This is from GW in 2003, it shows the inherent danger of working on a flight deck in the BEST of times… Day, VFR, CQs in a workup phase off Norfolk. What you will see is the PLAT video of an F-18 landing and catching the #3 wire (qualifies as a good landing), however as the cable runs out, you will see a brown cloud to the left of the picture. That is the cable parting under load.
You will then see the F-18 go off the bow (pointy end), the canopy blow and the pilot eject (that’s the little splash of flame that goes up). Note the white tow bar on the left side of the frame that seems to move by itself. It was struck by the cable end and moves significantly even though it is attached to the nosewheel of the aircraft.
In the replay, you will see one yellow shirt (the hook man) jump twice, he is jumping the pieces of the cable as it snaps back. The other two people and three more that are not captured in the video were injured and later medically evacuated from the GW, but all survived.
This is why the flight deck is considered one of the most dangerous places in the world to work. You HAVE to keep your head on a swivel, and be alert ALL of the time. Since there is a high noise level, you are basically on your own for your survival… You can imagine what potentially could have happened if this had been at night.
Please say a prayer for all our Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen who are deployed world wide to keep us safe.
That is incredible. I can’t believe that the pilot was able to eject himself so quickly. If it had been me, I would not have even realized that anything was wrong until the plane was throughly underwater.
A lot of flying high-performance aircraft is a well developed muscle memory on how to act in emergencies. I doubt the pilot even realized what happened until he was in the air.
The crewmen were lucky no one was killed by the cable.
Elm- I will guarantee you as soon as he felt the acft keep rolling rather than stop, he was going for the E handles! After you’ve made a few carrier landings, you know where you should stop, what the visual and physical cues are, and everyone has their personal go/no go position where they plan to get out.
Crucis- Agreed! And yes, the crewmen were lucky! I saw 3 guys die in a similar accident in 1971.
In his book The Intruders, Stephen Coonts describes a similiar event…it’s a deadly ballet!!!
Precisely why I flew choppers.
None of that arresting cable stuff.
Now,….if we could just the carrier….
Skul
After talking to a friend on the USS America, CV 66 I am amazed there are more injuries or death. God Bless them and keep them safe.
I was on the Ranger from 71 till 73, although I wasn’t on the flight deck, it’s a dangerous place. High lead loggers know of it too.
I was on the Ranger from 71 till 73, although I wasn’t on the flight deck, it’s a dangerous place. High lead loggers know of it too.
I was on the Ranger from 71 till 73, although I wasn’t on the flight deck, it’s a dangerous place. High lead loggers know of it too.
I was on the Ranger from 71 till 73, although I wasn’t on the flight deck, it’s a dangerous place. High lead loggers know of it too.
I was on the Ranger from 71 till 73, although I wasn’t on the flight deck, it’s a dangerous place. High lead loggers know of it too.
I was on the Ranger from 71 till 73, although I wasn’t on the flight deck, it’s a dangerous place. High lead loggers know of it too.
I was on the Ranger from 71 till 73, although I wasn’t on the flight deck, it’s a dangerous place. High lead loggers know of it too.
My Prayers are always with our military. Great video. Very scary.
Skul- True!
ADM- It’s a tribute to the kids that work up there!
AKA- Yep, loggers are nuts too! 🙂
Fuzzy- Thanks!
Saw the same thing happen on the Uss Forrestal CVA-59 when an A3D parted the cable. The hook man was only a few steps away, they USED to run right at the planes tail as the cable was still unwinding, anyway he didn’t have time to jump and lost both legs just above the knee. I was scared to death every minute I was up there on the roof. A bad case of “Swivel Neck” was an occupational hazard!
Kudos to ‘Skippy’!
EV- Agreed! But I lived with the neck pains, because I wanted to stay alive! I saw two guys go down intakes, and one walk into a Stoof prop because they weren’t paying attention…
Murph- Yep he done good 🙂