C-5 Crash Animation

[Darrell111]

If you remember a little while back that C5 Galaxy that crashed short of the runway. 

Well http://www.pilotsofamerica.com/forum/showpost.php?p=100823&postcount=8 here is a link to the Animation with the cockpit recorder overlay.  They cut the voice off as soon as it crashed.  BTW no one died just hurt badly. 

[fugufish]

I saw the official investigation findings. Pilot error. The pilots shut down one engine due to indicated thrust reverser problems but they retarded the wrong throttle so essentially they were trying to land using 2 engines and hit short of the runway. It was a miracle that no one was killed.

Watching the video, you can see that after bringing all 4 engines to idle, they advanced #1,2 and 4. #2 was the dead engine. You could see by the N1 (high pressure fan rpm) gauges that they only had 2 engines and slowly lost altitude and airspeed.

[Darrell111]

I saw the official investigation findings. Pilot error. The pilots shut down one engine due to indicated thrust reverser problems but they retarded the wrong throttle so essentially they were trying to land using 2 engines and hit short of the runway. It was a miracle that no one was killed.

Watching the video, you can see that after bringing all 4 engines to idle, they advanced #1,2 and 4. #2 was the dead engine. You could see by the N1 (high pressure fan rpm) gauges that they only had 2 engines and slowly lost altitude and airspeed.

EXACTLY! I am surprised that no one picked that up.  I mean, if you have one engine you notice it gone, two, you still notice and Three i imagine you would notice.  ha .. For them let that slip that only one of the 4 engines were out and to retard one of the working engines BIG mistake.  Im pretty sure they lost some rank on this one. 

[poki]

interesting video but kind of painfull to watch.  notice at about the 2 min mark someone starts throttling up on the #3 engine till it reaches almost 40% power then drops it back down to idle.  who normally cycles the engines in landing a C-5, pilot or co-pilot?  what was the purpose of the throttle swap?  this is where the mistakes began.  the N1 gauges refers to the compressor fan rpm or turbine?  is there a flight engineer position in a C-5 cockpit?  sorry so many questions but i'm interested in these things and really wanted to be an NTSB crash investigator in my younger days. 

[Darrell111]

interesting video but kind of painfull to watch.  notice at about the 2 min mark someone starts throttling up on the #3 engine till it reaches almost 40% power then drops it back down to idle.  who normally cycles the engines in landing a C-5, pilot or co-pilot?  what was the purpose of the throttle swap?  this is where the mistakes began.  the N1 gauges refers to the compressor fan rpm or turbine?  is there a flight engineer position in a C-5 cockpit?  sorry so many questions but i'm interested in these things and really wanted to be an NTSB crash investigator in my younger days. 

Typically the Captain (left seat) fly's the plane which would include throttles while the FO is setting up navaids, setting flaps, basically doing what the Captain is asking.  There are actually 4 positions in the C5.  Captain, Copilot, Flight engineer and i have no idea what the 4th does but he's there.  The cause of the crash was pilot error which WAS related to the throttle swap.  That is where they made the mistake.  I couldnt tell you who was operating the throttle or even flying the plane.  Sounds like the FO was but i cant tell.  Im sure there is an official report out there.  But what it all boils down to is when they confused the working engine for the dead one they were flying with 2 engines, full flaps, a heavy load and what ultimately caused the crash was they stalled the plane.  There is something called a power curve that is used in flying.  Typically you NEVER operate (behind the curve) when flying unless your in a aerobatic plane and do it on purpose.  Basically Power is for altitude and pitch for airspeed.  However the C5 in this case based on 90% flaps (HIGH DRAG!!) Low airspeed the airplane was flying in the Power for airspeed and pitch for altitude area of the curve. So in short, they didnt have the amount of power necessary to maintain airspeed.  Case closed.  They screwed up BIG TIME. That puppy could have easily flown on 3 engines.