[simpits-tech] Fwd: [IntruderCountry] Fw: Pilot's account of a recent Hornet barricade recovery in the Pacific

Sat, 16 Feb 2002 18:44:36 +1300

Hey Gene, it must be Hornet hunting season....first the McDonnell Douglas 
Cabriolet, now this!

Sean.

> > Sent: Monday, January 28, 2002 5:19 PM
> > Subject: FW: Pilot's account of a recent Hornet barricade recovery in the
> > Pacific
> >
> > The guy telling this story is an old A-6 buddy of mine  [who sent it to
>me]
> > . Some of the story will be lost on those not so wise in the ways of Naval
> > Aviation, but it's amusing and frightening all the same. Bottom line is
>that
> > this guy did an incredible job of landing this aircraft considering what
> > happened. I hope you enjoy it.
> >
> > PS: Don't forget that all this happened at night.
> >
> > Subject: Pilot's account of a recent Hornet barricade recovery in the
> > Pacific
> >
> > Greetings Slacker Landlubbers!
> >
> > Hey, I felt the need to share with you all the exciting night I had on the
> > 23rd. It has nothing to do with me wanting to talk about me and it has
> > everything to do with sharing what will no doubt become a better story as
> > the years go by. So....
> >
> > There I was. Manned up a hot seat for the 2030 launch about 500 miles
>north
> > of Hawaii. (insert visions of "The Shore Bird" and many mai tais here). My
> > bird was parked just forward of the nav pole and eventually I was taxied
>off
> > toward the island where I did a 180 to get spotted to be the first one off
> > cat 1 (insert foreboding music here). There's another Hornet from our
>sister
> > squadron parked ass over the track in about a quarter of the way down the
> > cat. Eventually he gets a move on, they lower my launch bar and start the
> > launch cycle. All systems are go on the runup and after waiting the
> > requisite 5 seconds or so to make sure my flight controls are good to go
> > (You know, there's a lot to be said for good old cables and pulleys), I
> > turn on my lights. As is my habit I shift my eyes to the catwalk and watch
> > the deck edge dude and as he starts his routine of looking left, then
>right,
> > I put my head back in the rest. I hate to say this but the Hornet cat shot
> > is pretty impressive, equivalent I would say to a gassed up KA-6. As the
>cat
> > fires, I stage the afterburners and am along for the ride. Just prior to
>the
> > end of the stroke, there's a huge flash and a simultaneous boom! And my
> > world is in turmoil. My little pink body is doing 145 knots or so and is
>100
> > feet above the Black Pacific. And there it stays -- except for the
>airspeed,
> > which decreases to 140 knots. Somewhere in here I raised my gear which is
> > interesting since it is not a Hornet "off the cat" boldface. It is
>however,
> > if I recall correctly, an Intruder boldface. Oops! The throttles aren't
> > going any farther forward despite my Schwarzzenegerian efforts to make
>them
> > do so.
> >
> > From out of the ether I hear a voice say one word: "Jettison." Roger that!
>A
> > nanosecond later my two drops and single MER, about 4,500 pounds in all,
>are
> > Black Pacific bound. The airplane leapt up a bit but not enough. I'm now
> > about a mile in front of the boat at 160 feet and fluctuating from 135
>to140
> > knots. The next comment that comes out of the ether is another one-worder:
> > "Eject!" I'm still flying so I respond, "Not yet, I've still got it." Our
> > procedures call for us to intercept on speed which is 8.1 alpha and I'm
> > fluctuating from about 8 1/2 to 11 or so. Finally, at 4 miles ahead of the
> > boat, I take a peek at my engine instruments and notice my left engine
> > doesn't match the right. (Funny how quick glimpses at instruments get
>burned
> > into your brain.) The left rpm is at 48% even though I'm still doing the
> > Ah-Nold thing. I bring it back out of afterburner to mil. About now I get
> > another "Eject!" call. "Nope, still flying." Cag was watching and the
> > further I got from the boat, the lower I looked.
> >
> > At 5 1/2 miles I asked tower to please get the helo headed my way as I
>truly
> > thought I was going to be shelling out. At some point I thought it would
> > probably be a good idea to start dumping some gas. As my hand reached down
> > for the dump switch I actually remembered that we have a NATOPS
>prohibition
> > regarding dumping while in burner. After a second or two I decided, "fuck
> > that" and turned them on. (Major "Big Wave" Dave Leppelmeier joined on me
>at
> > one point and told me later that I had a 60 foot roman candle going.)
> >
> > At 7 miles I eventually started a (very slight) climb. A little breathing
> > room. CATCC chimes in with a downwind heading and I'm like: "Ooh. Good
> > idea," and throw down my hook. Eventually I get headed downwind at 900
>feet
> > and ask for a rep. While waiting, I shut down the left engine. In short
> > order I hear Scott "Fuzz" McClure's voice. I tell him the following: "OK
> > Fuzz, my gear's up, my left motor's off and I'm only able to stay level
>with
> > min burner.
> >
> > Every time I pull it back to mil I start about a hundred feet per minute
> > down." I just continue trucking downwind trying to stay level and keep
> > dumping. I think I must have been in burner for about fifteen minutes. At
> > ten miles or so I'm down to 5000 pounds of gas and start a turn back
>toward
> > the ship. I don't intend to land but don't want to get too far away. Of
> > course as soon I as I start in an angle of bank I start dropping like a
> > stone so I end up doing a 5 mile circle around the ship. Fuzz is reading
>me
> > the single engine rate of climb numbers from the PCL based on temperature,
> > etc. It doesn't take us long to figure out that things aren't adding up.
> >
> > One of the things I learned in the RAG was that the Hornet is a perfectly
> > good single engine aircraft. It flies great on one motor. So why the fuck
>do
> > I need blower to stay level!? By this time I'm talking to Fuzz (CATCC) ,
> > Deputy CAG (turning on the flight deck) and CAG who's on the bridge with
>the
> > Captain. We decide that the thing to do is climb to three thousand feet
>and
> > dirty up to see if I'm going to have any excess power and so be able to
> > shoot an approach. I get headed downwind, go full burner on my remaining
> > motor and eventually make it to 2000 feet before leveling out below a
> > scattered layer of puffies. There's a half a moon above which was really,
> > really cool. Start a turn back toward the ship and when I get pointed in
>the
> > right direction I throw the gear down and pull the throttle out of AB.
> >
> > Remember that flash/boom! that started this little tale? Repeat it here.
> > Holy fuck! I jam it back into AB and after three or four huge compressor
> > stalls and accompanying decel the right motor comes back. I'm thinking my
> > blood pressure was probably up there about now and for the first time I
> > notice that my mouth feels like a San Joaquin summer. (That would be hot
>and
> > fucking dusty for those of you who haven't come to visit.) I may have said
> > "Shit!" on the radio here but haven't listened to the full tape yet and it
> > could have been "Fuck!"
> >
> > This next part is great. You know those stories about guys who deadstick
> > crippled airplanes away from orphanages and puppy stores and stuff and get
> > all this great media attention? Well, at this point I'm looking at the
> > picket ship at my left 11 at about two miles and I say on departure freq
>to
> > no one in particular, "You need to have the picket ship hang a left right
> > now. I think I'm gonna be outta here in a second." I said it very calmly
>but
> > with meaning. The LSO's said that the picket immediately started pitching
> > out of the fight. Ha! I scored major points with the heavies afterwards
>for
> > this. Anyway, it's funny how your mind works in these situations. OK, so
>I'm
> > dirty and I get it back level and pass a couple miles up the starboard
>side
> > of the ship. I'm still in min blower and my state is now about 2500
>pounds.
> >
> > Hmmm. I hadn't really thought about running out of gas. I muster up the
>nads
> > to pull it out of blower again and sure enough...flash, BOOM! You gotta be
> > shitting me. I'm thinking that I'm gonna  end up punching and tell Fuzz at
> > this point "Dude, I really don't want to do this again." Don't think
> > everyone else got it but he said he chuckled. I leave it in mil and it
> > seems to settle out.
> >
> > Eventually discover that even the tiniest throttle movements cause the
> > flash/boom thing to happen so I'm trying to be as smooth as I can. I'm
> > downwind a couple miles when CAG comes up and says, "Oyster, we're going
>to
> > rig the barricade." Remember, CAG's up on the bridge watching me fly
>around
> > doing blower donuts in the sky and he's thinking I'm gonna run outta JP-5
> > too. By now I've told everyone who's listening that there a better than
> > average chance that I'm going to be ejecting. (The helo bubbas, god bless
> > 'em, have been following me around this entire time.)
> >
> > I continue downwind and again, sounding more calm than I probably was,
>call
> > paddles. "Paddles, you up." "Go ahead" replies LT "Max" Stout, one of our
> > CAG LSO's. "Max, I probably know most of it but you wanna shoot me the
> > barricade brief?" (Insert long pause here.) After the fact, Max told me
>they
> > went from expecting me to eject to me asking for the barricade brief in
> > about a minute and he was hyperventilating. He was awesome on the radio
> > though, just the kind of voice you'd want to hear in this situation.)
> >
> > He gives me the brief and at nine miles I say, "If I turn now will it be
>up
> > when I get there? I don't want to have to go around again." "It's going up
> > now Oyster, go ahead and turn." "Turning in, say final bearing." "Zero six
> > three," replies the voice in CATCC. (Another number I remember -- go
>figure)
> > OK, we're on a four degree glideslope and I'm at 800 feet or so. I
> > intercept glideslope at about a mile and three quarters and pull power.
> > Flash/boom. Add power out of fear. Going high. Pull power. Flash/boom. Add
> > power out of fear.
> >
> > Going higher. (Flashback to LSO school....All right class, today's lecture
> > will be on the single engine barricade approach. Remember, the one place
>you
> > really, really don't want to be is high. Are there any questions? Yes, you
> > can go play golf now.) The PLAT TV video is most excellent as each series
>of
> > flash/booms shows up nicely along with the appropriate reflections on the
> > water. "Flats" Jensen, our other CAG paddles is backing up and as I start
>to
> > set up a higher than desired sink rate he hits the "Eat At Joe's"
>(waveoff)
> > lights. Very timely too. With visions of the A-3 dancing in my head I
> > stroke AB and cross the flight deck with my right hand on the stick and my
> > left thinking about the little yellow and black handle between my legs.
> >
> > No worries. I cleared that sucker by at least ten feet. By the way my
>state
> > at the ball call was 1.1. As I slowly climb out I say, again to no one in
> > particular, "I can do this." Max and Flats heard this and told me later it
> > made them feel much better about my state of mind. I'm in blower still and
> > CAG says, "Turn downwind." Again, good idea. After I get turned around he
> > says, "Oyster, this is gonna be your last look so turn in again as soon as
> > you're comfortable." I flew the DAY pattern and I lose about 200 feet in
>the
> > turn and like a total dumbshit I look out as I get on centerline and that
> > night thing about feeling high gets me and I descend further to 400 feet.
> >
> > I got kinda pissed at myself then as I realized I would now be
>intercepting
> > the four degree glideslope in the fucking middle. No shit fellas,
>flash/boom
> > every several seconds all the way down. Last look at my gas was
>600-and-some
> > pounds at a mile and a half. "Where am I on the glideslope Max" I ask and
> > hear a calm "Roger Ball." I know I'm low because the ILS is waaay up there
> > and I call "Clara." Can't remember what the response was but by now the
> > ball's shooting up from the depths.
> >
> > I start flying it and before I get a chance to spot the deck I hear "Cut,
> > cut, cut!" I'm really glad I was a paddles for so long because my mind
>said
> > to me "Do what he says Oyster" and I pulled it back to idle. The reason I
> > mention this is that I felt like I was a LONG FUCKING WAYS OUT THERE, if
>you
> > know what I mean. (My hook hit 11 Oyster paces from the ramp, as I
> > discovered during FOD walkdown today.) The rest is pretty tame. I hit the
> > deck, skipped the one, the two and snagged the three and rolled into the
> > barricade about a foot right of centerline.
> >
> > Once stopped, my vocal chords involuntarily yelled "Victory!" on button 2
> > (the 14 guys who were listening in marshal said it was pretty cool. After
> > the fact I wish I had done the Austin Powers' "Yeah Baby!" thing.) The
> > lights came up and off to my right there must have been a ga-zillion
> > cranials.
> >
> > Paddles said that with me shut down you could hear a huge cheer across the
> > flight deck. I open the canopy and start putting my shit in my helmet bag
> > and the first guy I see is our flight deck chief, huge guy named Chief
> > Richards, and he gives me the coolest look and then two thumbs up. I will
> > remember it forever. Especially since I'm the Maintenance Officer. The
>first
> > guy up the boarding ladder is CAG Paddles. I will tell you what he said
>over
> > beers someday. It was priceless and in my mind one for the ages.
> >
> > I climb down and people are gathering around patting me on the back when
>one
> > of the boat's crusty yellow-shirt chiefs interrupts and says, "Gentlemen,
> > great job but fourteen of your good buddies are still up there and we need
> > to get them aboard." Again, priceless.
> >
> > So there you have it fellas. Here I sit with my little pink body in a
>ready
> > room chair on the same tub I did my first cruise in 10 years and 7 months
> > ago. And I thought it was exciting back then.
> >
> > P.S. You're probably wondering what made my motors shit themselves and I
> > almost forgot to tell you. Remember the scene with the foreboding music?
> >
> > When they taxied that last Hornet - the one that was ass ov er the cat
>track
> > they forgot to remove a section or two of the cat seal. The board's not
> > finished yet but it's a done deal. As the shuttle came back it removed the
> > cat seal which went down both motors during the stroke. Again, good video
> > for someday over beers. Left engine N1 basically quit even though the
>motor
> > is in pretty good shape. It was producing no thrust and during the waveoff
> > one of the LSO's saw "about thirty feet" of black rubber hanging off the
> > left side of the airplane. The whole left side, including inside the
>intake
> > is basically black where the rubber was beating on it in the breeze. The
> > right motor, the one that kept running, has 340 major hits to all stages.
> > The compressor section is trashed and best of all, it had two pieces of
>the
> > cat seal, one about 2 feet and the other about 4 feet long, sticking out
>of
> > the first stage and into the intake. God Bless General Electric! By the
>way,
> > ECAMS data showed th at I was fat -- had 380 pou! nds of gas when I shut
> > down.
> >
> > Again, remember this number as in ten years it will surely be FUMES MAN,
> > FUMES I TELL YOU! Look forward to getting to stage five with you all
>someday
> > soon.
> >
> > Oyster, out.
> >
> >
> >
>
>
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