Probe: AC-130J a ‘Total Loss’

Even though the crew eventually landed their AC-130J Ghostrider gunship safely after an airborne mishap, Air Force investigators have concluded that the aircraft is a “total loss.” The incident occurred April 21, during a test flight in medium-risk conditions over the Gulf of Mexico near Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., where it is stationed. At an altitude of 15,000 feet, the aircraft “exceeded the targeted angle of sideslip until it departed controlled flight and momentarily inverted before being recovered after losing approximately 5,000 feet of altitude,” the Air Force Materiel Command said in a Nov. 6 statement about the its investigation. Essentially flying upside down for several moments, the aircraft pulled more G’s than its design limit load. The estimated damages exceed $115 million. The pilot’s “excessive rudder input … followed by inadequate rudder input” caused the mishap, investigators concluded. They cited four contributing factors as well: instrumentation and warning system issues; spatial disorientation; confusion; and inadequate provision of procedural guidance or publications to the team.