C-130 Gear Up

[ILLINI]

Did anyone else see the video of that C-130 make a gear up landing this morning in Minnesota? The right main either collapsed or failed to extend, i'm not sure which. As it touched down the right wing dipped and the right outboard engine struck the runway which caused a large flame to come out of the engine. Looks like the crew did a great job at landing and evacuating in what looked like record time!


If someone can find a link to the video could you please post it here.

 

[ILLINI]

Here's a link. Doesn't have video of the plane landing, but it does have some good pictures.

Link

I know there is some video out there of the actual landing... I saw it this morning. I'm still looking for that though.

 

[TR4A]

This station has more photos. http://www.kare11.com/news/news-article.asp?NEWS_ID=63111

Your previous link now has a video link. They must of been waiting for the 5pm news. I am trying it but it is taking a while and had to restart it. Cable 3 MPS DL speed.

 

[JimNtexas]

I saw it on the local news just now. Pretty scary, especially when those prop blades started flying.

I'm very glad that nobody was hurt. I wonder if the airplane will fly again?

 

[Big Duke Six]

Does anyone know if the partial gear up landing procedures for the C-130 include shutting down the outboard engine on the affected side? I believe the Metro FOM tells you to consider it if conditions permit. I was just wondering if the -130 manual does. Maybe conditions just didn't permit for these guys! Good landing anyway.

 

[avbug]

The C-130 gear is all but incapable of collapsing, once extended; weight on the gear prevents it from actuating up. It is possible, but rare. What it can do, however, is move sideward; it swings away from the tracks if not fully extended, which has the appearance of a collapse. Large pointed pins secure the gear at full extention. Following a manual extention, the gear proceedure involves chaining; cross chains are run from one side of the aircraft to the other through the cargo bay, tying the right bogie to the left.

Manual gear extention is a risky pain the butt, and a good way to break an arm, lose a hand, or a finger. I know several people who have been seriously injured working with Herc gear, including one who had the retaining pin at full extention put right through his hand.

I couldn't get the video to load, and couldn't see the actual event. However, from the still picture, it appears the airplane either had a failure of the jackscrew thrustwasher which secures the gear, or the gear pulled out to the side.

If one gear can't be extended for any reason, you're generally better off getting them all up and landing on the metal.

Most definitely the airplane can be repaired. It's only money.

 

[Vector4fun]

I actually saw a C-130 make a gear up touch and go back around '83 or so.

Real slow Sat afternoon. C-130's been doing pattern work for an hour or more already. Pilot reports "Base with the gear" for the umteenth time, bored controller replies "Cleared touch and go". Nobody else moving. Controller happens to look up just as the herc crosses the numbers and leaps for the mike.

"Check your gear AGAR, check your gear!"

C-130 powers and pitchs up, but can't arrest the descent rate, touches on the belly, skids for about 300-400'. Then pitches up and flies away. We were all speechless for a time. There was so much old rubber on the runway, that sheets of flame had trailed some 30-40' while he was skidding down the runway.

About a mile off the departure end, sheepish pilot calls,

"Tower, did sparks come out?"

We practically fell on the floor.

End result, the Herc was fine, flew to HMN and made a normal landing. Needed some belly skins and what not, but the structure was fine. Worst part was the Chief was gone for a week, and I was acting chief. Had to do the transcripts and paperwork...

 

[gnx99]

www.kmsp.com is the channel that got it live.

The link to the story is,

http://www.kmsp.com/news/local/story.asp?content_id=1628926

but I can't find the video on their site

 

[Av8trxx]

CNN has the video.

Go to CNN.com and under the list of "More top Stories" is the word "video". Right now is should show a pic of a horse. Click on it and it will launch a video box. At the top of the box is a drop down menu that says "More Video". Click on it and choose "U.S." and scroll down until you see the Hercules.

 

[ATR-DRIVR]

Unless you buy a subscription you can't access any other videos.