They were burned and busted up pretty badly. My brother knew the senior load. I guess he went on and made chief and did some special duty stuff of significant importance.
Absolutely! I have been flying as a military manager in Calif. with the national Guard for the last 10 years (every summer). I fly on blackhawks and chinooks and am well versed on the dangers of aerial firefighting. I have experienced "pucker factor" too many times. The number 1 thing I tell my crews. "we don't put out the fire, the boots on the ground do and nothing down there is worth dying for". I have had to divert to drop water on crews getting over run. Only then will I stick my neck out that far. The #1 thing I have learned is that if something doesn't feel right, say it because 99% of the time, someone else is feeling it. So communicate! Trees and brush aren't worth it. It's sad.
@@33moneyball I'm sorry, I didn't mean that at all. My point is Firefighting is very dynamic and this video describes it. My point about communication isn't about casting blame in this accident, it's about sharing experience to hopefully put one more slide in someones "slide tray". I fill out a safecoms anytime something weird happens. so others can learn. Things happen fast. I'm sure they saw Bravo nearly hit the ground, they dumped their retardant and still were not able to recover.
@@33moneyball if he had the time to report that he was going around, he could have briefly stated that it was due to a microburst and for the other crew to be aware of the danger.
@@33moneyball But they didn't do it at all.. Just a go around call witch could be made for many different reasons.. They could've saved lives if they displayed some urgency.. but instead lives were lost
Smaller Plane should had informed the larger plane about the presence of microburst in the area to warn them of the imminent danger from which the smaller Plane itself barely survives.
Napoleon Bonaparte • This made me angry that they blamed the AF crew for not being aware of conditions. At the beginning it said that was the purpose of the smaller planes: to keep the Hercky Bird informed of conditions. The FS guys were the ones who failed in their jobs. They should have been blamed if anyone was. Why is the AF (and I do love the AF and my airman) always so eager to blame crashes on "pilot error?" We live just a few miles from what WAS Pope AFB, now given to the Army as Pope Field. C130's take off and land all the time. We always stop and watch them. Jet noise: the sound of freedom! Even the big boys like C130's and C5's are so graceful in the air despite their size. Sometimes they look like they are just suspended in the sky. Big beautiful birds. We lived at Mt Home: F-16 C's, and F15-Es before F22's. We were also at Tyndall AFB: F22's now too. I loved Harriers at airshows. I guess they aren't in use anymore either. We are an aircraft loving family, so our daughter married an Army Captain😫
LtCol Mikeal was SOF on one of my deployments to Bagram. He was kind of a quiet professional. Very cordial. I’m sure I had had some contact with everybody on that plane except the Nav. After doing joint training missions with this unit for a decade, this mishap hit my unit pretty hard too. Is old guys still feel the sting, just not as much as the crews family. Rest easy, Airmen.
Being a lead avionics engineer on the C-130J - and subsequently from next week in charge of a whole engineering shift, the amount of C-130 videos recently has been a sobering experience. Rest in peace to all those who suffered in this tragedy and my thoughts to their colleagues and families.
I know that's when I first subscribed to the channel, something as simple as the quietly played background music played makes the story come to life!! That music was my favorite by far.
I was at the gas station this morning and they were almost completely out of beer and the Lay's potato chip rack was nearly empty. Crazy. I figured that since we were telling pointless fucking stories 🤷
I was a weekend warrior maintenance crew chief assigned to this aircraft 1996-2001 at Charlotte. I retired after 2001 and was so sad that this happened. My heart still goes out to the families left behind of my fellow airmen that were killed in this accident.
Rough day for firefighters as well. First finding the aircrafts location, putting out the fire, making access to survivors and getting to the hospital. Very sad but also glad their were survivors.
Wasn't difficult at all. A forestry helicopter watched it and immediately landed to help the two survivors. They were awarded The Order of the Long Leaf Pine by the state of North Carolina.
In 1972 I was hired for a summer job with the US Forest Service on the Ochoco National Forest out of Prineville, Oregon. We were having fire fighting training when a forest fire broke out east of Prineville. While fighting the fire they sent in a spotter plane and then the fire retardant plane. We all hit the deck as the plane dropped it’s load. Some of the firefighters were coated with a little of the retardant as it drift through the air. None got on me. That was the first forest fire I was on.
Served with this crew, tragic loss of great Airmen. Four funerals that summer took its tole on the unit as they cared for the families and figured out what happened. The two survivors were a thankful miracle! But the 145th continued the MAFFS mission then converted from C-130s to C-17s. Never forgotten; God's speed.
I remember LtCol Mikeal when he was one of the SOFs at Bagram. Nice guy and very professional. Deployed east and west with Charlotte. Great aviators. Knew their stuff and freely imparted wisdom to the less experienced.
Dave K • Our condolences to you as well. Losing four friends with whom you flew must have been devastating. RIP to.the 4. I hope the 2 load masters made complete recoveries.
The ghost of Cab Calloway has always haunted that airfield. When you're there alone you can swear you can hear Minnie the Moocher being sung off in the distance.
It's easy to be critical of both crew's actions, but the conditions were horrific, with the fires creating their own weather events. Very sad, these men gave their all that day fighting fires. Another excellent presentation by FC. 👍
I suspect the lead plane pilots were in SHOCK after avoiding their close call crash by only 10 feet. If they had more time they might have snapped out of their shock and remembered to advise the other pilots of the dangerous conditions they barely escaped.
I agree. Pilot training teaches cabin crew to evacuate passengers despite they, the cabin crew, being in shock. Pilots are held to this standard as well. These pilots failed to meet that standard and indirectly caused the C-130 to crash because they didn't warn the crew of the C-130 of the potentially fatal weather conditions they'd just flown through.
@@johannesbols57 The lead pilots put EVERYTHING into pulling out of their death dive. They were PHYSIOLOGICALLY DEPLETED and could only perform rote tasks (their training) until they recovered. Humans, animals (and machines) have tolerance limits. They were TEN FEET and a SPLIT SECOND from MEETING THEIR MAKER! Try to imagine THAT!
@@jessicasnaplesfl7474 Agreed, almost dying tends to rattle even a pro. It's really sad they didn't communicate with the C-130, it's a shortcoming that I imagine will haunt them always.
So sad, but honestly I think that fatigue also played a huge part in this accident. There was a lot of extra workload placed onto these pilots with all the mid-air redirections, having to land, refuel and loiter, that was a massive extra workload placed on the crew in already extremely challenging conditions. And to have to deal with what became really perilous conditions at the end of a long difficult day probably just bit them. I hope that lessons were learnt from this, and there is better planning involved when it comes to aerial fire-fighting..in that crews, however highly trained, are also human. What a very sad loss of some true heroes.
All those things are just a day in the life of an air tanker crew. They were a young crew, and the fatigue is no greater than piloting an airliner - they stress and concentration is far greater, but tanker pilots eat that stuff up. No, this was just a case of atmospheric instabilities combined with physics. One thing that may have affected the lead planes is an unfamiliarity of flying conditions in that part of the country. Failing to warn following planes is a big one - for the life of me I can't imagine why both planes failed to warn them. No doubt those crews are wracked with guilt!
@@barbaraguy3491 You win for the most ignorant comment. C-130 crews fly as long or longer periods during combat missions to include mid-air redirections, landing, refueling and loitering. Not sure where you come up with "done more than enough" part. It is part of the job.
With the massive increase in forest fires in our area over the last sixty years due to climate change, we have had the opportunity to witness these heros in action several times, once being totally surrounded by fires ourselves, and the planes picking up water from the neighbours dam. it was sobering and sad to read of a helicopter crash subsequently, with the loss of one of those pilots three years later. Extremely experienced too. Condolences all round.
So it appears, what would appear to be a rather safe procedure of dumping fire retardant is not safe at all and actually extremely risky if you encounter bad weather conditions.......Lesson, take nothing for granted for these people as no matter how easy it looks, there is a LOT of risk involved.....RIP......
Typical of the USAF to worry more about money rather than the real cause of the crash. They are also quick to blame it on pilot error. I know, I served in the USAF 40+ years ago and it seems that nothing has changed.
It’s not that they’re worried about the money and the “pilot error” thing isn’t personal, but when these types of incidents occur they have to take a strictly objective and impersonal approach to take away a lesson learned to roll into future operations. Incident reports don’t say those things to disrespect the dead or diminish their sacrifice, it’s so others can learn. Imagine a plane being shot down in combat, the entire sortie is going to be picked apart after the fact and a part of the after action report is going to detail the list of errors the pilot made. It’s the process we use to get better.
sad but true. That's the way it seems to always go in aviation in general -- they never want to get to the root cause of whatever caused the crash as that might indicate a fault with the design and thus with the superiors involved with that, or in the case of the military with the superior officers and their lack of leadership in the first place, so they always steer it toward the inevitable subordinates, who in this case happen to be dead pilots, and blame it all on them. It sickens me every time I see it, but it does not surprise me. This is how wicked the human heart is, and this is but just one way of showing that, unfortunately.
False. I'm also retired USAF, in a 21X aircraft maintenance career field and I can honestly say every crash that results in deaths is treated with reverence and respect, regardless of the circumstances. Financials related to the weapon system's destruction was never discussed. But there will always be bean counters and it's easy enough to turn up these kinds of dollar assessments if that's what one's motivated to do. Personally I thought it had no relevance in this otherwise excellent video, and should have been left out. First time I've seen it in a TFC video, though.
@@andrewphillips6563 the financials are probably in the official accident report, but otherwise it's not something that would be mentioned. It is weird that it was in the video.
@@michaelw6277 yeah, I found it odd that it was included in the first place. He has never done that before, and I think it didn't fit in this video because no matter how you say it, it just comes off wrong to mention the cost in material things and monies, when the real cost is the families left behind after losing their loved ones. But I understand why, because the military is always looking at things in an objective, after-action-report kind of way to prevent things like this from happening in the future.
Your videos and explanations of the events are top notch! Thank you for sharing the stories of the accidents. I'm sure this is very hard work but its appreciated.
Other then pilots and fire fighters assigned to aviation units, people do not understand the hazards of aerial fire fighting. Some ex military pilots say that aerial fire fighting can be more demanding and stressful then actual combat flying. This story is a prime example. Yet, some people feel that if arial assets are not over a fire, fire fighters are not doing all they can to control the fire. With the effects of climate change, the demand on arial assets and crews almost gets to the breaking point. Change and innovation is sorely needed to prevent accidents like this. RIP to the crew of MAFFS 7.
I always thought turbulence was horrible until we experienced an air pocket. I can’t imagine a microburst having so much power to bring down a plane. Sad to lose such good men. Had no idea this was so meticulously planned with a lead plane
It was an anvil stormcloud that was over 50,000 feet. It broke and fell asleep they entered into their approach. Five seconds in either side of it and they came back home.
What a tragic story. I never heard or knew that a microburst (a kind of turbulence??) could be so fatal. Was the microburst caused by the fire??? I guess part of the risk is that these aircraft have to fly close to the ground to be effective and they do not have much time to recover. These young men were only trying to help their communities!
Watching many videos on this channel makes you realize, being a highly skilled aviator, who knows his/her aircraft is one thing. Operating a machine with thousands of parts is another thing. Then there is the uncertainty of the weather conditions. Everything must happen Near perfectly.
Thank you for another wonderful video. The work, effort and time you put into these are not lost on me. I truly appreciate the hours you put into a video well under half an hour. THANK YOU AND KEEP UP THE FANTASTIC WORK.👏 UA-cam is a better place because of you. Also, deepest sympathies to the families of those who perished. Terrible accident. ❤️
Really. It seems to me (just an AF wife) that the Lead Plane and Attack Plane pilots failed in their job of keeping the C130 pilots aware of flying conditions. Their plane almost crashed in a microburst; but it never said that they advised the C130 of that; the only way the C130 pilots would have suspected anything wrong is the airspeed problem and flap adjustments. Could microbursts have caused reduced airspeed? Did the C130 stall on the go around? Just tragic. God bless the brave airmen who died and their families.
The lead plane pilots should have charges brought against them, for not properly identifying and notifying the other aircraft of the dangerous conditions. Shame on them!
Other early model 130s have sustained wing separation while recovering from a dump drop. As a result it looks as if precautions are taken to avoid structural failure but the appears not to be the case in this accident, but obviously the crew was very experienced and seemed to follow reasonable precautions, but this is a risky business.
I believe one of the tasks of the lead plane is evaluate the proposed path regarding safety… he encountered a heavy sink and didn’t inform that to the c130. I believe that was a critical information that could have avoided this tragedy.
A random microburst in clear skies? The video spends a great deal of time detailing the aircrew's movements this day but next to nothing on the weather conditions that led to this. Microbursts are generally associated with a thunderstorm and a sudden downdraft of cold air plummeting to the ground. Also, total fail on the lead aircraft for not giving immediate warning to abort the mission.
Maybe the forest fire was a contributor to the microburst. I assume of lots of hot air rises at the fire, therefore the air away from the fire can be considered relatively cold and may be sweeping downwards. Maybe I should look up the effects of forest fires on air turbulence.
I knew it wasn't a mechanical issue. The mighty C-130 is extremely reliable. I don't understand why the KingAir crew didn't really adamantly inform the C-130 about the sinker.
There are various wind anomalies caused by fires that have to be considered at all times. These brave men suffered loss and life, protecting citizens of planet earth 🌎. I pray that the ones they left behind know they will not lose their reward. 😥🙏💝
Agree. We get fires annually here in CA and erratic wind and weather patterns is something I’ve since learned about from all the fire coverage. It’s an extremely dangerous job flying these airdrops, as things can change in an instant.
The lead plane royally screwed over the C-130, but the pilots on the C-130 should have realized from the first pass that there were high head winds and the potential for dangerous micro bursts. The lead plane should have told them that as soon as he recovered from his almost fatal micro burst experience.
I got time on that tail number flying with the Charlotte unit. I'm going to have to read the accident report again. I think I have access to it. Something seems missing here.
Modern marvel we can even get people up in the air much less fight fire from it. Seen these do drops first hand (maybe DC 10’s), and it’s quite an amazing sight
Idk why, but I find these videos very interesting. I haven't been on a plane since I was an infant, so I have no recollection. I have an appreciation for pilots and flight crew whenever I see a plane in the sky now.
Another instance of how easily one of these big planes can hit the ground within just a few seconds. And two survived??!!! The more I watch these videos the more I am glad I don't fly!!!
Heroes? Why? "Virtue Signaling by posting RIP all over the internet while doing actually nothing to better the world. Social media narcissism at its finest." ua-cam.com/video/PTmCxbcRXs4/v-deo.html
Most fires we don't want to put out; forest fires are a necessary part of natural forest regeneration. It's when manmade issues cause a fire to grow beyond what's safe.
Ah, the old "we landed on the moon so we should be able to do X" argument. As if going to the moon is the hardest thing there could possibly be. Well, there are a zillion variables in fire fighting and the energy content of the fire is staggering. I would also like to point out that we CAN, and DO, put out forest fires all the time. In fact we put out all the fires shown in this video. Like going to the moon, it is risky, dangerous, and takes longer than the attention span of the average TV viewer.
Loadmasters are absolutely part of the f-ing crew. Not just "On-Board"! My unit deployed with those guys. I had just finished tech school not too long before that happened.
An iritatinng fact to me is how the Air Force calls out the pilots and crew, and seems to care more about the cost $$$. I was in the Military, USN, and I always disliked the part where we just considered "expendable assets".
@@t.r.4496 I have been following his channel since 2016 and I have seen plenty of commercial air crashes by him but I wanted a few more to be included in season 6.
High winds in a mountain terrain is a dangerous proposition even w/o the extra weight and low altitude in which these aircraft operate. Always a sad event when a pilot and crew go down.
Its hard to believe that anyone survived!! Just a terrible loss. My complements here regarding your presentation. May I ask the name of the music used near the end of your video. Very touching. Thanks
It's absolutely amazing that the loadmasters even survived!
Agreed. Amazing anybody survived that.
They were burned and busted up pretty badly. My brother knew the senior load. I guess he went on and made chief and did some special duty stuff of significant importance.
Yep. Seeing that wreck i am wondering the same thing. How?
I know. Wow that must have been a rough ride!
RIP to those lost and God bless their loved ones and the 2 survivors.
@@holdernewtshesrearin5471 I wonder if they were even strapped in / prob bounced around like pinballs
If the leading plane almost crashed because of a microburst, it was their duty to advise the pilots from the other plane about it.
Yeah after safely recovering their plane...they were less than a second from crashing. You’re acting like they had hours to assess and report.
Absolutely! I have been flying as a military manager in Calif. with the national Guard for the last 10 years (every summer). I fly on blackhawks and chinooks and am well versed on the dangers of aerial firefighting. I have experienced "pucker factor" too many times. The number 1 thing I tell my crews. "we don't put out the fire, the boots on the ground do and nothing down there is worth dying for". I have had to divert to drop water on crews getting over run. Only then will I stick my neck out that far. The #1 thing I have learned is that if something doesn't feel right, say it because 99% of the time, someone else is feeling it. So communicate! Trees and brush aren't worth it. It's sad.
@@33moneyball I'm sorry, I didn't mean that at all. My point is Firefighting is very dynamic and this video describes it. My point about communication isn't about casting blame in this accident, it's about sharing experience to hopefully put one more slide in someones "slide tray". I fill out a safecoms anytime something weird happens. so others can learn. Things happen fast. I'm sure they saw Bravo nearly hit the ground, they dumped their retardant and still were not able to recover.
@@33moneyball if he had the time to report that he was going around, he could have briefly stated that it was due to a microburst and for the other crew to be aware of the danger.
@@33moneyball But they didn't do it at all.. Just a go around call witch could be made for many different reasons..
They could've saved lives if they displayed some urgency.. but instead lives were lost
This really explains why we really need to get critical information from others
Yes
Smaller Plane should had informed the larger plane about the presence of microburst in the area to warn them of the imminent danger from which the smaller Plane itself barely survives.
yeah really. if they got 10ft from the ground that had to be a shocking experience, you would think they'd say something to the other guys
The C-130 crew had a visual of the entire thing, they had to make that call too.
@@magellanmax Not really. The smoke probably blocked just how bad the lead plane sank.
Hey i’m you, and you are me.
Napoleon Bonaparte • This made me angry that they blamed the AF crew for not being aware of conditions. At the beginning it said that was the purpose of the smaller planes: to keep the Hercky Bird informed of conditions. The FS guys were the ones who failed in their jobs. They should have been blamed if anyone was. Why is the AF (and I do love the AF and my airman) always so eager to blame crashes on "pilot error?"
We live just a few miles from what WAS Pope AFB, now given to the Army as Pope Field. C130's take off and land all the time. We always stop and watch them.
Jet noise: the sound of freedom!
Even the big boys like C130's and C5's are so graceful in the air despite their size. Sometimes they look like they are just suspended in the sky. Big beautiful birds.
We lived at Mt Home: F-16 C's, and F15-Es before F22's. We were also at Tyndall AFB: F22's now too. I loved Harriers at airshows. I guess they aren't in use anymore either.
We are an aircraft loving family, so our daughter married an Army Captain😫
LtCol Mikeal was SOF on one of my deployments to Bagram. He was kind of a quiet professional. Very cordial. I’m sure I had had some contact with everybody on that plane except the Nav. After doing joint training missions with this unit for a decade, this mishap hit my unit pretty hard too. Is old guys still feel the sting, just not as much as the crews family.
Rest easy, Airmen.
Communication is vital! In the cockpit, outside the cockpit and around the cockpit.
Thank you for your first class videos!
Being a lead avionics engineer on the C-130J - and subsequently from next week in charge of a whole engineering shift, the amount of C-130 videos recently has been a sobering experience.
Rest in peace to all those who suffered in this tragedy and my thoughts to their colleagues and families.
I really enjoyed the level of detail. Didn't just go straight into the crash flight, started right from the beginning of the mission. Excellent stuff
There’s a music the flight channel used in around Season 1 and 2, which is called Olympus, by Ross budgen. Still use it, it’s a good music
I know that's when I first subscribed to the channel, something as simple as the quietly played background music played makes the story come to life!! That music was my favorite by far.
@@dannycreech4177its my favorite too:) this channel also does a lot of military accidents in this season than commercial plane accidents
God, I miss the old music. It’s just not the same. Please go back to the original!
My gf always realised I was watch this channel because the music when I play the video hahahaha, always the same but a good one
I was at the gas station this morning and they were almost completely out of beer and the Lay's potato chip rack was nearly empty. Crazy.
I figured that since we were telling pointless fucking stories 🤷
So sad to lose people, especially so experienced ones that are protecting the population. Heroes.
I was a weekend warrior maintenance crew chief assigned to this aircraft 1996-2001 at Charlotte. I retired after 2001 and was so sad that this happened. My heart still goes out to the families left behind of my fellow airmen that were killed in this accident.
Rough day for firefighters as well. First finding the aircrafts location, putting out the fire, making access to survivors and getting to the hospital. Very sad but also glad their were survivors.
Wasn't difficult at all. A forestry helicopter watched it and immediately landed to help the two survivors. They were awarded The Order of the Long Leaf Pine by the state of North Carolina.
In 1972 I was hired for a summer job with the US Forest Service on the Ochoco National Forest out of Prineville, Oregon. We were having fire fighting training when a forest fire broke out east of Prineville. While fighting the fire they sent in a spotter plane and then the fire retardant plane. We all hit the deck as the plane dropped it’s load. Some of the firefighters were coated with a little of the retardant as it drift through the air. None got on me. That was the first forest fire I was on.
Served with this crew, tragic loss of great Airmen. Four funerals that summer took its tole on the unit as they cared for the families and figured out what happened. The two survivors were a thankful miracle! But the 145th continued the MAFFS mission then converted from C-130s to C-17s. Never forgotten; God's speed.
I remember LtCol Mikeal when he was one of the SOFs at Bagram. Nice guy and very professional. Deployed east and west with Charlotte. Great aviators. Knew their stuff and freely imparted wisdom to the less experienced.
Dave K • Our condolences to you as well. Losing four friends with whom you flew must have been devastating. RIP to.the 4. I hope the 2 load masters made complete recoveries.
How tragic.How many of us complain about stress in our jobs while those fellows performed their duty valiantly at the cost of their own lives.
The man roaming the runway @ 5:49 in a Tux had me laughing hysterically.
I did a double-take too
He's a bouncer.....
@5:49 I blame the impatience of that guy in the tuxedo for the crash.
Yeah, what was that about?!😜😂
That was Vito telling the pilots, “don’t make me mess up this suit, pal.” 😅
@@TML34 Take the plane, leave the cannoli.
The ghost of Cab Calloway has always haunted that airfield. When you're there alone you can swear you can hear Minnie the Moocher being sung off in the distance.
Yoose guyes gonna fight that fire or what? If Guido don't see that plane in the air in 5 there's gonna be trouble!
It's easy to be critical of both crew's actions, but the conditions were horrific, with the fires creating their own weather events. Very sad, these men gave their all that day fighting fires. Another excellent presentation by FC. 👍
I suspect the lead plane pilots were in SHOCK after avoiding their close call crash by only 10 feet. If they had more time they might have snapped out of their shock and remembered to advise the other pilots of the dangerous conditions they barely escaped.
I agree. Pilot training teaches cabin crew to evacuate passengers despite they, the cabin crew, being in shock. Pilots are held to this standard as well. These pilots failed to meet that standard and indirectly caused the C-130 to crash because they didn't warn the crew of the C-130 of the potentially fatal weather conditions they'd just flown through.
@@johannesbols57 The lead pilots put EVERYTHING into pulling out of their death dive. They were PHYSIOLOGICALLY DEPLETED and could only perform rote tasks (their training) until they recovered. Humans, animals (and machines) have tolerance limits. They were TEN FEET and a SPLIT SECOND from MEETING THEIR MAKER! Try to imagine THAT!
@@jessicasnaplesfl7474 Agreed, almost dying tends to rattle even a pro. It's really sad they didn't communicate with the C-130, it's a shortcoming that I imagine will haunt them always.
Meh. Can't be the first time experiencing this type of situation if that's your profession I would think.
5:57 Apparently the Rocky Mountain Regional Airport has a stricter dress code than I realized. 🤵♂️
I was thinking the same thing. LOL, was like, why is there a guy in a tuxedo on the flight line with absolutely zero PPE.
@@ianchase8758 1960’s style. Suit with zero PPE.
He's a bouncer....
I wondered if I saw that correctly...I was multitasking and assumed that couldn't have been a tuxedo....bahahaha
So sad, but honestly I think that fatigue also played a huge part in this accident. There was a lot of extra workload placed onto these pilots with all the mid-air redirections, having to land, refuel and loiter, that was a massive extra workload placed on the crew in already extremely challenging conditions. And to have to deal with what became really perilous conditions at the end of a long difficult day probably just bit them. I hope that lessons were learnt from this, and there is better planning involved when it comes to aerial fire-fighting..in that crews, however highly trained, are also human. What a very sad loss of some true heroes.
I concur. This doomed crew had already done more than enough for a day's demand before being redirected yet again. The USAF killed them.
All those things are just a day in the life of an air tanker crew. They were a young crew, and the fatigue is no greater than piloting an airliner - they stress and concentration is far greater, but tanker pilots eat that stuff up. No, this was just a case of atmospheric instabilities combined with physics. One thing that may have affected the lead planes is an unfamiliarity of flying conditions in that part of the country. Failing to warn following planes is a big one - for the life of me I can't imagine why both planes failed to warn them. No doubt those crews are wracked with guilt!
@@barbaraguy3491 You win for the most ignorant comment. C-130 crews fly as long or longer periods during combat missions to include mid-air redirections, landing, refueling and loitering. Not sure where you come up with "done more than enough" part. It is part of the job.
Just when you think you've heard all possible causes of an air crash, you hear of a microburst. Geez! R.I.P to all that perished.
Microbursts have caused many an air crash in history.
With the massive increase in forest fires in our area over the last sixty years due to climate change, we have had the opportunity to witness these heros in action several times, once being totally surrounded by fires ourselves, and the planes picking up water from the neighbours dam. it was sobering and sad to read of a helicopter crash subsequently, with the loss of one of those pilots three years later. Extremely experienced too. Condolences all round.
MAFFS is actually a very smart contingency plan, but it is always sad to hear when our heroes fall. Godspeed to these aviators.
The more I watch these videos the more I see how easy it is for aircraft to crash.
5:58 Sammy Davis Jr was there too? Just incredible. That man was a true entertainer...
He would often serenade the crews in exchange for plane rides, he would get ever so antsy waiting on them big ole birds.
So it appears, what would appear to be a rather safe procedure of dumping fire retardant is not safe at all and actually extremely risky if you encounter bad weather conditions.......Lesson, take nothing for granted for these people as no matter how easy it looks, there is a LOT of risk involved.....RIP......
Typical of the USAF to worry more about money rather than the real cause of the crash. They are also quick to blame it on pilot error.
I know, I served in the USAF 40+ years ago and it seems that nothing has changed.
It’s not that they’re worried about the money and the “pilot error” thing isn’t personal, but when these types of incidents occur they have to take a strictly objective and impersonal approach to take away a lesson learned to roll into future operations. Incident reports don’t say those things to disrespect the dead or diminish their sacrifice, it’s so others can learn.
Imagine a plane being shot down in combat, the entire sortie is going to be picked apart after the fact and a part of the after action report is going to detail the list of errors the pilot made. It’s the process we use to get better.
sad but true. That's the way it seems to always go in aviation in general -- they never want to get to the root cause of whatever caused the crash as that might indicate a fault with the design and thus with the superiors involved with that, or in the case of the military with the superior officers and their lack of leadership in the first place, so they always steer it toward the inevitable subordinates, who in this case happen to be dead pilots, and blame it all on them. It sickens me every time I see it, but it does not surprise me. This is how wicked the human heart is, and this is but just one way of showing that, unfortunately.
False. I'm also retired USAF, in a 21X aircraft maintenance career field and I can honestly say every crash that results in deaths is treated with reverence and respect, regardless of the circumstances. Financials related to the weapon system's destruction was never discussed. But there will always be bean counters and it's easy enough to turn up these kinds of dollar assessments if that's what one's motivated to do. Personally I thought it had no relevance in this otherwise excellent video, and should have been left out. First time I've seen it in a TFC video, though.
@@andrewphillips6563 the financials are probably in the official accident report, but otherwise it's not something that would be mentioned. It is weird that it was in the video.
@@michaelw6277 yeah, I found it odd that it was included in the first place. He has never done that before, and I think it didn't fit in this video because no matter how you say it, it just comes off wrong to mention the cost in material things and monies, when the real cost is the families left behind after losing their loved ones. But I understand why, because the military is always looking at things in an objective, after-action-report kind of way to prevent things like this from happening in the future.
Your videos and explanations of the events are top notch! Thank you for sharing the stories of the accidents. I'm sure this is very hard work but its appreciated.
Other then pilots and fire fighters assigned to aviation units, people do not understand the hazards of aerial fire fighting. Some ex military pilots say that aerial fire fighting can be more demanding and stressful then actual combat flying. This story is a prime example. Yet, some people feel that if arial assets are not over a fire, fire fighters are not doing all they can to control the fire. With the effects of climate change, the demand on arial assets and crews almost gets to the breaking point. Change and innovation is sorely needed to prevent accidents like this. RIP to the crew of MAFFS 7.
Can’t believe that lead aircraft didn’t warn them of something so dangerous.
I always thought turbulence was horrible until we experienced an air pocket. I can’t imagine a microburst having so much power to bring down a plane. Sad to lose such good men. Had no idea this was so meticulously planned with a lead plane
It was an anvil stormcloud that was over 50,000 feet. It broke and fell asleep they entered into their approach. Five seconds in either side of it and they came back home.
As a colorado native, the attention to detail at the Springs Airport during your recreation added such great effect!!! ❤
What a tragic story. I never heard or knew that a microburst (a kind of turbulence??) could be so fatal. Was the microburst caused by the fire??? I guess part of the risk is that these aircraft have to fly close to the ground to be effective and they do not have much time to recover. These young men were only trying to help their communities!
May God comfort the families of the four who perished in this tragedy. My condolences.
I always get excited to see a new video from you.
Watching many videos on this channel makes you realize, being a highly skilled aviator, who knows his/her aircraft is one thing.
Operating a machine with thousands of parts is another thing. Then there is the uncertainty of the weather conditions.
Everything must happen Near perfectly.
Not to mention health factors because of the pressure and other stuff that could happen.
Heartbroken for loved ones. RIP heros.
Thank you for another wonderful video. The work, effort and time you put into these are not lost on me. I truly appreciate the hours you put into a video well under half an hour. THANK YOU AND KEEP UP THE FANTASTIC WORK.👏 UA-cam is a better place because of you.
Also, deepest sympathies to the families of those who perished. Terrible accident. ❤️
Really. It seems to me (just an AF wife) that the Lead Plane and Attack Plane pilots failed in their job of keeping the C130 pilots aware of flying conditions. Their plane almost crashed in a microburst; but it never said that they advised the C130 of that; the only way the C130 pilots would have suspected anything wrong is the airspeed problem and flap adjustments. Could microbursts have caused reduced airspeed? Did the C130 stall on the go around?
Just tragic. God bless the brave airmen who died and their families.
The lead plane pilots should have charges brought against them, for not properly identifying and notifying the other aircraft of the dangerous conditions. Shame on them!
Well recounted, TFC - thank you. Such an unnecessary tragedy.
TFC?
@@Capecodham The Flight Channel.
@@LBCORP1960 i WONDER WHAT HE DID WITH THE TIME HE SAVED NOT TYPING he light hannel?
@@Capecodham Nice try but no cigar!🤪
Other early model 130s have sustained wing separation while recovering from a dump drop. As a result it looks as if precautions are taken to avoid structural failure but the appears not to be the case in this accident, but obviously the crew was very experienced and seemed to follow reasonable precautions, but this is a risky business.
Risky indeed. It's sad because on any day, you can do everything right & still get it wrong
What’s up with the guy in the tuxedo at 5:50 😂He’s in a hurry to get his Falcon in the air 😂. Once again, well done.
Much appreciate your work
I believe one of the tasks of the lead plane is evaluate the proposed path regarding safety… he encountered a heavy sink and didn’t inform that to the c130. I believe that was a critical information that could have avoided this tragedy.
A random microburst in clear skies? The video spends a great deal of time detailing the aircrew's movements this day but next to nothing on the weather conditions that led to this. Microbursts are generally associated with a thunderstorm and a sudden downdraft of cold air plummeting to the ground. Also, total fail on the lead aircraft for not giving immediate warning to abort the mission.
I was thinking the same thing about the microburst.....I did not know there is such a thing as a clear air microburst.
Maybe the forest fire was a contributor to the microburst. I assume of lots of hot air rises at the fire, therefore the air away from the fire can be considered relatively cold and may be sweeping downwards. Maybe I should look up the effects of forest fires on air turbulence.
I’m loving these military incident videos..
Your work ethic is so astounding. Quality!
I think calling a fatal accident of this nature a “mishap” is somewhat understating it
I knew it wasn't a mechanical issue. The mighty C-130 is extremely reliable. I don't understand why the KingAir crew didn't really adamantly inform the C-130 about the sinker.
There are various wind anomalies caused by fires that have to be considered at all times. These brave men suffered loss and life, protecting citizens of planet earth 🌎. I pray that the ones they left behind know they will not lose their reward. 😥🙏💝
Agree. We get fires annually here in CA and erratic wind and weather patterns is something I’ve since learned about from all the fire coverage. It’s an extremely dangerous job flying these airdrops, as things can change in an instant.
So the aircraft didn't break up in the air, it was pushed into the ground by a microburst.
A “dry microburst.” Humidity was less than 1%.
The lead plane royally screwed over the C-130, but the pilots on the C-130 should have realized from the first pass that there were high head winds and the potential for dangerous micro bursts. The lead plane should have told them that as soon as he recovered from his almost fatal micro burst experience.
True.....but my intuition tells me that it probably had something to do with sex.
@@loveeveryone8057 It always does. 🤔
I got time on that tail number flying with the Charlotte unit. I'm going to have to read the accident report again. I think I have access to it. Something seems missing here.
Good comm is important guys
@TheFlightChannel: Are you going to be doing the Learjet that came down in San Diego?
Incredible detail and reenactment. Your channel is amazing 🤩
Wow. this plane was stacked was an extremely experienced, highly qualified crew. Idiots in the lead plane not doing their damn job killed them.
It happened a lot faster than what this cheesy video would make you believe.
Can you do a video on Vladivostok Air Flight 352? It isn’t covered very well anywhere on UA-cam.
As always tremendous work.
Happy New Year TheFlightChannel.
🎊🎉🎊
Another extremely well done video! God bless!
Modern marvel we can even get people up in the air much less fight fire from it. Seen these do drops first hand (maybe DC 10’s), and it’s quite an amazing sight
Get a few flying lessons mate!
@@glennllewellyn7369 I’m getting close to it honestly. Just about in a position to do so!
Idk why, but I find these videos very interesting. I haven't been on a plane since I was an infant, so I have no recollection. I have an appreciation for pilots and flight crew whenever I see a plane in the sky now.
I never heard of a microburst in this conditions... where can i find more info ?
They were doing an exceptionally dangerous and essential job. Sometimes stuff happens outside the box and trips you up. RIP
C-130s have history, but also many flight hours with many crews,🇺🇸🇨🇦
Microburst are unfortunately a invisible killer. One if the greatest fears for aviators is flying into one unknowingly.
My crew and I hit one once flying a low level mission through the rocky mountains... scared the absolute shit out of me...
Why is that guy in tuxedo on the ramp? :D
Another instance of how easily one of these big planes can hit the ground within just a few seconds. And two survived??!!! The more I watch these videos the more I am glad I don't fly!!!
May those heroes RIP. ❤️❤️🇺🇸🇺🇸
Heroes? Why? "Virtue Signaling by posting RIP all over the internet while doing actually nothing to better the world.
Social media narcissism at its finest."
ua-cam.com/video/PTmCxbcRXs4/v-deo.html
We apparently landed on the moon in 1969 and we can't even put out a forest fire in the 2010's.
Most fires we don't want to put out; forest fires are a necessary part of natural forest regeneration. It's when manmade issues cause a fire to grow beyond what's safe.
Ah, the old "we landed on the moon so we should be able to do X" argument. As if going to the moon is the hardest thing there could possibly be. Well, there are a zillion variables in fire fighting and the energy content of the fire is staggering. I would also like to point out that we CAN, and DO, put out forest fires all the time. In fact we put out all the fires shown in this video. Like going to the moon, it is risky, dangerous, and takes longer than the attention span of the average TV viewer.
Guy in the suit was sharp on the flight line!
It’s not the cost of the aircraft so much as the loss of life. What a shame. Life ended way too soon.
Good morning to all from SE Louisiana 6 Jan 22.
Mornin from south Australia 7th Jan 412am
Great video! Thanks
I think it would be nice if you do a cover of your old videos in which you treated the most famous crashes.
Ps. Love your channel❤️
Another excellent video! Very detailed!
Is there any kind of on-board equipment to warn of a microburst in front of a plane?
Loadmasters are absolutely part of the f-ing crew. Not just "On-Board"! My unit deployed with those guys. I had just finished tech school not too long before that happened.
An iritatinng fact to me is how the Air Force calls out the pilots and crew, and seems to care more about the cost $$$.
I was in the Military, USN, and I always disliked the part where we just considered "expendable assets".
A nice, qualitied and informative video as always.
Just 1 thing, please make more videos of commercial aircraft incidents
If you check the channel there are numerous commercial crashes on here he has done.
@@t.r.4496 I have been following his channel since 2016 and I have seen plenty of commercial air crashes by him but I wanted a few more to be included in season 6.
@@dayaanvora5299 okay the way it was put it sounded like you was new to the channel. My fault.
@@t.r.4496 no problem 😊
There's that song again ! ! and the only version Shazam can find is with vocals in a foreign language.
Thank you TheFlightChannel.✔✈ (I never knew there was an Air Nat'l Guard).
Been around since 1947
I love your work
Those poor men. They were just trying to fight a fire. RIP Lt. Col. Mikeal, Maj. McCormick, Maj. David & Master Sgt. Cannon, may they rest in peace.🌹❤
Wasn't it really caused by the lead plane not warning them of the microburst that caused a much lighter plane to sink and nearly lose control?
Was this the Captain Sim C-130 that was used to create the CGI, and what platform is it being used on
@15:04 which music starts? does anybody know? Thanks.
Imagine getting into your plane and realizing your flight is being summarized in white captions around you lol
My They Rest In Peace.
A lot of C130 crashes eh
High winds in a mountain terrain is a dangerous proposition even w/o the extra weight and low altitude in which these aircraft operate. Always a sad event when a pilot and crew go down.
Crazy how the loads survived. I’ve stepped in many 130s in my 11 years.
@Steve Robinson Awww, someone butthurt that they haven’t accomplished anything in life?
@Steve Robinson Boy I don’t believe your imagination and lies. Go back to playing video games “officer” lol
@Steve Robinson MAYBE IN CALL OF BOOTY YOURE AN OFFICER. I AM A SIX STAR GENERAL AND NAVY SEAL. WATCH YOUR TONE WHEN TALKING TO ME BOY.
Its hard to believe that anyone survived!! Just a terrible loss. My complements here regarding your presentation. May I ask the name of the music used near the end of your video. Very touching. Thanks
Prayers for the families
10 ft. Is really close wow 😮
6:05 random dude in a tuxedo on the flight line 🤣
Firefighting aircrews are tough folks doing a tougher job. Heroes, every last one.
Please tell the music @15:21
Very intense!!