Another one down in Central Asia.

Very sad week. I have to admit the National crash has been on my mind during each of my takeoffs this week. It's just terrible.
 
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Good grief. Terrible terrible thing. Warriors......RIP. Their poor families....just have no other words. Damn.
 
Probably a dumb question, but I assume these crews don't pack chutes in the event of something they could potentially bail from, correct?
 
Chutes were removed years ago for weight savings. The crew likely would not have had a chance to get to them even if they were still carried onboard, though.
 
SacFly said:
Chutes were removed years ago for weight savings.
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A plane carrying 200,000lbs of fuel can't carry the extra weight of parachutes? More likely they don't bother with them because it would be about as impractical as bailing out of an airliner. I don't think you can install ejection seats in a KC135 without major changes to the hull and layout and you can't exactly open the door and jump out.
 
thevideographer said:
A plane carrying 200,000lbs of fuel can't carry the extra weight of parachutes? More likely they don't bother with them because it would be about as impractical as bailing out of an airliner. I don't think you can install ejection seats in a KC135 without major changes to the hull and layout and you can't exactly open the door and jump out.
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Probably not practical in most instances, but even the space shuttle had a bail out plan. I would think the biggest threat to a tanker (besides cabin fire) is the chance for a midair collision of some sorts. I know it's a different aircraft, but I think of the P-3 incident with the Chinese fighter years ago. It would have been reasonable for them to bail at the appropriate altitude had they decided to scuttle the ship instead of turn it over put it down on land.
 
thevideographer said:
A plane carrying 200,000lbs of fuel can't carry the extra weight of parachutes? More likely they don't bother with them because it would be about as impractical as bailing out of an airliner. I don't think you can install ejection seats in a KC135 without major changes to the hull and layout and you can't exactly open the door and jump out.
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Never underestimate the ability of the government to do dumb things for bad reasons. Removing chutes for weight/fuel savings is just such a case.
 
SacFly said:
Never underestimate the ability of the government to do dumb things for bad reasons. Removing chutes for weight/fuel savings is just such a case.
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Some bean counter flying a 5 year old version of Excel probably determined fuel cost savings over the life of the airframe across the entire fleet, and sold it up the chain of command in return for a pat on the back.
 
Actually if I remember the story right from training, we were told there had only been one successful bailout in the history of the 135. It was a boom operator, but the rest of the crew actually managed to land the aircraft safely. IOW, the chutes are there for nothing but a warm fuzzy. They're way in back so that if something were happening it wouldn't be very convenient to go back and get one.
 
Same story in the Herk. I've always said, if the airplane is stable enough that I can make my way to the back, strap on a chute, and get to a door, then I can probably find a way to land it instead.
 
Yeah, for those that think chutes should be in the -135, just how exactly would one bail out? It has one huge cargo door that I'd imagine would compromise the structure of the aircraft if opened, and a smaller boarding hatch below. Forgetting the fact that it is obviously pressurized in the cabin, what would be the safe way of bailing out forward of the wings/engines at 300+ knots? It would be like jumping out the forward entrance to any airliner in flight
 
The crew entry chute is the emergency egress exit. You pull the chinning bar and it slices open the hatch. You toss on your chute and your helmet then jump in the hell hole and pray. Theoretically the metal slicing open the hatch then acts as a mini barrier in the airflow to allow to one get down the chute and out the bottom of the plane.
 
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