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Category: <span>Lockheed</span>

Marine Corps Crash Kills 16. Total Loss


A Marine Corps C-130 departed from the Mid-South Base in Millington, Tennessee and crashed in Mississippi in Leflore County in Itta Bena just off Highway 82 in a soybean field. Reports say the plane exploded in mid-air. Bodies were found more than a mile from the crash site. The debris field covered a radius of five miles. Witnesses report seeing the plane spiraling down with one engine on fire. The way the debris was scattered on both sides of the highway leads investigators to believe the explosion happened prior to the crash. The plane was loaded with ammunition. The cause of the crash is under investigation.


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Three Killed After Military Transport Plane Crashed in Portugal

A military transport plane crashed and caught fire at Montijo military base, Portugal, on July 11th.

The Lockheed C-130 Hercules plane, carrying seven crew members, was attempting to take off when it crashed.

Three crew members were killed in the crash. Authorities said that at least one other crew member was seriously injured.

Indonesian Hercules Crash Due to power loss according to Air Marshall

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Although the investigation into a plane crash takes at least a year, investigators believe they know the cause of the crash of the Indonesian Air Force’s 50 year old C-130 Hercules in Medan, in Sumatra, Indonesia. The plane initially lost altitude after it suffered power loss. One of the propellors wasn’t working. The plane was circling, and apparently impacted a hundred foot antenna before it fell on two buildings and a car.

According to an Air Marshall and chief of the Indonesian air force “The “initial finding” suggests the crash may have been caused by problems in the engine.” Before it went down, the pilot asked the control tower for permission to return to base.

There were no survivors. The number of dead fluctuates as the number of bodies recovered, because the plane was carrying an unknown number of passengers in addition to the crew of 12 and 110 official passengers. There also appear to be victims on the ground in the hotel and massage parlor that were struck.

Indonesia Hercules crash: Poor maintenance, age of plane possibly behind accident

Video

Wake Turbulence Found Guilty

aircraft.jpg__atkinson_Preliminary investigation of the Indian Air Force Lockheed C-130J-30 Super Hercules that crashed on Friday March 28, 2014, killing five, indicates that the accident may have been the result of wake turbulence.

The Hercules that crashed 72 miles from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh was in a twoship formation on a training mission when it flew into the wake turbulence of the lead aircraft. Because of the low altitude (300 feet), the crew could not establish control in order to avert the crash.

The mission was flying from Agra-Kheria Air Force Station to Gwalior Airport, India.

Although the findings reportedly rule out “technical error,” incidents resulting from wake turbulence (i.e. composed of wingtip vortices and jet wash) are generally considered pilot error. Jet wash gases from engines dissipate quickly, but vortices from the wings can last three minutes.

Although most incidents resulting from a plane flying in another’s wake turbulence are reported in takeoff and landing situations at airstrips, it is also a hazard in formation flying, so that planes in the far position must concentrate on staying on or above leader’s glide path. Vortices sink at a rate of 90 to 150 meters/minute

The ICAO has separation minima standards for take-off and landing.

Algerian Plane Crash Kills 77, One Survivor


Seventy-seven people were aboard a twenty-four year old missing C-130 Hercules (#7T-WHM) that was flying from Tamanrasset to Constantine when it crashed into Mount Fortas in Algeria. The wreckage was discovered on Feb 11, 2013. The Algerian TV and Radio initially reported 102 fatalities, but updates say there were 78 aboard.

The Military Lockheed C-130H-30 Hercules was flown by Al Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Jaza’eriya.

There were four members of the crew and seventy-four passengers which included men, women and children. The assumption is that these were soldiers and military families.

One soldier aboard the military transport survived; he is hospitalized in a military hospital in Algiers.

The plane broke into three parts on impact. Fifty-five bodies were recovered on the rugged terrain in showy conditions.

Lockheed Martin who built the plane will be assisting the investigation. The plane may have been on approach to Constantine Airport.


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Fuerza Aérea de Chile Landing Accident

A Fuerza Aérea de Chile General Dynamics F-16AM Fighting Falcon suffered an accident landing at Cerro Moreno airport in Antofagasta.

The plane suffered some damage but the pilot was unhurt.

The incident caused delays at Cerro Moreno airport.


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US FIghter Splashes Down off Japanese Coast

What: US F-16 Fighter Falcon en route from Misawa Air Base in Aomori
Where: 200 miles northeast of Hokkaido in the Pacific Ocean off Japanese Coast
When: July 22, 2012
Who: pilot
Why: After a U.S. fighter jet splashed down in the Pacific Ocean 200 miles northeast of Hokkaido Japan, the pilot was retrieved from the water. THe rescue occurred six hours after the crash around 6 p.m. when the pilot was pulled aboard a U.S. container ship.

The name of the pilot has not been released.


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On taxi, wings of Nigerian Airforce C-130 and Arik Airlines Collide, No injury

What: Nigerian Airforce C-130
Where: Jos, Nigeria
When: July 14, 2012
Who: no injuries
Why: The jet was about to take off when “An Arik Airline Boeing 737-700 with registration No 5NMJI on a routine flight to Lagos brushed the wing of a parked Nigerian Air Force C-130 (NAF 917) at the Yakubu Gowon Airport.”

The tank 1 wing tip of the NAF C-130 was damaged. The wing of the Arik aircraft was dismembered.

The announcement was made by Wing Commander A. Makun, Deputy Director, Directorate of Airforce information.

The Air Force Jet was about to fly Airforce Military School and Airforce Girls Military School both in the Plateau State capital from Jos to Lagos. The flight was canceled.


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SD: More Firefighting Tragedy Strikes

What: USAF Lockheed C-130H Hercules
Where: Edgemont SD
When: 1 July 2012
Who: 6 aboard, 4 fatalities
Why: A C-130 transport aircraft en route to support firefighting missions crashed in South Dakota. The crew was part of the fight against the White Draw Fire.

The USAF Release said:

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFNS) — At approximately 6 p.m. MDT July 1, a Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System equipped C-130 aircraft supporting firefighting missions crashed in the southwest corner of South Dakota. The aircraft was supporting the efforts against the White Draw Fire.

The cause of the crash is not known and the incident is under investigation. There are no details on the status of the aircrew available at this time.

MAFFS is a joint DoD and U.S. Forest Service program designed to provide additional aerial firefighting resources when commercial and private airtankers are no longer able to meet the needs of the forest service.

MAFFS is a self-contained aerial firefighting system owned by the U.S. Forest Service that can discharge 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant in less than 5 seconds, covering an area one-quarter of a mile long by 100 feet wide. Once the load is discharged, it can be refilled in less than 12 minutes.

Media outlets made this update:
.CHARLOTTE NC – The crash of a North Carolina-based Air National Guard cargo plane that was fighting wildfires in South Dakota has left at least one crew member dead.The family of Lt. Col. Paul Mikeal of Mooresville confirmed they were notified early Monday that he had died in the C-130 crash on Sunday. The 42-year-old married father of two was a veteran of deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.Lt. Col. Rose Dunlap of the 145th Airlift Wing in Charlotte says six crew members were aboard.The North Carolina Air National Guard confirmed that lives were lost in the crash. Other crew members who were injured were taken to Rapid City Regional Hospital. Names and conditions have not been released.The plane went down about 6 p.m. in the southwest corner of South Dakota where it had been dropping flame retardant on the White Draw Fire.The cause of the crash is under investigation and all other MAFFS-equipped C-130s have been grounded.

In George’s Point of View


So many heroes.
So many tragic deaths.


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Firefighters Tanker Goes Down Fighting Wildfire


Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Mike Freer

What: Neptune Aviation Services Inc.Lockheed P2V-7 Neptune
Where: Iron County, Utah
When: June 3, 2012, 1 pm
Who: 2 fatalities
Why: While fighting a fire east of the Utah/Nevada border, two fire fighting pilots working with the Ely division of the Bureau of Land Management lost their lives.

The plane was carrying 2000 gallons of water and 1,600 gallons of fuel, and was approaching the fire when it crashed in rocky terrain.

Pilot 48-year-old Todd Tompkins, and co- pilot, Ronnie Chambless, 40 were on their second run dropping retardant on the fire when the plane went down.

No probable cause of the accident has been released.


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Fire Fighting Tanker Belly Landing at Minden-Tahoe Airport


Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Ashley Wallace – Touchdown-Aviation

What: Minden Air Corp Lockheed SP-2H Neptune
Where: Minden-Tahoe Airport in Carson Valley
When: June 3, 2012 3:30 pm.
Who: 2 aboard
Why: The inbound tanker was unable to lower all of it’s landing gear, and burned off (about 7000 gallons) of fuel before it made a belly landing at 3:30 pm.

Neither the pilot nor the co-pilot were injured but the plane did skid off the runway.

The air tanker is a fire-fighting plane which had been engaged in fighting a wildfire south of Reno.

Two videos of this tanker landing

Moroccan AF Plane Down, 80 fatalities


Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Bnaf

What: Royal Moroccan Air Force Lockheed C-130H Hercules CNA-OQ en route from Dakhla Western Sahara to Goulimime Airport, Morocco (Flight global released the route as Agadir-Eyes-Dakhla)
Where: 6.3 miles East of Goulimime (Guelmim)Airport,Morocco
When: 26 JUL 2011 at 9 a.m.
Who: 80 aboard, (9 crew, 71 passengers) 80 fatalities
Why: The Royal Moroccan Air Force C-130 Hercules transport plane was in a mountainous area near Goulimime/Guelmim when it crashed into a mountain and was destroyed. The flight originated at Dakhla Airport, and was scheduled to land in Kenitra with scheduled landing in Goulimime.

Eighty occupants were killed; most were members of the Moroccan Armed Forces. The airplane carried nine crew members, 60 troops (including 9 RMAF flight crew) and 12 civilians. It operated on a flight from Dakhla to Kinitra with an en route stop at Goulimime.

Sixty troops were aboard, and a dozen civilians. According to some reports, there were three survivors; other reports say there were no survivors. Three survived the crash, but not the ride to the hospital. The remains have been taken to the military hospital at Guelmin.

Initially, the flight was reported as carrying 81, but one person did not board in Laayoune.

The crash has been attributed to inclement conditions.

Three days of national mourning were declared by King Mohammed VI.






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Lockheed Martin Delivers 300th Common Cockpit to the U.S. Navy

OWEGO, N.Y., Feb. 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) has successfully delivered the 300th Common Cockpit, the nerve center for every multi-mission helicopter in the U.S. Navy fleet, aboard an MH-60S.
“The Common Cockpit underwent one of the most demanding certification processes at NAVAIR, and is now the standard by which all cockpits are judged,” said Capt. Dean Peters, NAVAIR program manager for H-60 Multi-Mission Helicopters. “Our MH-60R and MH-60S crews rely on this system to support the broad range of missions and operations they fly every day.”

The Common Cockpit is the hub of all activity aboard MH-60R and MH-60S aircraft. Four large, flat-panel, multi-function, night-vision-compatible, color display screens provide the crew with instant information on everything from weather to weapons and sensors.

“The Common Cockpit reduces workload and increases situational awareness for MH-60R and MH-60S crews,” said George Barton, director of Naval Helicopter programs at Lockheed Martin. “Having a common cockpit also reduces the logistics footprint and total ownership cost to the Navy.”

Upcoming improvements to the Common Cockpit will include the addition of the Situational Awareness Technology Insertion (SATI) package, which is a set of upgrades to the flight management system. A new integrated digital map will provide pilots with a clear picture of their operating area, and an upgrade to the Identification Friend-or-Foe system will ensure there is no interference during transmission and that it is interoperable with the Federal Aviation Administration and other agencies.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 132,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation’s 2010 sales from continuing operations were $45.8 billion.


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U.S. Army, Lockheed Martin Highlight M-TADS/PNVS Performance as Production Reaches 1,000 Systems

ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 16, 2011 — Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) marked the delivery of the 1,000th Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (M-TADS/PNVS) system to the U.S. Army at ceremonies held today at Lockheed Martin facilities in Ocala and Orlando, FL. M-TADS/PNVS, also known as Arrowhead®, is the advanced targeting and pilotage system for the U.S. Army’s AH-64D Apache attack helicopter.

“The M-TADS/PNVS is a game-changer on the battlefield and has ensured Longbow Apaches remain dominant in support of our ground soldiers,” said Col. Shane Openshaw, U.S. Army project manager for Apache Attack Helicopter. “This combat-tested system has shown, through over five years of continuous combat operations since the first unit was fielded, that an Apache equipped with M-TADS/PNVS is the most lethal and survivable attack helicopter in the world.”

M-TADS/PNVS provides Apache pilots with the most advanced long-range, electro-optical precision engagement and pilotage capabilities to ensure mission success and flight safety in day, night and adverse weather missions. It employs state-of-the-art forward-looking infrared sensors to provide Apache pilots with enhanced image resolution, giving them the complementary benefits of significant standoff range and unrivaled targeting capabilities. M-TADS/PNVS improves performance and reliability over legacy TADS/PNVS systems by more than 150 percent, reduces maintenance actions by nearly 60 percent, and will save the U.S. Army nearly $1 billion in operation and support costs over its 20-year system life.

“Teamwork has been the secret to the success of this program,” said David Belvin, director of Apache programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “The U.S. Army, Lockheed Martin and its suppliers worked together as a team to achieve an unprecedented rapid development and production program to support the warfighter.”
“U.S. Apaches are nearly completely equipped with this incredible system, and we will have retrofitted all of our Longbows in the field by the summer of 2011,” added Col. Openshaw. “In addition, many allied force Apaches around the world are M-TADS/PNVS-equipped, greatly enhancing their capability to conduct attack operations and to integrate with U.S. and NATO forces. This production milestone, the delivery of M-TADS/PNVS number 1,000, is another tremendous achievement for this outstanding program.”

The U.S. Army awarded Lockheed Martin the original M-TADS/PNVS contract in 2003. The first system was delivered to a U.S. Army Apache in theater in 2005. Previous milestones include the 250th system delivery in 2007 and the 500th delivery in 2008. During this period, M-TADS/PNVS was delivered at a rate of over 20 units per month. The 1,000th delivery ceremony signifies another important step in Lockheed Martin’s support of Army Aviation. Additional domestic and international deliveries will continue through 2014. Electronics assembly of M-TADS/PNVS is performed at the Lockheed Martin facility in Ocala, FL. Final assembly is performed at Lockheed Martin’s facility in Orlando, FL.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 132,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation’s 2010 sales from continuing operations were $45.8 billion.


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Lockheed Martin Receives $360 Million in Contracts to Support U.S. Navy MH-60R Helicopter Fleet

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — The U.S. Navy demonstrated its continued commitment to keeping its MH-60R Seahawk helicopter fleet at the forefront of anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, awarding Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) a variety of production and development contracts totaling $360 million. The end-of-year awards cover a spectrum of systems aboard the MH-60R, built by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (NYSE: UTX).

“The Navy’s investment in the MH-60R fleet ensures our pilots and aircrews have the best and most advanced equipment for every mission,” said Capt. Dean Peters, U.S. Navy MH-60 program manager. “We are looking for reliable, modern aircraft upgraded efficiently and affordably, and that’s why we have devoted these resources to the MH-60 fleet.”

As Lockheed Martin prepares for its 300th cockpit delivery milestone in late February, the Navy exercised a $38 million option under the current multi-year contract to cover production of the next lot of common cockpits for MH-60S and MH-60R helicopters. The bulk of the work will be performed at Lockheed Martin’s facility in Owego, N.Y., and is scheduled for completion by April 2013.

Additionally, the Navy will provide MH-60R/S crews with improved situational awareness by incorporating Lockheed Martin’s Situational Awareness Technology Insertion (SATI) aboard the aircraft under a $35 million contract. The award covers a pre-development iteration of SATI, an eight-component package of upgrades and improvements to the helicopter’s flight management system. Improvements include a new integrated digital map to give pilots a clear picture of their operating area, and an upgrade to the Identification Friend-or-Foe (IFF) system. The IFF upgrade will prevent interference during transmission and ensure interoperability with the Federal Aviation Administration and other agencies.

One of the most highly advanced systems aboard the MH-60R – Automatic Radar Periscope Detection and Discrimination (ARPDD) – will transition from system development and demonstration (SDD) to production under a $36 million contract award. The Telephonics radar used in ARPDD is the latest iteration of the radar currently deployed with the MH-60R, but adds a new mode requiring improved radar performance and eight times the processing power of the previous version.

In October 2010, Lockheed Martin and the Navy successfully completed initial flight tests of the system aboard an MH-60R, marking the first time a helicopter has had the functionality for its on-board radar to automatically discriminate between a periscope and other small surface objects, significantly improving the probability of finding a submarine. This recent contract award covers the infrastructure required to meet full-rate production and the fielding of the ARPDD radar system aboard six MH-60R production aircraft to support Initial Operational Capability in 2013.

Construction of the next lot of 24 MH-60R mission avionics suites and 18 MH-60S cockpits will begin under a $72 million Multi-Year II advanced acquisition contract award that covers long-lead items for the helicopters and cockpit systems. Lockheed Martin and partner Sikorsky Aircraft have delivered more than 85 MH-60R helicopters to date and are on track to reach the century mark early in 2011.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 133,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation’s 2009 sales from continuing operations were $44 billion.


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Lockheed Martin Awarded $15 Million Production Contract to Upgrade Military Helicopter Sensor System

ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 6, 2011 — The U.S. Army awarded Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) a $15 million contract for production of a low-light-level TV capability, called VNsight, for the Apache’s combat-proven Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (M-TADS/PNVS), also known as Arrowhead®. The new VNsight visible/near infrared sensor is integrated into the Modernized PNVS, providing the Warfighter with significant tactical advantages, particularly in low-light-level conditions.

The VNsight Lot 1 production contract for 65 sensors and spares will equip two Apache battalions. It will also provide an initial quantity of cameras and spares to outfit a Foreign Military Sales customer. The M-TADS/PNVS systems will be upgraded as a field retrofit. Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control will produce the VNsight lens and serve as the system integrator, while Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Sensors in Akron, OH, will provide the sensor’s camera.

“The VNsight completes a commitment to the Warfighter to deliver a blended image capability in the Apache to support both situational awareness for the pilot and improved air-to-ground coordination,” said U.S. Army Apache Sensors Product Manager Lt. Col. John Vannoy. “After thorough testing of this system with pilots experienced in both combat theaters, I’m confident that their appraisal of the system as a must-have capability will result in the Apache becoming even more lethal on the battlefield.”

“The VNsight camera upgrade represents a mission enhancing capability improvement for the Lockheed Martin produced Apache sensor,” said Monty Watson, VNsight program manager at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “VNsight provides an increase in pilot situational awareness, flight safety and mission flexibility.”

By blending VNsight imagery with the M-PNVS forward looking infrared (FLIR) imagery, pilots can see cultural and military lighting (lasers, markers, beacons, tracer rounds, etc.) accurately registered within the thermal image over the full 30-by-40 degree field of view of the sensor. This ensures safer flying conditions and enhanced mission capability by improving situational awareness in low-light-level conditions and situations where existing light sources cannot be imaged by the FLIR.

The capability to image light sources in-band with the VNsight sensor allows aviators to see some laser pointers, improving coordination with ground units. It also allows the aircrew to see their own laser spot while designating targets for laser-guided munitions engagements, providing an extra level of certainty that the correct target and aim-point are designated. Enhanced air-to-ground situational awareness reduces the potential for fratricide.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 133,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation’s 2009 sales from continuing operations were $44.0 billion.


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Air Cargo Crash in Kabul


Pictured: A United Nations (Transafrik) L-100-20 Hercules
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Serge Bailleul

What: National Air Cargo/Transafrik International Hercules L-100 en route from Bagram Air Base to Kabul
Where: 25-30km east of Kabul
When: Oct 12th 2010, around 19:30
Who: 7 crew (six Philipinos, an Indian, a Kenyan—all fatalities)
Why: While en route, the airplane disappeared from radar about 6nm northeast of the airfield. The flight impacted a mountain in the Pol-e Charkhi area .

Rescue teams are en route to the high altitude location.


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Italian Military Crash Near Pisa


Pictured: A Italian – Air Force Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules (L-382)
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Renato Burkhart

What: AMI 46′ Brigata Aerea Lockeed C-130J Hercules
Where: Le Rene, near Coltano Italy
When: Nov 23, 2009
Who: 5 airmen (two pilots and three officers)
Why: While en route, the Lockeed C-130J Hercules crashed on the railway line Pisa-Collesalvetti-Cecina, killing all aboard the plane.

The crew was from the 46th Air Brigade of Pisa, out practicing the “touch and go” maneuver. The plane had touched and was gaining altitude when it veered to the right and crashed.

Although the plane crashed on the train tracks in a widespread area, train traffic was not disrupted.

The Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi expressed condolences to the families of the five victims.


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Indonesian Crash Update


View Geplak in a larger map

Earlier post


Pictured: Indonesian C-130 Hercules licensed as A-1326. The plane in the crash was registered as A-1325.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Peter de Jong

What: Indonesian Air Force civilian Lockheed L-100-30(P) Hercules, en route from Jakarta to Madiun’s Iswahyudi Airport [WIAR] (Indonesia) (The Lockheed L-100 is the civilian version of a C-130 Hercules)
Where: Magetan, East Java. Geplak 325 miles east of Jakarta.
When: May 19 6:20am local time
Who: 98 passengers (troops and their families) and 11 crew. On May 22nd, aviation authorities reported recovering 101 bodies. 15 survivors were taken to local hospitals. The exact number aboard is unclear. The flight manifest is reportedly inaccurate. (Some overlap with passengers and crew numbers. The reports range from 99 to 113 passengers and 13 or 14 crew members.) Ten children were on board the flight. Two were killed on the ground..
Why: The plane was about to land at Iswahyudi military airbase. Witnesses claim the plane split apart in the air, (one of the wings fell off when the plane was still in the air) and exploded.

The plane skidded through a rice paddy, a stand of trees and into four houses in Geplak. 9 people were in the houses, of whom two are reported dead.


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Indonesia-AU Crash


Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Dinosat

What: Tentara Nasional Indonesia-AU (Air Force) Lockheed C-130H Hercules
Where: near Madiun-Iswahyudi Airport, Indonesia
When: 20 MAY 2009
Who: 14 crew, 98 passengers
Why: On approach to Madiun-Iswahyudi Airport, the plane hit four houses, skidded into a field and burst into flames. The number of injured and dead is unclear.


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Indonesian Crash Kills Over Fifty



Pictured: Indonesian C-130 Hercules. On the video, it appears that the C-130 involved in the crash was painted in the military’s standard camo pattern.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Richard Vandervord
What: C-130 Hercules Indonesian military transport en route from Jakarta to East Java
Where: Magetan, East Java. Geplak 325 miles east of Jakarta.
When: Wednesday May 20
Who: 112 passengers and 13 crew. 57 were killed, 5 on the ground. 70 were hospitalized. The exact number of those aboard is unclear. (Some overlap with passengers and crew numbers. The reports range from 99 to 113 passengers and 13 or 14 crew members.)Update:The number of dead has risen to 98. Ten children were on the flight. Two were killed on the ground. 15 are injured.
Why: The plane was about to land at Iswahyudi military airbase. Witnesses claim the plane split apart in the air, (one of the wings fell off when the plane was still in the air) and exploded.

The plane destroyed four houses in Geplak and skidded into the rice paddy.

George’s Point of View

A colleague said that the fact that this is a 30 year old plane loaded with soldiers speaks for itself.

I think it’s terrible that old planes are allowed up in the air, taking lives.

The manufacturers build a deadly weapon like a plane and the craft is sold and resold. It seems to me that the manufacturer should maintain control of deciding the airworthiness of their planes from birth to retirement, no matter who owns the plane.

Maybe one day manufacturer’s sale agreements will be written including a clause that the decision of a plane’s airworthiness is part of the ownership certificate for the life of the plane. Then Lockheed would be diligent about keeping maintenance crews diligent.

Am I dreaming?

I anxiously await the preliminary report from the NTSB, and to hear what happened from Lockheed what caused the explosion.

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