Afghanistan B747 Crash: Inbalance Loads Lead to Stall

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the crash of a B747 in Afghanistan, with a focus on the potential causes related to imbalanced loads and the role of the loadmaster in securing cargo. Participants explore various aspects of the incident, including responsibilities, possible failures, and the need for further investigation.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that a sharp pitch up and stall indicate a possible load shift, leading to the crash.
  • Questions arise regarding who was responsible for securing the load, with references to the role of the loadmaster.
  • There is uncertainty about whether the loadmaster is a crew member or part of the military ground staff, which affects accountability.
  • Some participants speculate about the possibility of sabotage, questioning the integrity of the cargo securing process.
  • Others emphasize that there could be multiple failure modes, including potential flight control failures, and stress the importance of waiting for the investigation to conclude.
  • Several participants express skepticism about speculation without evidence, advocating for patience until the investigation provides clarity.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that the investigation is necessary to determine the cause of the crash, but multiple competing views remain regarding the responsibilities and potential failures involved.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations in understanding the exact roles of crew members versus ground staff, and the discussion reflects uncertainty about the specifics of the cargo securing process and the implications of potential failures.

Andre
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A hair raising crash

From what can be observed on the video, a sharp pitch up and stall supports the supposition of the article:

According to a listener on frequency the crew reported the aircraft stalled due to a possible load shift.

When the center of gravity exceeds limits, due to inbalanced loads, there is not a lot you can do.

Sad.
 
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That's just nasty.
Who was responsible for securing the load?
 
The "Loadmaster" secures the cargo. He also, according to customary practices, flies on that flight.
 
And he is listed as a member of the crew.
 
Okay. I know about loadmasters in a cohesive unit; in this case I wasn't sure whether it was a crew member or part of the military ground staff. (In the latter case, they wouldn't care if they screwed it up.)
 
I wasn't sure whether it was a crew member or part of the military ground staff. (In the latter case, they wouldn't care if they screwed it up.)

I can't imagine any military member so lackadaisical.

Do you think there could be skullduggery afoot? It'd sure be easy to sabotage a tiedown strap.
 
It is always possible there was some kind of failure even if the cargo was correctly strapped.

The only way to be at least partially sure is to wait till the investigation ends.
 
And today a KC135...


http://www.ajc.com/news/ap/defense/us-military-plane-crashes-in-kyrgyzstan/nXfgh/

One resident of the agricultural and sheep-grazing area said the plane exploded in flight.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Borek said:
It is always possible there was some kind of failure even if the cargo was correctly strapped.

The only way to be at least partially sure is to wait till the investigation ends.

Plus one, you're absolutely right. It could be just as well a flight control failure.
 
  • #10
Plus Two! Surmising, guessing, speculating, and so on are completely useless and only stimulate others to try to imagine what happened. Wait for the investigation to be completed. If possible, the cause will become known.
 
  • #11
jim hardy said:
And today a KC135...
And again, an unpleasant situation. I'm a bit surprised, because I always thought that tankers carried a flight engineer...
 

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