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T-45 crashes tied to birds, engine malfunction

In the past few years, major mishaps involving the T-45 Goshawk trainer jet were rare — just one or two a year on average from 2004 to 2007, Navy records show.

But that spiked to five crashes in the nine months from September 2007 to May 2008.

In each case, the pilots ejected and were not seriously injured, but the $21 million planes, which joined the fleet starting in 1991, were destroyed.

Based on accident investigations, no one was officially faulted in at least three of those crashes. One was caused by an engine malfunction, and two others crashed after striking birds that were then sucked into the engines.

As a result of the bird strikes, officials with Chief of Naval Air Training Command installed a land-based radar system designed to tell pilots about any birds in the landing strip area, a CNATRA spokesman said.

CNATRA was unable to provide investigation reports for two of the five crashes.

In the case of a March 4 crash near the runway at Naval Air Station Meridian, the report has not received its final endorsement and cannot be released, CNATRA spokesman Lt. j.g. Brett Dawson said.

Dawson said that crash was caused by a mechanical malfunction of the weight-on-wheels proximity switch. That’s the trigger device that senses when the plane has landed and allows a pilot to transfer from air- to ground-based steering, he said.

As a result of that crash investigation, the Navy has ordered a new switch device for the entire T-45 fleet, replacing a ceramic plate with an aluminum plate, Dawson said.

The cause of a fifth crash remains unclear; the report was withheld because the Navy may face a lawsuit as a result of a training jet from Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas, that went down in Louisiana near Acadiana Regional Airport on Nov. 1, 2007. The results of that investigation may not be released until after the potential litigation is resolved, two Navy sources said.

Here are the results of investigations into the other three crashes, based on the reports. The Navy withheld the names of the individuals involved in the crashes, citing privacy concerns.

Sept. 27, 2007

Around 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 27, a Marine pilot with 209 total military flight hours took off in a T-45 from Naval Air Station Kingsville with an instructor flying alongside in another T-45.

The planes reached about 15,000 feet and began a series of training maneuvers.

The student pilot’s oil pressure warning light began to flicker shortly after 9 a.m. The pilot descended and prepared for an emergency landing.

Falling below 9,000 feet, the engine began “coughing.” The pilot reported a sudden drop in the engine’s RPMs and a spike in the exhaust gas temperature, or EGT.

The pilot tried several times to restart the engine while in the air, but the plane continued to lose speed and altitude. He pulled the “green apple” emergency oxygen supply as the plane fell below 5,000 feet.

“Watch your numbers” an instructor told him over the radio.

“Sir, I think I’m about to get out,” the pilot said, according to the investigator’s report.

The pilot tightened his lap belts, shifted his body position in the cockpit and then pulled the ejection handle as the plane neared 1,500 feet.

The pilot initially reported that he was “a little banged-up,” but a heavy bruise on his left elbow was the only injury cited in the report.

The report said the crash was caused by the failure of the multiple internal bearings inside the engine. No violations were cited among maintenance personnel.

Oct. 1, 2007

A Navy investigation found the cause of an Oct. 1 crash near Naval Air Station Meridian was the plane’s collision with a pack of birds near the runway, and that the crew was unaware of the flock.

The flight instructor on the plane had completed his instructor training course two weeks earlier. He had 1,421 flight hours, while his student had 167 flight hours.

The bird pattern in the area was normal, and the crew conducted a bird strike contingency brief before taking off, according to the investigation.

After completing the training portion of the flight, the two aviators were on their way back to Kingsville when the plane pulled a final approach turn. The report did not say how high the plane was at the time, nor was it clear who was flying, since the names were redacted.

The plane struck several birds, prompting the other aviator to take the controls and decrease speed to see what condition the aircraft was in.

The two aviators heard an unusual, grinding sound coming from the motor.

The master caution light began flashing, the EGT indicator was pegged at its maximum and the aircraft began descending below 450 feet, according to the report.

The aviators tried to call the tower and explain the situation, but it appears they ejected before making a full ejection call, according to the report.

A dead bird was found in the left main mount. Investigators found bird remains sprayed throughout the internal parts of the engine and compressor compartments, and several blades were bent in a direction opposite the engine’s rotation, the report said.

Both aviators suffered abrasions on their arms and upper body, and one complained of neck pains. Both may experience future disability due to the ejection and parachute-landing fall, the report said.

May 20, 2008

A bird strike was also behind a May 20 crash near Naval Air Station Meridian.

Shortly after 8 p.m., a longtime flight instructor and a pilot training to be a flight instructor from VT-7 took off from Meridian for a 90-minute mission running through night familiarizations. Their T-45 was airborne for about 45 minutes before looping back toward the Meridian airstrip for a “touch and go” exercise.

About four seconds after touching down on the airstrip and lifting off again, the plane experienced a compressor surge — three short surges followed immediately by a locked-in surge. The exhaust gas temperature spiked, and the EGT cockpit indicator became “pegged” at the maximum recordable limit. At the same time, airflow through the engine slowed dramatically, causing a sudden drop in RPMs and airspeed.

With warning lights flashing, the pilots scrambled to determine the problem. At first, they lifted the landing gear to reduce drag and tried to go above 400 feet.

But within seconds, the aviators determined the engine was failing. They did not have enough altitude to try an air start, and did not have enough remaining room on the runway to try to re-land the aircraft. Both ejected and safely landed near the airstrip.

Both pilots injured their faces during the ejection. Both had bits of the detonating cord, used to blow the jet’s canopy, in their faces and eyes. The investigating officer recommended that Navy officials examine the potential hazard posed by the detonation cord during ejection. Ë