The media team at Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque, New Mexico, first reported the story of how a civilian air traffic controller—Wendy Smith—working in Kirtland Tower saved the six-person flight crew of an Air Force CV-22, and avoided a $90 million accident. Cassidy is a 12-year veteran controller at Kirtland.
Tower Controller Credited With Save of CV-22 at Kirtland AFB
Key Takeaways:
- Civilian air traffic controller Wendy Smith at Kirtland AFB averted a $90 million accident and saved a six-person CV-22 flight crew.
- Smith noticed an anomaly with the aircraft's right prop-rotor during a night tactical sortie takeoff and alerted the crew, prompting them to return.
- Maintenance later discovered a critical pitch link bearing failure that would have led to catastrophic aircraft and crew loss within an hour if the flight had continued.
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