Aftermath: Kandahar King Air

Peter Garrison

Monday, March 31, 2014 at 06:40 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

An Air Force MC-12W crashed due to a stall during a climb, initiated by the pilot using the autopilot's Vertical Speed (V/S) mode without sufficient power or monitoring, leading to a critical loss of airspeed.
The crew's attempts to recover from the stall and subsequent rapidly developing spiral were inappropriate, making pitch-up commands when a nose-down input was required, potentially influenced by misleading instrument cues.
The accident highlights critical lessons including the risks of V/S mode without airspeed monitoring, the importance of anticipating left yaw with sudden power changes in multi-engine aircraft, and the need for nose-down pitch in spin/spiral recovery regardless of PFD cues.
Contributing factors cited were pilot distraction, inexperience in the MC-12W type, and systemic program risks involving insufficient pilot preparation and a lack of qualified instructors in the operating theater.

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Since 2009, 42 Air Force MC-12Ws have been deployed to war zones in the Middle East. The MC-12W is a modified Beech King Air 350, externally similar except for a plethora of antennas and several unsightly bulges, including a huge belly pack. Communications and surveillance equipment and stations for two technicians replace the usual executive amenities.

Last April, an MC-12W crashed during a surveillance mission 110 miles northeast of its base in Kandahar, Afghanistan, killing its crew of four.