Incident Overview
Date: Sunday 24 February 1985
Aircraft Type: Lockheed KC-130H Hercules
Owner/operator: Royal Saudi Air Force – RSAF
Registration Number: 1620
Location: Riyadh Air Base (XXN) –
ÿ Saudi Arabia
Phase of Flight: Approach
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 8 / Occupants:
Component Affected: KC-130 tanker airplane’s flight control system and pilot’s control input.KC-130 tanker airplane’s flight control system and pilot’s control input.
Category: Accident
A KC-130 tanker airplane approached Riyadh Air Base at a high altitude, overriding a controller’s recommendation for a 360-degree turn to reduce altitude. The pilot subsequently lost altitude by slipping, resulting in control loss and a crash near the runway.A KC-130 tanker airplane approached Riyadh Air Base at a high altitude, overriding a controller’s recommendation for a 360-degree turn to reduce altitude. The pilot subsequently lost altitude by slipping, resulting in control loss and a crash near the runway.
Description
The Royal Saudi Air Force KC-130 tanker airplane was much too high when approaching Riyadh Air Base. The controller recommended a 360-degree turn to lose altitude but the pilot decided to lose altitude by slipping. The fuel inside the airplane was swapping back and forth with movements that caused the pilot to lose control of the airplane. The Hercules crossed a busy road and crashed just short of runway 01.
Primary Cause
Pilot error and deviation from established procedures due to a lapse in judgment.Pilot error and deviation from established procedures due to a lapse in judgment.Share on:
