Canadian
Forces Base Moose Jaw is the home of the Canadian Snow Birds aerobatic team, and
all pilot training conducted by the Canadian Forces. Also headquartered at
Moose Jaw is NATO Flight Training in Canada (NFTC) program, flying both the
CT-156 Harvard II and the CT-155 Hawk jet.
The crew of two aboard
CT-155 #202 on May 14, 2004 was an
instructor pilot, Captain John “Jabba” Hutt of
the Canadian Forces, and a student pilot,
Flight Lieutenant Ed Morris of the Royal Air
Force. The pair had completed a low level navigation syllabus mission
for familiarizing the student with the NFTC Hawk variant , and
were utilizing their remaining time conducting proficiency flying in the
traffic pattern at 15 Wing Moose Jaw.
The instructor had just taken control
and as the aircraft approached the departure end of Runway 29R, a bird was
observed just left of the nose. The CT-155 and crew were
flying at about
230 knots (265 mph), and at 200 feet above ground level, when they sucked in the
bird.
Cockpit camera footage of
the Hawk' bird strike and crash - hosted by YouTube
The wreckage of Hawk #202
Both crewmembers heard a
“thump”, felt vibrations, and noted a change in engine pitch. This was followed
immediately by audio and caption engine warnings, and high engine temperature
indication (660 C). Their one and only engine flamed
out almost immediately. The plane's inertia was the only factor keeping
the $25 million dollar craft aloft.
Remember
Your Training...
The IP
immediately took control, and traded airspeed
for altitude, confirmed that engine temperatures remained high, reduced throttle
to idle and told the student to “prepare to abandon the aircraft”. The aircraft
reached a maximum altitude of approximately 3700 MSL (1700 AGL). When the
aircraft descended through 3000 MSL the IP transmitted his intention to eject to
Moose Jaw tower. After confirming the student was ready, the IP ordered and
initiated ejection.
Both occupants cleared the
aircraft and descended under parachutes but for less than 30 seconds prior to
landing. One crewmember, the instructor, suffered
severe damage to his spine and a broken leg in the sequence and the
other, the student, received minor injuries. The aircraft was completely
destroyed when it crashed about seven seconds later in a farmer’s field a mile
north of the
airbase.
The investigation focused on a
wide range of issues including the aspects of low and slow speed (below 300 KIAS)
engine failure in the CT155 and ejection criteria. Also, the investigation
examined engine performance after bird ingestion and aircrew life support
equipment.
The through investigation
revealed that a gull hit the plane's Angle of Attack probe, then entered the
left hand engine intake, to be ingested by the engine, causing serious damage.
This occurrence was the first
aircraft loss in Canada involving Miniature Detonation Cord (MDC), which was
used to shatter the canopy. Preventive measures aimed at reducing injuries from
MDC have been implemented. The automatically activated Personal Locator Beacon
of the CT155 Hawk did not function adequately.
Since this accident, an
improved version has been developed and installed on the aircraft with an
external antenna that will fall clear of the survival pack after its release,
ensuring adequate distress signal propagation.
