The Air Force Materiel Command has publicly admitted to a mishap in which an Air Force test pilot crew got the ride of their life in April of this year. An AC-130J Ghostrider, an airplane weighing as much as 164,000 pounds, went inverted during a test flight and was severely damaged, a mistake that is costing taxpayers $115 million.
AC-130J Ghostrider Damaged in Flight Test
Key Takeaways:
- An Air Force AC-130J Ghostrider test aircraft was severely damaged and declared a total loss, costing taxpayers $115 million, after it inverted during a test flight in April.
- The primary cause was attributed to the crew's excessive and subsequently inadequate rudder inputs, leading to a loss of control during a steady heading sideslip maneuver.
- Contributing factors included instrumentation and warning system issues, spatial disorientation, crew confusion, and insufficient procedural guidance.
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