C-141 Tail Number: 67-0029

67-0029 is the first in line in this photo of a bunch of early A models.
Date Unknown
USAF Photo

"The Officer" Magazine - January 1982
I have no idea what this is all about!
Source: George Miller Collection

On the ramp at Norton, AFB, November 1982
Copyright © - Source: Frank Duarte, Jr.

RAF Fairford 1996 Airshow
Copyright © - Michael Baldock

Aircraft 67-0029 had a bad day in Iwakuni AB, Japan on January 12, 1987. After landing in blowing snow and high winds, it ran off the runway and the right wing was damaged serverely. It sat for quite a while until a replacement wing could be grafted on, and other repairs made. The wing was taken from another aircraft (65-0246) that was damaged at Travis AFB during a taxi accident. 65-0246 was later turned into a ground trainer at Travis.

The mission had started at Iwakuni AB Japan. The crew had departed for a mission to Kadena AB, Okinawa. Nearing Kadena, the winds are reported out of limits for landing. The crew decided to divert back to their alternate of Iwakuni. The weather at Iwakuni had deteriorated, reported weather included high crosswinds and heavy blowing snow. The pilot elected to use "Approach Flaps" for the landing due to the turbulence and crosswinds.

After touchdown the pilot forcefully held forward yoke pressure, to maintain control of the aircraft in the crosswinds. The thrust reversers and spoilers failed to deploy. The pilot attempted to use the brakes, with no effect. The forward yoke forces had lifted the main gear off the runway. The touchdown relay inhibited the thrust reversers and spoilers from deploying beyond the flight limit. The brakes also were useless until the main gear finally contacted the runway. Believing he had lost normal brakes, the pilot directed the copilot to select emergency brakes, disabling anti-skid protection.

When the main landing gear finally contacted the runway, the thrust reversers, spoilers and brakes all acted at once.

The pilot lost control of the aircraft on the snow slickened runway and the aircraft departed the runway. The landing gear collapsed, the right wing suffered severe damage and the #4 engine separated from the wing. The crew and passengers evacuated successfully.

Two years later, in 1989, the undamaged right wing from the aircraft damaged at Travis in October 1986, was removed and replaced the wing damaged in this accident. This aircraft was returned to flight status.

The above information was provided by Paul Hansen.

In December of 2004, I received the following email from Neal Rideout, who was on the plane the day the above described accident happened:

The report info above comes from came from the original MAC preliminary safety report several months after the accident. Because we didn't die and could provide a rebuttal, the official report didn't complete for almost five years. It's a sore spot with me that the information provided to the crews and public is always the incorrect version. There were more tests on equipment, analysis of data, and maintenance procedures that proved the aircraft malfunctioned on that landing.

This was the problem: 'Politics'. MAC would not admit the aircraft was problematic so they did what they always did: blamed the crew. As they say, the truth is out there. Lockheed and SPO reports, crew/maint testimony were omitted from their report. However, some evidence can be found openly. A look at C-141 TCTO history would reveal fixes to all airframes directly resulting from our mishap. Some examples to include: squat switch actuation point - Spoiler asymmetry cam shaft inspections / improper maintenance procedures.

Bottom line - the aircraft were experiencing problems, mostly one at a time, but there was a trend. We were the unlucky ones to experience all the problems at once.

It still pisses me off when I hear some safety guy tell me 'the crew lost situational awareness on final' when it's so far from the truth. Luckily, my superiors at the time knew the truth and were supportive.

Here is an example of the MAC mindset at the time. While the aircraft was burning I pulled 30 passengers out and over the ladder at the crew entrance door because it was laid out flat (making it a barrier) and covered with debris. I yanked so hard to get them over the approx four foot span that shoes, wallets, hats, and various personal belongings were scattered around the area. No one was seriously injured. When my commander put me in for a heroism award, the 22 ^nd AF commander stated that I was just doing my job, any less and I would be punished. You can be the judge of that statement.

Like I said, its still a sore spot with me even after all these years. I did the best job I could that day, and still I wouldn't do anything different. I did continue to fly 141 B's till Norton closed in 1993. Wound up at Edwards flying A's till they got rid of them. Currently I'm just one of a handful of Flight Engineers flying various models of 135's. We mostly provide a test platform and support other Flight Test Center assets.

Thanks for listening, any questions you have, feel free to contact me.

Neal Rideout, SMSgt 370 FLTS/DOOF Email: neal.rideout@edwards.af.mil