Airmen help Sailors get back in the air

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Lynsie Lorenz
  • 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan (AFNS) --  Airmen here assisted a Navy flight crew when they experienced in-flight complications and were forced to make an emergency landing at Yokota Air Base April 15.

The crew members of an SH-60 Seahawk helicopter from nearby Atsugi Naval Base were participating in a routine exercise when they began experiencing problems.

"The compressor of the engine stalled causing high engine temperatures, reducing power input," said quality assurance officer, Lt. Nick Ryan. "These high temperatures then caused damage to the delicate turbines of the engine."

The helicopter's pilot contacted Airmen in Yokota's air traffic control tower for assistance in getting the aircraft on the ground safely. Once on the ground, an airfield management team assisted the Sailors with the coordination of support.

The Seahawk is a twin-engine helicopter used for anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare and search and rescue.

Although the Air Force uses the similar UH-60 model helicopter, there are slight differences from the Navy's SH-60. The Navy version is set up for the boarding of a ship and has specialized landing gear.

"We had to perform the maintenance on the flight line because we could not get a tow bar compatible with the Navy version of the H-60," said Lieutenant Ryan. "Other support, including the crane, was perfectly suitable and much appreciated."

Despite the differences, Yokota's team of maintenance professionals were able to adapt and help overcome the difficulties while working on an aircraft they were not entirely familiar with. And more significantly, the Airmen at Yokota helped the Navy flight crew get airborne again in six hours.