Return-Path: Received: from pop3.olsusa.com ([63.150.212.2] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 3.4.5) with ESMTP id 772879 for rob@logan.com; Thu, 03 May 2001 08:20:52 -0400 Received: from hawaii.rr.com ([24.25.227.35]) by pop3.olsusa.com (Post.Office MTA v3.5.3 release 223 ID# 0-71175U5500L550S0V35) with ESMTP id com for ; Thu, 3 May 2001 02:34:40 -0400 Received: from barbata ([24.161.136.240]) by hawaii.rr.com with Microsoft SMTPSVC(5.5.1877.517.51); Wed, 2 May 2001 20:39:21 -1000 From: "Brian Barbata" To: "Tom Williams" , "Ron Broyles" , "Roger Cable" , "Richard Henderson" , "Peter Richards" , "Orin Riddell" , "Lancair Mail List" , "John Barrett" , "Bob Sparks/Kathy Guild" , "Bob Mullins" Subject: RE: EP-3 Answers! Date: Wed, 2 May 2001 20:43:22 -1000 Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Importance: Normal In-Reply-To: <772C4A9B1A91D411973900508BCDED0A60F486@EXCH01> Return-Path: barbatab001@hawaii.rr.com X-Mailing-List: lancair.list@olsusa.com Reply-To: lancair.list@olsusa.com <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<--->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> << Lancair Builders' Mail List >> <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<--->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >> Aloha aviators! I cleaned and reformatted this for you (you're welcome): >From my former front seat observer in VF 41. Perhaps a more candid and technical view than we've seen in media. Jack L Date: 4/30/2001 8:53 AM RE: FW: EP-3 Answers! Subject: An Account of the Return of the Naval Crew from China I had the opportunity to talk w. Lt. Shane Osborne via phoncon (he was in Disney World!) this past Monday. The whole story is more incredulous than the print version. The F-8 attempted to join their left wing...the P-3 was doing 180 KIAS at 22K...for a 3rd pass. This A/S is a bad combination clearly for the F-8. His wing came up, either trying to stop closure or as a result of being too slow, and he impacted the #1 prop. The vert fin of the F-8 prob drove the P-3 port aileron full up..there's a big hole in the port aileron. The P-3 snap rolled near inverted in 2 seconds per Shane..that's 3-4x the max roll rate of the P-3 w/ max aileron only. The F-8 impacted the radome & broke in two. Chute was sighted by P-3 crew. The P-3 #1 engine flamed out due FOD, the radome exploded due F-8 impact, the P-3 depressurized, lost all airspeed & altimeter info due lost probes & vibrated violently due damage to #1 and #3 prop and tail damage. The HF wire separated and wrapped around the elev trim. Shane said it took both pilots max pull to right the A/C to wings level and still took cherry lights (max power x 3 ) and full right aileron to hold wings level initially. The P-3 had rolled to 130 degrees w/ 30 degrees nose down. They made a recovery at estimated 15 K altitude but still had a 3k ROD despite max power. Max powr was required to arrest descent thru 8 K. They most feared #1 prop separating due high vibes, despite attempted Fx. The cockpit ordered bailout (prob a P-3 first) until they recovered control and then commanded a Prepare to Ditch....before assessing the extent of damage and question of control. They finally selected an emergency landing at the nearest field..Hainan. Other Allied fields were 600 + miles away. They made a 170 Kt GS (they had INS info in the cockpit), no flap, high GW (108K), no trim, no KIAS, damaged aileron, high drag due #1 windmill, damaged elevator, near full R aileron landing at Hainan. Heroic flying that clearly saved 24 lives. Tell the rest of the story if you hear an opinion that starts w. "they should have ditched." A 170 Kt, no radome, no flap, #1 windmill, no trim, damaged aileron ditch would have lost 24 lives. I vote for the flight crew and great flying. ----------------------- >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> LML website: http://www.olsusa.com/Users/Mkaye/maillist.html LML Builders' Bookstore: http://www.buildersbooks.com/lancair Please send your photos and drawings to marvkaye@olsusa.com. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>