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51st Maintenance Squadron Transient Alert Crash Recovery team members conduct an airbag lift operation Dec. 11, 2010, at Osan Air Base, South Korea. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Kasey Lynch)
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Crash recovery team demonstrates innovation through unique lift operation
Posted 12/29/2010
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by Staff Sgt. Eric Burks
51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
12/29/2010 - OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea (AFNS) -- Airmen from the 51st Maintenance Squadron's Transient Alert Crash Recovery team performed a unique operation in response to a real-world situation Dec. 11, which proved valuable training for the entire shop.
What started out earlier that week as a routine aircraft maintenance operation took an unexpected turn.
Staff Sgt. Brian Kay, of the 51st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, was performing a scheduled 200-hour drag brace wear check on the aircraft. When one of the three hydraulic jacks began to fail, Sergeant Kay's quick reaction and strict technical order compliance prevented the aircraft from coming off center and unseating itself from the jacks, which would have caused damage to the fuselage of the aircraft, said Chief Master Sgt. Brian Mullen, the 36th Aircraft Maintenance Unit superintendent.
Airmen from the Osan AB crash recovery team became involved.
"When a problem is identified, my first action is to find out what the problem is and what the environment is like," said Master Sgt. Michael Chavez, the 51st MXS Crash Recovery team chief. "This was a very unusual situation for our team.
"First of all, it was a serviceable aircraft, so we had to be very careful to avoid causing any damage -- usually our operations involve aircraft that are damaged, dirty or in other less-than-optimal condition," he said.
The crash recovery team responds to all emergency incidents for any aircraft that touches the Osan AB flightline.
"Second, we don't get that many opportunities for lift operations, either in real-world operations or as training exercises," Sergeant Chavez added. "Most of my team had never been involved in either, so it was a great opportunity for them to have this experience - not only for the lift itself, but to see how much teamwork is involved in successfully completing a job like this."
Typically, utilizing a crane to hoist and lift the aircraft would be the preferred method, Sergeant Chavez said. However, as this aircraft was inside a hanger, we had to use alternative crash recovery procedures.
After exploring several options, they was decided the best available technique was to lift the aircraft with large airbags, then swap out the bad jack for a good one, he said. However, there were still risks involved.
"When you have a 20,000 pound aircraft and have to put it on what amounts to pillows, you have to worry about aircraft stability," Sergeant Chavez said.
The plan was to inflate four high-volume, low-pressure airbags under each wing of the aircraft, lifting it three inches off the jack, then to replace the failed jack for a good one. The airbags would then slowly be deflated, and the aircraft would stabilize again on three jacks.
On the day of the lift, it required an 11-man team to accomplish the operation. Six members used mooring lines, ropes, and block and tackle to ensure minimal movement of the aircraft, three members ran air supply and manifold to control the eight airbags, and one member swapped out the jacks as Sergeant Chavez directed the team.
The event started around 9 a.m., the airbags were inflated around 10:30 a.m., and the operation was successfully completed by 1:30 p.m.
"It went a lot smoother than expected," Sergeant Chavez said. "I was really proud our team - they conducted themselves professionally and efficiently." |
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