-17K from what I know, the tape and this accident had them in that block. The KC 135 & 10's conduct A/R from 24-28K. We did have some low level A/R training at one time, we did that at 10K in the 135. I was not a fan of it, glad they stopped doing that! I guess they realized that it over stress's the airframe at lower altitudes.
Click to expand...

I m guessing the C130 pilot didn’t have enough power to gain altitute and steer toward the desert to allow the crew to bail. I’m sure he didn’t have a lot of time to jettison all the fuel it was carrying.
 
2 engines out, flight control surfaces damaged, hydraulics most likely damaged to control flaps and ailerons on the right side, main hydraulic reservoirs or on that side of the C-130 and operates the landing gear extension/retraction, as well as jeopardizes the overall control-ability of any aircraft and the pucker factor just got a whole lot larger. The fact the PIC/Acft Commander was able to get that bird on the ground in a belly landing, he did a superb job of airman-ship. I have over 1200 hours in the C-130...we did not do A/R in TAC but AFSOC does for their Spec Ops missions for helos and such and use only the Drogue system of refueling...and I imagine timing was not in this call to land. Book says to maintain flight control as much as possible in these types of IFE's so doing what he did was the best option. The landing gear can be manually lowered by a crank system on both side, and then chained across the cargo compartment box and secured to the floor tie down rings. Had to practice that on numerous occasions for training and twice for an actual emergency. That procedure requires much more time than I would venture to say this crew had. Just damn glad they are safe and home resting after being de-briefed and peeing in the bottle. More accident investigations I am sure...Great Job Marines!!! cr8crshr/Bill:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::usflag::usflag::usflag:
 
Cr8, some of these abbreviations are not known to most of us,lol! Ground pounders don't know this stuff, but I love all of it anyway. My B-52 pilot cousin doesn't answer my questions near often enuf. Semper Fi. Jeff
 
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