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64-0550


DC10FE
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OK, it's time for my occassional request for photos of 64-0550 after it ran off the runway at NAS Naples, Italy back in the late 1970's/early 1980's. I don't think I've requested them on this "new" board and since there are a lot of new faces here (as compared to the old web site), I figured I'd try again.

I know there are some photos out there as I saw them after they moved the airplane from the end of the runway to the Navy ramp. It sat there for a long time before being repaired. All I can remember is that the FE was TSgt Billy Legg & the copilot was 1Lt Bill Beale. He was making the landing and came in extremely fast. They went around, I think, & came in fast the second time, too. They did a 180 on the runway & tore off one of the main gears & even damaged the elevator, among other things.

The last I heard, Billy Legg was working the sim at Pope. The AC resigned his commission soon after the incident.

Thanks,

Don R.

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When I was at Rhein-Main 79-81, it was repaired enough to get back to Rhein-Main and then to PDM. The Right MLG and fairing were repaired along with the wing. The SPR panel was torn out in the mishap and was not replaced until PDM, I know that for a fact as I was one of several that got to do the "over the wing" refuel, maxed out all tanks for the flight to PDM.

This was in the latter part of summer of 1980.

I don't think I have any pictures of this acft, but I will look in the old slides

box.

Rex

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Tell me I'm wrong...I know its been a long time since I did any safety wiring but looks to me like the nuts are wered backward. I know I'm nit picking but being an old QC guy and trying to keep my mind stright. Also is the picture upsidedown? I do not remember the bolts being installed bottom up.

Muff

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Someone please correct me if I am wrong but here is what I seem to remember.

The safety wire is single strand through the cotter pin holes in the bolts instead of using cotter pins. In an emergency, the safety wire can be cut and removed much easier/quicker than cotter pins. The bolts are installed upside down to aid in nut removal and to keep hands some what out of the way should the crew be required to free fall the gear.

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Yes, the bolts are installed up in that union, with the safety wire running thru all 4 of them.

The new style is a quick disconnect, poorly designed in my opinion. It's a pain to safety wire, and it's safetied on the bottom on the union, just to make it harder. Harder to install, and harder to cut off.

Unfortunately, I was off the day they came up with the design...

Edited by tinyclark
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When they took it off the runway there at Napoli, I seem to remember being told it was day one of their ORI, not a sterling start eh, been a long time since I talked with Billy Legg about it, and yes the last time I was at pope in 2000 he was still working the sim.

Got many an hour on that plane, don't seem to remember it being any worse off than any of the other birds (other than 502, that thang was cursed).

Dan

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  • 2 weeks later...

Actually isnt that from the Italian PDM guys screwing up the hanger input there at bridisi?

Other cursed things that happened to 502 during desert shield/storm

Crew backing it out of parking from Al Ain, all throttles to reverse and #3 stays in ground idle, return other throttles to ground idle and #4 stays in reverse (I think that's how it went) and if I remember it right it was a throttle cable thing!! It sat as "supply store on the hoof" for several months until just before the shooting war started. Forward deploy to Fhad and one morning I'm up on top of 8240 with Frank Wells when I hear him say "Oh Fu*k" and I look up in time to see 502 sailing backwards over these HUGE paved drainage ditches (like 25 or 30 foot across and like 15 deep) and it comes to rest with the sloping longerons across the far bank, the belly on the near bank and the GTC winding down because the MLG are dangling in the air:eek: Now that is a picture I would really love to have.

I guessed who was responsible before I even seen him crawling out of the door, a real klownshoe named mike(?) bolton. Seems the crew stopped about five or ten feet too far out to suit him so after they left he sets the brakes, kicks chocks and moves them back the amount he wants, goes upstairs, starts the GTC and releases the brakes.

Now to set this up, there is a HUGE slope to this ramp running back to the drainage ditches AND the plane has a full load of gas. Well guess a plane weighing 130~140K can pick up some momentum rolling downhill for ten feet and guess what the chocks DIDNT do - yup you guessed it sports fans, plane didnt even hiccup, just kept a going10171.gif

He couldnt figure out why the brakes didnt work either since he had the GTC running, guess he should have turned on the aux pump huh.

Same Idiot they caught running engines on another plane the week before BY HIMSELF just cause he wanted too....suicide.gif

Guess what, his penalty was becoming an instructor at Sheppard, geez he should have been shot insteadsigpic1892_3.gif

Dan

Edited by Dan Wilson
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