22 September 1995 - USAF 27 A USAF E-3B Sentry, 77-0354, c/n 21554, of the 962nd AACS, 552nd ACW, crashes shortly after take off from Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, when a flock of Canadian snow geese were ingested by its engines. All 26 crew members die, including 2 Canadian air crew members.
This was the first loss of an E-3 since the type entered service in 1977Boeing E-3B Sentry 77-0354 was military Boeing 707-derivative, a.o. equipped and AWACS system. The aircraft, operated by the US Air Force 962nd Airborne Air Control Sqn, 3rd Wing, was assigned call-sign Yukla 27 for a 6.2 hr training mission. At 07.43h Yukla 27 was holding short of runway 5, waiting for takeoff, when a Lockheed Hercules departed. This aircraft disturbed a flock of Canada geese. The Yukla 27 crew were not warned about this by the tower controller. At 07.45h they were cleared for takeoff and the throttles were advanced. As the plane rotated for lift-off numerous geese were ingested in the no.1 and 2 engines resulting in a catastrophic no.2 engine failure and a stalling no.1 engine. The crew initiated a slow climbing turn to the left and began to dump fuel. The aircraft attained a maximum altitude of 250ft before it started to descend. The plane impacted a hilly, wooded area less than a mile from the runway, broke up, exploded and burned.
Transcript of the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR)
RDO Radio Transmission TWR Tower Controller CAM Cockpit Area Microphone AC Aircraft Commander CP Copilot FE Flight Engineer St5 Instructor Flight Engineer * Unidentifiable word or words # Expletive ? Unsure of origin [] Editorial insertion
0745:29 RDO-TWR Yukla two seven heavy, the wind three one zero at one one, cleared for takeoff runway five. Traffic is a C-130 three miles north of Elmendorf northwestbound, climbing out of two thousand CAM [light switches] 0745:39 AC? In sight 0745:41 RDO-CP And Yukla two seven heavy cleared for takeoff, traffic in sight. 0745:44 CP Cleared for takeoff, crew 0745:45 FE * check complete 0745:45 CAM [Engines spool up] 0745:47 AC Engineer, set takeoff power 0745:49 CAM [Engines spool up] 0746:09 CP Eighty knots, copilot's aircraft 0746:11 AC Your airplane 0746:20 AC V1 0746:28 AC Rotate 0746:28 CP All the birds. 0746:31 FE Lotta birds here. 0746:33 AC # we took one. 0746:36 CP What do I got? 0746:37 FE? We took two of 'em. 0746:37 AC We got two motors. 0746:37 FE Flight start. 0746:38 CP Roger that. 0746:40 AC Take me to override. 0746:41 CP Go to override on, on the ......... 0746:43 RDO-CP Elmendorf Tower, Yukla two seven heavy has an emergency. Lost ah number two engine, we've taken some birds. 0746:44 St5 You're in override. St5 There's the rudder. 0746:46 FE Got it. 0746:47 St5 You're in override. 0746:48 AC Thank you. 0746:49 FE Starting dump fuel. 0746:51 AC Start dumping. 0746:52 RDO-TWR Yukla two seven heavy, roger, say intentions. 0746:55 CAM [Stick shaker activates, continues until impact] 0746:56 RDO-CP Yukla zero two heavy's coming back around for an emergency return. 0746:58 CP Lower the nose, lower the nose, lower the nose. 0747:00 RDO-TWR Two seven heavy, roger. 0747:00 AC Goin' down. 0747:02 CP? Oh my God. 0747:02 AC Oh # 0747:04 CP OK, give it all you got, give it all you got. 0747:06 RDO-CP Two seven heavy, emergency. 0747:09 RDO-TWR Roll the crash, roll the crash. 0747:10 CAM [PA Tone] 0747:11 CP Crash (landing) 0747:11 AC We're goin' in. 0747:11 AC We're going down. Source: U.S. Air Force ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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