DC-10 vs. Navajo

[Boris Badenov]

Shamelessly stolen from an old ARFF dog on another board I frequent.

Dec. 23, 1983, Anchorage International Airport. *Typical foggy December day. A Korean Airline DC-10 hauling cargo with a crew of 3 was cleared to taxi to runway 32 (north) and subsequently cleared for takeoff on runway 32. *When the KAL was cleared for takeoff a Southcentral Air Piper PA-31 Navajo with pilot and 8 passengers was "position and hold" on runway 6L (east). *Unknown to everyone the KAL had gotten confused/lost in the fog and instead of being on runway 32 they were facing west on the remaining 3000' of runway 24R. *The DC-10 began it's takeoff roll and when the Captain saw the Navajo sitting on the runway he attempted to takeoff, the aircraft rotated lifting the nose wheel just enough that it just barely clipped the upper fuselage of the Navajo moving it just enough that the center and right main gear legs passed down either side of the Navajo tearing both wings off. *There were only minor injuries to the occupants of the Navajo, IIRC the most serious being a head laceration to one of the passengers.

The DC-10 was unable to liftoff and continued off the end of the runway and went for Mr Toads wild ride along the approach light system for 6L coming to a rest a couple thousand feet later. *The crew all suffered back injuries but were able to self evacuate, the aircraft and cargo were destroyed by the post crash fire.

Our intrepid scribe was apparently in the cab of the truck in the fifth picture, and took some of the others from a helo flying around with the doors off in -5 degrees the next day. Now that's the Tuff Stuff!

Figured this would be a little catnip for our ARFF nerds. @MikeD !

(posted with permission, all rights no doubt reserved by the original photographer, etc etc etc.)

 

[MikeD]

Sometimes, it's your day to live. That Navajo was about as lucky as a plane could get...positioned just perfect to where the damage would go around the fuselage. Other incidents off the top of my head similar to this one: Eastern 727 vs King Air at ATL; NWA 727 vs NWA DC-9 at Detroit, and a few others; didn't end as well for the people involved.

Some old school fire rigs there!

 

[Boris Badenov]

I thought the antenna wrapped around the tail was a nice touch. Oh, Korean pilots, what ARE we going to do with you?

As an aside, re: old ARFF gear...what makes something like that obsolete? Is it that newer rigs are significantly more capable, or is it more like the old ones just start breaking enough that the cost of maintenance demands new equipment?

 

[MikeD]

I thought the antenna wrapped around the tail was a nice touch. Oh, Korean pilots, what ARE we going to do with you?

As an aside, re: old ARFF gear...what makes something like that obsolete? Is it that newer rigs are significantly more capable, or is it more like the old ones just start breaking enough that the cost of maintenance demands new equipment?

Mainly advances in technology. ARFF trucks generally don't get much mileage on them, at all; so their wear and tear isn't much, but there's still the cost of upkeep. But things like better, more efficient delivery systems, automation incorporation making firefighting easier, items that make life easier for the driver; things like that. That last truck pictured is the largest ARFF apparatus made, a P-15. One bad mofo.

 

[Itchy]

Did the KAL crew live through that?

 

[Boris Badenov]

Yeah, I was sort of impressed on first viewing with how "modern" #2 there in the last picture looked. I mean I realize that 1983 isn't exactly the dark ages, but I guess in my mind (esp. in Alaska) they were all still running around on ladder trucks with louvered hoods or something!

 

[Boris Badenov]

Did the KAL crew live through that?

According to the guy who took the pictures, they banged up their backs, but got out under their own power.

PS. He also said that the little dimple in the top of the Navajo's windshield was caused by the DC-10's nosegear. You can't cut it any closer than that!

 

[crazyjaydawg]

I bet that if they had RNP approaches that this never would've happened.

 

[MikeD]

Yeah, I was sort of impressed on first viewing with how "modern" #2 there in the last picture looked. I mean I realize that 1983 isn't exactly the dark ages, but I guess in my mind (esp. in Alaska) they were all still running around on ladder trucks with louvered hoods or something!

To give some perspective on the P-15. Your typical large ARFF truck, say an Oshkosh T-3000 has 3000 gallons of water and 400 gallons of foam onboard. The P-15 has 6100 gallons of water and 515 gallons of foam, and weighs in loaded at 130,900 lbs. It can fight aircraft fires, and can even do structural fires well, as it's its own fire hydrant too practically.

 

[TallFlyer]

When I was at PenAir the pilot of the Navajo was a Saab Captain there. Blanking on his name but a really nice guy.

I think there's a China Airlines crew that did the same thing recently (depart on 24R in lieu of 32) sans Navajo and managed to get it off the ground. Further research is required......

 

[WestIndian425]

@MikeD Who makes the P-15, and are there comparable trucks like that (in terms of size/capacity) today?

 

[ajdwings]

When I was at PenAir the pilot of the Navajo was a Saab Captain there. Blanking on his name but a really nice guy.

I think there's a China Airlines crew that did the same thing recently (depart on 24R in lieu of 32) sans Navajo and managed to get it off the ground. Further research is required......

I think he still works for us. They told us in ground school, to this day he still refuses every line up and wait clearance. We reviewed that accident during our 3 hour discussion on how to "deal" with Korean Air in ANC

 

[ArcherII]

Navajo won.

 

[Skåning]

When I was at PenAir the pilot of the Navajo was a Saab Captain there. Blanking on his name but a really nice guy.

I think there's a China Airlines crew that did the same thing recently (depart on 24R in lieu of 32) sans Navajo and managed to get it off the ground. Further research is required......

On January 25, 2002, at 0243 Alaska standard time, an Airbus Industrie A-340-300 airplane, Taiwanese registration B-18805, was cleared for takeoff on runway 32 from the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, Anchorage, Alaska. The airplane, call sign Dynasty 011, subsequently departed from a taxiway. The airplane was being operated as an instrument flight rules (IFR) scheduled international passenger flight under Title 14, CFR Part 129, when the incident occurred. The airplane was operated as Flight 011, by China Airlines, Taiwan. The 3 cockpit crew members, 12 cabin crew members, and 237 passengers, were not injured. The airplane was not damaged. Dark night visual meteorological conditions prevailed. An IFR flight plan was filed from Anchorage to the Chiang Kai-Shek International Airport, Taipei, Taiwan

http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief2.aspx?ev_id=20020204X00182&ntsbno=ANC02IA011&akey=1

 

[TallFlyer]

http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief2.aspx?ev_id=20020204X00182&ntsbno=ANC02IA011&akey=1

That's the one. I guess they rolled on Kilo and not 24R. Love the part where they said they found tire impressions in the top of a snow berm at the end of the taxiway. Snow berms in ANC are not small.

 

[z987k]

That's the one. I guess they rolled on Kilo and not 24R. Love the part where they said they found tire impressions in the top of a snow berm at the end of the taxiway. Snow berms in ANC are not small.

No, they felt that.
On another note... it's 7/25 and 15/33 now, and has been for a couple years.

I thought the antenna wrapped around the tail was a nice touch. Oh, Korean pilots, what ARE we going to do with you?

Two things I've seen at ANC is a 747 line up on Romeo instead of 33. Tower caught that.
About a month ago I was holding short of 7R at E, a 747 was landing and told to exit at G, they accepted and we were cleared to cross in front of them. They looked to be going pretty fast even for a high speed, so I elected to watch them turn off on G before crossing, which they never did. Tower then told them to hold short of E, they accepted, as we were cleared to cross, and tower asked us to cross, which at that point I declined as I watched that 747 roll through E on get off on D. They were basically going wherever they wanted. I'll let you guess the airline.
Also having flown with Koreans, I knew "roger" meant I'm acknowledging you said something, but haven't a clue what is was. That's all roger means in Korean.

 

[Boris Badenov]

Also having flown with Koreans, I knew "roger" meant I'm acknowledging you said something, but haven't a clue what is was. That's all roger means in Korean.

Roger, roger!

 

[Deleted member 27505]

Shamelessly stolen from an old ARFF dog on another board I frequent.

Our intrepid scribe was apparently in the cab of the truck in the fifth picture, and took some of the others from a helo flying around with the doors off in -5 degrees the next day. Now that's the Tuff Stuff!

Figured this would be a little catnip for our ARFF nerds. @MikeD !

(posted with permission, all rights no doubt reserved by the original photographer, etc etc etc.)

I thought the bird had been eviscerated with its small intestines oozing from the tail (pic6) until pic 8 explicated more fully.
Is it just me, or is there's always something so eerily harrowing about winter fires?

 

[mshunter]

They might be able to salvage the doors off the the Piper. Other than that....

 

[Deleted member 27505]

According to the guy who took the pictures, they banged up their backs, but got out under their own power.

PS. He also said that the little dimple in the top of the Navajo's windshield was caused by the DC-10's nosegear. You can't cut it any closer than that!

"Thank you, Ground Effect!", exclaimed Navajo pilot.