Page 2 - Aerotech News and Review, Jan. 5 2018

Briefs
Air Force releases findings of 2016 F-16CM mishap
Pacific Air Forces completed an Accident Inves- tigation Board following a December 2016 aircraft mishap involving an F-16CM Fighting Falcon at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea.
The board concluded that the primary cause of the mishap was the left main landing gear of the F-16CM striking debris on the inside Runway 09R (RWY 09R) after landing at Osan AB, causing the collapse of the left main landing gear. The AIB president also found that the poor condition of the runway and an increase in aircraft sorties contrib- uted to the mishap. The training and quick thinking of the pilot prevented the mishap from becoming a tragedy.
On Dec. 4, 2016, around 5:57 p.m. local time the aircraft pilot approached the runway and success- fully lowered the landing gear. The pilot landed on the left side of RWY 09R in accordance with normal procedures. A few seconds later, he felt a “bump” from under the aircraft and noticed the left wing of the aircraft was lower than the right. From the Osan AB control tower, the Supervisor of Fly- ing noticed a bright “flash” from the left side of the aircraft followed by sparks from under the left side of the aircraft. The pilot attempted to use a right roll command to keep the aircraft level but was unable to do so. He determined he was going to depart the prepared runway surface at an unsafe speed and elected to eject from the aircraft in accordance with flight manual procedures.
The F-16CM and pilot were assigned to the 51st Fighter Wing, Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea. Since 1990, their primary mission is to train and participate in a series of exercises to maintain com- bat readiness for the air defense of South Korea. Osan is a critical base positioned in a strategic po- sition on the Korean peninsula, which warrants a high operation tempo to be ready to respond at a moment’s notice.
The Accident Investigation Board, comprised of subject matter experts from aviation backgrounds, conducted a thorough review of all available evi- dence to determine the facts surrounding the mis- hap to discover the cause and any substantially contributing factors. There is a commitment to a thorough and accurate investigation to ensure that Pacific Air Forces is equipped with the knowledge and procedures to prevent an accident like this from happening again.
N.M. range records nearly 5,500 missions in 2017
A southern New Mexico missile testing range has logged nearly 5,500 missions this year.
Those missions include firing missiles and rock- ets, laser tests and training in F-16 fighter jets on 3,200 square miles of the White Sands Missile Range.
Test center commander Col. Eric Rannow says the missions allow the U.S. military to be prepared at all times with cutting-edge technology.
The U.S. Air Force sponsored almost 1,615 training missions this year, with 458 of those in- volving the fighter jets.
One of the biggest jobs at the missile range is en- suring that weapons work in the conditions where the military needs them. That means testing in nuclear environments and in varying temperatures.
The test center also has taken missions on the road, doing tests in Europe and the Pacific Ocean. AP
Airstrike in Somalia kills 13
The U.S. military says it has killed 13 members of the al-Shabab extremist group with a new air- strike in southern Somalia.
The statement from the U.S. Africa Command says the strike was carried out the morning of Dec. 24. A spokeswoman says it occurred about 31 miles northwest of Kismayo and that no civil- ians were killed.
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The United States has carried out 34 drone strikes in Somalia this year after the Trump admin- istration expanded military efforts against Africa’s deadliest Islamic extremist group.
Al-Shabab was blamed for the October truck bombing in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, that killed 512 people. Only a few attacks since 9/11 have left a higher death toll. AP
Wichita, Kansas, may be involved in supersonic jet development
Work on a supersonic business airplane could likely be headed to Wichita, Kansas’ aircraft sup- pliers.
Aerion Corp. Executive Chairman Brian Barents said this week that it’s probable some of the parts on the company’s $120 million AS2 supersonic business jet will be made by Wichita suppliers.
Barents says he fully expects Wichita’s aviation industry to play a role in the development of the 12-passenger jet.
The Wichita Eagle reports that the AS2 likely will be manufactured by Lockheed Martin Aero- nautics, which last week announced its agreement with Aerion to work together on a plan to engineer, certify and produce the jet. But Barents says there will be ample opportunity for Wichita suppliers to manufacture parts for the airplane.
The jet is expected to make its first flight in 2023. AP
Spaceport America looks to grow
Spaceport America in southern New Mexico had one of its busiest years with more than a dozen vertical launches, a pair of balloon flights pulled off by Boeing and flight tests of Virgin Galactic’s mother ship.
All the activity this year demonstrated the space- port’s potentially magnetic appeal for the commer- cial space industry, said officials that manage the futuristic facility.
As competition among spaceports is increasing nationally and internationally, the state may need to take more aggressive marketing actions in order to attract more business, the Albuquerque Journal reported Dec. 27.
Spaceport CEO Dan Hicks said the country has 10 other licensed spaceports with applications pending for nine more. The spaceports are com- peting in a market that spent some $339 billion in 2016.
“A tremendous amount of money is being in- vested,” Hicks said. “It’s the next big frontier.”
The space industry continues to change, so Spaceport America needs to stay ahead of that change, Hicks said.
“We have a great customer base and revenue stream now, but we have to grow that foundation,” Hicks said.
The New Mexico facility does have some ad- vantages over others. Spaceport America offers unlimited access from the ground to space because the facility is away from population centers and is located in restricted government airspace. With air traffic congestion becoming a problem in loca- tion across the globe, the restricted airspace may become a critical need as the space industry grows.
Spaceport America is located about 30 miles southeast of Truth or Consequences.
The state Spaceport Authority is looking to increase its state funding next year from about $375,000 to $1 million. Some state lawmakers have opposed the idea, pushing for the facility to become self-sustaining.
The spaceport expects to have more income next year without the state’s help as Virgin Galactic’s lease payments for its hangar will increase from $1.8 million to $3 million.
“We need to be out there recruiting companies to not get behind the competition,” Hicks said. AP
British navy escorts Russian warship
Britain’s Royal Navy has escorted one of Rus-
sia’s warships through the North Sea near U.K. wa- ters, officials said Dec. 26, amid increasing tensions between the two countries.
The HMS St. Albans with 190 sailors on board was used to escort the Russian Admiral Gorshkov frigate Dec. 25 through what British officials called “areas of national interest” on Christmas Day.
In addition, a Royal Navy helicopter was used to track other Russian vessels in the area.
The navy said there has been a recent surge in Russian vessels traveling near U.K. waters. Officials said that on Christmas Eve, a navy vessel was used to escort a Russian intelligence- gathering ship through the North Sea and English Channel.
Defense Secretary Gavin William said Britain wouldn’t tolerate aggression.
“Britain will never be intimidated when it comes to protecting our country, our people and our national interests,” he said Dec. 26.
There has also been an increase in recent years of Russian fighter planes testing NATO and Brit- ish air defenses, leading to jets being scrambled to keep Russian fighters away.
The incidents at sea follow a difficult visit to Moscow by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson just before Christmas. Johnson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov disagreed on a number of policy points, reflecting increasing tensions between Britain and Russia.
Johnson accused Russia of meddling in Brit- ain’s internal affairs but said there were still areas in which the two countries could work together.
British officials warned this month that Russian ships may cut undersea internet cables in a bid to disrupt communications and commerce. AP
Nevada man sentenced in sale of stolen Air Force ammunition
A Nevada man who sold smoke grenades and military-issued ammunition stolen from the U.S. Air Force has been sentenced to 18 months in prison and two years’ probation.
U.S. Attorney Steven Myhre says 38-year-old Temogen Tran Noguni of Henderson was sen- tenced Dec. 22 in Las Vegas after pleading guilty in August to one count of unauthorized sale of U.S. property.
Two co-defendants previously pleaded guilty to criminal charges in the case, including Jonathan Owens, a 27-year-old staff sergeant at Nellis Air Force Base.
Federal prosecutors say Noguni acknowledged he bought the items from Owens in 2015.
In addition to smoke grenades, the items in- cluded body armor vests, rifle scope, night vision binoculars and goggles. The ammunition included armor-piercing .50 caliber cartridges not available for public sale.
Myhre says Noguni was arrested after he listed the items for sale on the internet. AP
Spokane, Wash., to seek factory for new Boeing plane
Business leaders in Spokane, Wash., will make a pitch to attract the design, production and final assembly of Boeing’s new midsize airplane.
Greater Spokane Incorporated, the region’s chamber of commerce, along with Spokane Inter- national Airport say they are forming a task force to attract the project.
Boeing’s proposed new airplane is called the “NMA” and the company plans to announce the launch of the project in 2018.
Spokane business leaders said Dec. 22 they want Boeing to continue to manufacture airplanes in the Pacific Northwest. They touted the 240 aerospace manufacturers in the Inland Northwest, along with the region’s lack of congestion and affordable housing prices. AP
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January 5, 2018
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