LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (ACCNS) –
A maintainer’s failure to control the nose landing gear pin streamer during removal from an F-22A allowed the pin to be ingested into the right engine Oct. 20, 2005 prior to a mission at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, according to an aircraft accident investigation report released today.
There were no injuries in the incident and damage to the right engine totaled approximately $6.7 million.
The aircraft is assigned to the 27th Fighter Squadron, 1st Fighter Wing, Langley AFB.
At the time of the incident, the pilot had started engines before a night surface attack tactics mission. The crew chief then realized the nose landing gear pin was still in and instructed the pilot to shut down the left engine so he could remove the pin. During removal, the crew chief failed to control the pin’s streamer allowing it to be caught in the suction intake of the operating right engine and torn from his hand.
Investigators concluded failure to remove the pin prior to engine start was a direct result of inadequate and incorrect technical order guidance that led to the pin remaining installed during engine start.
For more information, contact the Air Combat Command Public Affairs office at (757)
764-5007 or e-mail acc.pam@langley.af.mil.