Aircraft Investigation Each mishap has their own characteristics and there is
no substitute for good old-fashioned common sense and initiative. Each wrecked
aircraft has it’s own story to tell if properly investigated. However Air Force
guidelines are quick to point out that investigators in their eagerness seek out
the causes, often ignore safe investigation practices and common safety
precautions. Air Force Investigators are maybe in even more difficult position
due to the hazards that are unique to the military war fighting machines, I’ll
discuss a few of these hazards briefly before I get into the steps of Air Force
accident investigations.
Munitions Extreme care must be given to the munitions that may have been on
board the aircraft. Just because the ammunition appears to be damaged beyond
being dangerous the slightest amount of static electricity from clothing may
detonate munitions. Before starting an investigation of any kind, obtain the
list of munitions aboard and have the explosive ordinance disposal (EOD) team
remove or inert them.
Again eagerness must be controlled and situational awareness must be
exercised to be on the lookout for those munitions that may not have been
recovered. Also, though tedious, the locations of all munitions need to be
noted, as they will hold clues as well. The ejection seats can also present
extreme dangers to untrained and careless investigator.
Toxins Hydrazine. It’s a word that strikes fear in all that are familiar with
it. New generation aircraft such as the F-16 use hydrazine for emergency power
supplies. It looks like a clear oily substance that smells like ammonia. Some of
the effects hydrazine can have on the human body include: liver damage,
blindness, skin burns, and prolong exposure may be fatal. Only base
bioenvironmental engineers are qualified enough to properly handle it.
Materials Also somewhat unique but is gradually finding its way into the
commercial side of aviation is the use of high composite materials along with
exotic metals used in the effort to not only strengthen, but to lighten the
overall weight of the airframe. The composites used with most frequency today
are boron, graphite and Kevlar.
Each of these materials has their own characteristics and must be handled
with care. While in its finished form Kevlar is very stable, boron and graphite
must be handled with extreme care to avoid breathing in dust created when the
structures become damaged. Boron fibers can pierce through skin and stay
imbedded indefinitely and cannot be removed easily causing severe infections.
Funding Issues The host base funds all in-house support (except billeting)
even if the host base is not assigned to the convening authority’s MAJCOM.
In-house support includes administrative support and equipment, work areas,
reproduction, and graphics.
The MAJCOM or ANG command that possesses the mishap aircraft is responsible
for all costs associated with the crash site clean up and restoration. (USAF,
1998) Steps The following are a condensed version of the steps given to the
accident board president to help guide them through the process of getting
organized and to better use some the broad assets available to the military
accident board president, the steps comprise parts of both AFI 51-503 and AFP
127-1. 1. Get organized before running to the “smoking hole.” a. Find out what
was done at the crash site. b. Determine the support needed from the base that
owns the aircraft. They will be best informed of the nature of the airframe. 2.
Get to know your board members so you’ll have an idea of their capabilities and
how you can best use them.
