Incident Overview

Date: Wednesday 7 August 2002
Aircraft Type: Lockheed MC-130H Combat Talon II
Owner/operator: United States Air Force – USAF
Registration Number: 90-0161
Location: near Caguas – ÿ Puerto Rico
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 10 / Occupants: 10
Component Affected: MC-130 aircraftMC-130 aircraft
Category: Accident
A MC-130 aircraft, departing Borinquen, flew two low-level routes used by the Puerto Rico ANG. After cresting a ridgeline, the aircraft experienced a descent and struck a ridgeline at 2018 feet MSL. The crew initially attributed the obstacle warning to weather conditions, continuing the descent despite the warning. A subsequent climb by the Hercules led to the impact.A MC-130 aircraft, departing Borinquen, flew two low-level routes used by the Puerto Rico ANG. After cresting a ridgeline, the aircraft experienced a descent and struck a ridgeline at 2018 feet MSL. The crew initially attributed the obstacle warning to weather conditions, continuing the descent despite the warning. A subsequent climb by the Hercules led to the impact.

Description

The MC-130 departed Borinquen to fly segments of two low-level routes that are used by the Puerto Rico ANG. After cresting a ridgeline power was reduced and the aircraft began a descent. The crew received an obstacle warning, but the crew believed this was caused by the weather (driving rain and heavy fog) and descent was continued. The Hercules eventually began to climb again until it struck a ridgeline at 2018 feet MSL. PROBABLE CAUSE: “By clear and convincing evidence, the cause of this mishap was an uncharacteristic loss of situational awareness by the entire mishap flight deck crew and the subsequent lack of an appropriate response to obstacle warnings. The Board President further found the following factors substantially contributed to the mishap: overall crew preparation, a misdirected focus on the weather, crew resource management dynamics, and crew judgment as it relates to existing directives.”

Primary Cause

Uncharacteristic loss of situational awareness by the entire mishap flight deck crew and the subsequent lack of an appropriate response to obstacle warnings.Uncharacteristic loss of situational awareness by the entire mishap flight deck crew and the subsequent lack of an appropriate response to obstacle warnings.

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