A-4 Skyhawk Crane-Lift Failure

[WKTaylor]

Guys...

A great civilian friend... "Dire Strate"... who is also a highly experienced fighter support engineer/tech with many months [years?] in combat theaters... sent me photos of a failed crane-lifting operation.

The goal was to lift the A-4 into position so it could be bolted to a pedestal mount. The jet had been freshly restored after it was damaged by heavy winds several years prior.

What actually occurred was a frightening and heart-breaking crane-lift operation that seriously damaged the aircraft; and could have injured, or killed, several people.

The photos, and our running commentary, are included in the attachment. Many lessons/points are obvious to seasoned crash recovery folks; and represent a learning opportunity for all.

Regards, Wil Taylor

Trust - But Verify!

We believe to be true what we prefer to be true.

For those who believe, no proof is required; for those who cannot believe, no proof is possible.

 

[MikeHalloran]

Position of the plane relative to the pylon in the various pictures suggests that the operator may have attempted to 'boom out' under load, which is Mistake Number Zero in crane operations.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[MiketheEngineer]

OH $hit - too bad - pretty airplane!!

 

[ornerynorsk]

Enough to make you cry!

It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all.

 

[IRstuff]

Was that Pensacola NAS? The background looks very familiar.

TTFN
faq731-376

 

[PHovnanian]

Where is the forward outrigger on the crane after it tipped? The photo isn't too clear. I see an extended hydraulic cylinder behind the cab which would suggest that it broke. But if that's not it, it appears that it must have sank into soft ground.

If the outrigger broke and it wasn't due to an overload (possibly the load swinging in a breeze), there's not much the crew could have done different. Other than inspecting their equipment before use.

 

[GrandpaDave]

Damn... It makes you sick looking at those photos. Several years of work and $$$ destroyed in seconds. One cannot blame the engineers on this one. It has to be operator error and/or the process was not thought thru properly. I would assume (i.e., Assumption the Mother of all Screw-ups) the operator’s manual, if followed, would have prevented this accident.

It would be interesting to read the accident report when available. --- Grandpa

 

[boo1]

1957 Douglas A4 Skyhawk at the former Alameda Naval Air Station, in 2011. Youtube has some videos on it. Plane was 5500 pounds. I think they blamed some ground and too much boom