Monthly award winners.
Pilot Safety Award of DistinctionOn Sept. 17, 2001, Capt. Charles Rogers prevented a potential Class A mishap by demonstrating exceptional airmanship. Rogers was on his first F-16 flight following a 3-month, non-flying deployment in support of Operation SOUTHERN WATCH. After completing his area work, Rogers returned to Cannon AEB, N.M., to land. On his first approach, he was instructed by the tower to go around due to a departing F-16 experiencing a potential bird strike on the runway. At this time, Rogers noted his decreasing fuel state and requested immediate sequencing to land. After conferring with the Supervisor of Flying (SOF), the tower gave clearance for Rogers to land. Rogers flew a normal approach and touched down approximately 500 to 700 feet down the runway. Upon commencing his aerobrake, Rogers suddenly noticed a vehicle enter the runway from his left. With minimal time to analyze the situation, he immediately selected the afterburner and managed to regain flight at near stall conditions. Roger's F-16 passed approximately 100 fe et over the vehicle. Rogers, now facing a more critical fuel situation, was able to remain focused and landed on the next attempt. Capt. Rogers' ability to react to an unpredictable situation prevented the loss of life, aircraft, and a government vehicle.
Flightline Safety Award of Distinction
Amn. Jeffrey Hedin was assigned to perform launch assist duties prior to the second F-16 launch of the day The pilot had arrived and completed his walk-around inspection. As the crew chief was coming down the aircraft ladder after assisting the pilot with strapping in, Hedin took an extra look in the exhaust section of the aircraft's engine. He noticed that the low-pressure turbine frame aft center body was off center and that the bolts appeared to have torn through it. Hedin halted the engine start, the aircraft was ground aborted, and the pilot was released to fly a successful mission in a spare aircraft. Inspection of the low-pressure turbine frame aft center body is not an inspection item for thru-flight inspections. Had Hedin not taken that extra look, the aircraft engine start and taxi would have appeared normal, but a series of problems would have occurred when the pilot selected max afterburner for takeoff The fuel gushing out of the spray bars would have been interrupted by the out of position low-pr essure turbine frame aft center body. In turn, this interruption of ignited jet fuel would have caused hot spots to form in the exhaust liner/duct. Eventually, the hot spots would have melted through the exhaust liner, causing a fire in the aft section of the aircraft. The extra concern that Amn. Hedin applied to his launch assist saved a very valuable combat ready asset, and quite possibly the life of the pilot and innocent civilians.
Ground Safety Award of Distinction
Mr. Earl Cummings is known throughout the wing as a dedicated and self-motivated safety monitor. His efforts to keep unit personnel educated on all safety-related issues directly resulted in "Excellent" ratings during the last five wing safety inspections. He prepared a detailed briefing on "The Hazards of Idaho" in which he addressed winter safety issues such as winter sports, car care, and survival techniques. This briefing was presented to all wing members on wing safety day. Always proactive, he produced a visual display of 25 unsafe practices and encouraged members to annotate all unsafe acts. This program successfully tested their ability to identify potential hazardous areas. The wing safety staff and logistics group commander praised this display as a valuable training tool and recommended utilization wing-wide. Cummings coordinated fire extinguisher training through the base fire department for 175 unit personnel. Hands-on, in-house training allowed for a more productive question and answer session d uring training. He also developed a character named "Peep-hole Charlie" which offered a humorous, yet informative look at the hazards associated with inadequate defrosting of car front and rear windshields. He conducted initial and refresher training for personnel requiring Supervisor Safety Training. This ensured unit personnel achieved a 100 percent trained rating for the August Unit Compliance Inspection. He provided flight commanders and chiefs up-to-date briefing packages covering the hazards and consequences of Driving Under the Influence (DUT), which kept senior supply leadership involved and informed. Mr. Cummings' support was critical in keeping the unit DUI-free for 3 years, which is the second longest run for all large units base-wide!
Aircrew Safety Award of Distinction
Following normal taxi, takeoff, and climbout for an E-3 on an Operation NORTHERN WATCH mission, SSgt. Bryan Setzer, the flight engineer, cleared Amn. Jana Fry, the airborne radar technician, and SSgt. James Hensley, the communications technician, to perform normal "walk around" procedures for the purpose of arming safety equipment and checking for structural anomalies after takeoff. When Fry peered into the aft lower lobe, she was alarmed by the strong smell of fuel vapors and quickly notified the Mission Crew Commander (MCC). Setzer was releasing the mission crew to power-up mission equipment as the MCC relayed the situation to the Aircraft Commander (AC). The MCC and AC determined that no power would be applied to equipment in the aft lower lobe. Hensley further recommended not powering up the other equipment close to the aft lower lobe. Setzer peered into the aft lower lobe and, after a quick assessment, recommended venting the lobe for 10 minutes to see if the situation would resolve itself. When the exce ssive fuel vapor and fumes persisted, the AC determined that the situation was dangerous and ordered an immediate fuel dump to reach landing weight and return to base. The fuel dump, approach, and landing were uneventful. A broken exhaust valve to the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) was determined to be the source of the excessive fuel vapors, which did not allow the APU to cool off during climbout. It was excellent crew coordination that helped to "break a chain of events" that was leading to a potential disaster, saving the lives of the crewmembers and preventing the loss of an aircraft. This is a precise example of what we step brief, "... if it doesn't feel right, look right, taste right, or sound right ... you can be the one to break the chain of events of a potentially dangerous situation."
Safety Awards Update
1. Change: The USAF event-driven "Well Done Award" has been revised and renamed the "Aviation Well Done Award." This award recognizes personnel whose outstanding airmanship or support to aircrew prevented, or reduced the impact of, a serious in-flight mishap. In special cases, this award may be given to an individual(s) whose contribution significantly impacted the safety of the USAF aviation community.
2. New: There is a new "Ground/Weapons Safety Well Done Award." The purpose of this award is to recognize non-safety personnel who make a significant contribution that affects overall mishap prevention activities toward ground/weapons safety.
3. New: A new annual safety award has been established and will be incorporated into AFI 36-2833: the "Air Force Chief of Safety Medical Achievement Award." This award recognizes an individual or organization from the medical community for outstanding safety contributions or achievements. Any medical unit at the Medical Group or lower level, assigned to a MAJCOM or ANG, can submit a nominee. Now is the time to start writing down those achievements so you can submit a package at the end of this fiscal year (1 Oct 01 - 30 Sep 02).
These awards must go through the proper channels prior to arriving at the MAJCOM Safety office. An Interim Chance (IC) to AFI 36-2833, Safety Awards, has been forwarded and when approved, these changes will be incorporated into the instruction.
ACC Safety is Proud of All Our Award Nominees
Capt. Jay S. Gibson
F-16 Pilot
4th Fighter Squadron
388th Fighter Wing
Hill AFB, Utah
Capt. Jeffrey D. Percy
Squadron Electronic Combat Pilot
60th Fighter Squadron
33rd Fighter Wing
Eglin AFB, Fla.
Capt. Lisa D. Adams-McNeme, Aircraft Commander
Capt. Thomas D. Price, Co-pilot
Lt. Col. Timothy M. Ray, Instructor Pilot
Capt. Brenden G. Rowe, Radar Navigator
1Lt. John E. Saunders, Navigator
Maj. James C. Campbell II, Instructor Radar Navigator
Lt. Col. James D. Osborne, Electronic Warfare Officer
96th Bomb Squadron
2nd Bomb Wing
Barksdale AFB, La.
Capt. Stephen F. Jost
F-16 Pilot
4th Fighter Squadron
388th Fighter Wing
Hill AFB, Utah
Lt. Col. Thomas G. Markwardt
Chief, Standardization & Evaluation
Maj. Michael G. Harman
Chief, Wing Training
33rd Operations Group
33rd Fighter Wing
Eglin AFB, Fla.
A1C. Michah S. Stephens
Armament Weapons Systems Technician
325th Bomb Squadron
509th Bomb Wing
Whiteman AFB, Mo.
SSgt. Michael A. Smith
SrA. Gary W. Beaver
A1C. Marquese L. Hayden
Weapons Load Crewmembers
60th Fighter Squadron
33rd Fighter Wing
Eglin AFB, Fla.
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| Title Annotation: | flight safety |
|---|---|
| Publication: | Combat Edge |
| Geographic Code: | 1USA |
| Date: | Feb 1, 2002 |
| Words: | 1451 |
| Previous Article: | PRM: Your ticket to safety. (Safety Shorts). |
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