Page 88 - Air Forces Monthly - September 2017

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Strong tailwind caused

F-35A engine fire

Above: The upper rear fuselage of F-35A 12-5052 following its engine fire on September 23, 2016, at Mountain Home AFB. USAF
A STRONG tailwind has been significant fire damage. The 20 seconds after initial visual up earlier. The fire’s ferocity
confirmed as the cause of report says that while total indications of the problem. and close proximity impaired
the engine fire that seriously costs resulting from this mishap The fire damaged the engine the pilot’s ability to follow the
damaged a US Air Force F-35A have still to be determined, exhaust nozzle, landing gear checklist. In the necessary haste
Lightning II during start-up at damage is estimated to surfaces and components in to exit the burning aircraft,
Mountain Home Air Force Base, be in excess of $17m. both the left and right main he failed to move the engine
Idaho, on September 23, 2016, The Accident Investigation undercarriage wheel wells. As switch to off, in accordance with
see Attrition, November 2016, Board (AIB) President found, by a both weapon bay doors were the egress checklist, before
p92. An Air Education and preponderance of the evidence, open, flames penetrated both leaving the cockpit. Had he
Training Command (AETC) Aircraft that the cause of the mishap bays. The outer surface of the done so at the first indication
Accident Investigation Report was the direct tailwind present aircraft on the aft two thirds of of fire, fuel would have been
into the incident was released on during engine start. Wind the airframe’s centre fuselage shut off from the engine almost
July 12. It identifies the aircraft sensors on the airfield indicate suffered varying degrees of immediately and the fire would
as 12-5052, assigned to the 61st that a wind speed of 30kts or damage. Some minor damage not have been so fierce. The
Fighter Squadron ‘Top Dogs’, greater was present during this was even noted on surfaces report accepts, however, that
from the 56th Fighter Wing at process. This forced hot air into forward of the cockpit. prioritising egress was necessary
Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. the inlet of the Integrated Power The report notes that neither due to the imminent danger.
The aircraft was temporarily Pack (IPP), which led to a series publications nor training were Procedural guidance,
deployed to Mountain Home of events resulting in insufficient adequate for the circumstances publications and checklist
along with six other F-35As from torque applied to the aircraft surrounding this incident. IPP error were thus determined
September 10-24 for training. engine during start, causing and engine start issues with a to be substantial contributing
At approximately 0852hrs rotation speed to slow. At the tailwind were known prior to this factors to the overall extent
the aircraft experienced an same time, fuel continued to incident, however, publications of damage. AETC stated that
uncontained engine fire during be supplied to the engine at an were written and communicated fixes and checklist revisions
start. The start-up was aborted increasing rate, which triggered in such a way that the F-35A have already been put into
and the pilot safely egressed an uncontained fire in the pilot community only had a place to prevent further
the still-burning aircraft, unit. This spread out from the vague awareness of the potential such incidents. This includes
suffering only minor burns to engine exhaust and was carried issue. Evidence shows that if implementing a maximum 20kt
his head. Maintenance crew along the outer surfaces of the the pilot had expected problems tailwind limit for engine start
members responded and aircraft by the tailwind, causing with the tailwind, he may have on the F-35 and adding more
extinguished the fire. The rear significant damage. The fire relied less on automation and robust engine start and pilot
portion of the aircraft sustained was extinguished approximately identified the abnormal start- emergency departure training.

88 // SEPTEMBER 2017 #354 www.airforcesmonthly.com