Returning crews brave thunderstorms, land safely

  • Published
  • By Capt. Jennifer Lovett
  • 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
KIGALI, Rwanda (AFPN) --  It is the stuff movies are made from: A thunderstorm wall as high as 45,000 feet and two aircraft -- one with limited radar coverage -- 100 miles from their intended course.

After unloading 70 passengers and their cargo at El-Fashir airstrip in Darfur on Sept. 30 as part of the African Union Missions in Sudan, Maj. Mike Miller, the pilot, took off from the sunny airport with a crew of 10 as the lead in a two-ship formation bound for Kigali International Airport. More than 150 Airmen from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, set up operations as the 86th Air Expeditionary Group at the airport to move about 550 peacekeepers to help mitigate the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, said 1st Lt. Elizabeth Culbertson, an 86th AEG spokeswoman.

Two-and-a-half hours later, Capt. Bill Roelker, aircrew navigator, noticed a massive line of thunderclouds on his radar and alerted the pilot.

“The wall of storms was as long as 50 miles,” he said. “The screen was covered in black holes; I’ve never seen anything like it.”

With his radar screen functioning at only 25 percent, the main concern was being able to see around the clouds to safely avoid them.

“Thunderstorms build up in front of you, and as you evade them they build up behind you, so you have to get out of the way,” he said.

The only way to fly when there are thunderstorms around is through holes in the clouds, said Capt. Matt Lockwood, aircraft commander.

“The walls on these storms ranged from 18,000 feet to 45,000 feet and our radar wasn’t capable of letting us see what’s on the other side of them,” Captain Lockwood said.

The captain radioed the other C-130 to spot the storms and provide him vectors to relay to Captain Roelker and Major Miller, who were devising the best flying options for co-pilot, Capt. James Hudson, who was negotiating the storm.

“At the end of the flight, (the Global Positioning System) showed 50 different turns in what normally would have been a straight shot,” Captain Roelker said.

While the aircraft snaked its way through the jumble of dark holes, Master Sgt. John Smith, aircraft engineer, monitored aircraft performance and ensured ice from the moisture in the storm did not build on the aircraft.

“I’ve been flying with Major Miller since he was a lieutenant in the Pacific, and this was the most unnerving,” said Sergeant Smith, who has been in the Air Force 24 years. “Ice buildup causes deterioration of aircraft performance. The changes in aerodynamics could prove to be catastrophic. Several times, I had to de-ice the leading edges of the wings and the tail, which pulls heat from the engines and slows the aircraft.”

In the back of the aircraft, Staff Sgt. Sean McCormick, loadmaster, monitored mechanical performance and cared for passenger comfort.

“A couple of times it was pretty bumpy,” he said. “I scanned the aircraft systems in order to notify the flight deck if there were any mechanical problems, and I ensured everyone was seated with their seatbelts on so we could get through without injury.”

After more than five hours of dodging thunderclouds, they finally broke clear. But although the airport was in sight, a commercial DC-10 aircraft was not.

“We knew generally where he was but not exactly, since we were flying visual,” Captain Lockwood said.

They knew the DC-10’s location exactly when they pulled through the clouds and were nose to nose with him at slightly different altitudes, Sergeant Smith said.

To avoid collision, the crew implemented evasive techniques.

“We went down and left; it went straight over us to land first,” Captain Hudson said.

The Hercules landed one hour later than scheduled but in one piece.

“I’ve been flying for eight years and that was the worst I’ve ever seen,” Captain Lockwood said. “Nevertheless, we had a great crew and all’s well that ends well.” (Courtesy of United States Air Forces Europe News Service)