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Air Force Safety Memo

After the two Air Force investigations of the King-56 crash were completed, the Air Force issued two safety bulletins warning C-130 crews about the dangers of synchrophaser malfunction and four-engine rollback. Below is the April 30 memo (the other one was released April 25). Note that the safety memo reflects the testimony of Major Walt Mulder, and seems to contradict the claims of Col. Larry Landtroop, the Air Force Accident Board's president, who told WW that "four-engine rollback will not flame out an engine."

ROUTINE

 R 302025Z APR 97

 FM HQ AFSOC HURLBURT FLD FL//DOV//

 TO 352SOG RAF MILDENHALL UKJ/OGV//

 353SOG KADENA AB JA//OGV//

 193SOG HARRISBURG IAP PA//OGV//

 919SOW EGLIN AFB FL//OGV//

 ZEN/I60G HURLBURT FLD FL//OGV//

 INFO 580G KIRTLAND AFB NM/OGV//

 UNCLAS

 HQ AFSOC/DOV APR97 MSG 165

SUBJ: THlS MESSAGE CONTAINS INTERIM SAFETY SUPPLEMENTS FOR THE C-130 AIRCRAFT

DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: DlSTRIBUTlON AUTHORIZED TO U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND THEIR CONTRACTORS FOR ADMlNISTRATlVE OR OPERATIONAL USE (9 APR 97). OTHER REQUEST FOR THIS DOCUMENT SHALL BE REFERRED TO WR-ALC/LUTD, ROBINS AFB GA 31098-1647. WARNING: THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS TECHNICAL DATA WHOSE EXPORT IS RESTRlCTED BY THE ARMS EXPORT ADMINISTRATIVE ACT OF 1979, AS AMENDED, TITLE 50, U.S.C., APP 24101 ET SEQ. VIOLATION OF THESE EXPORT LAWS ARE SUBJECT TO SEVERE CRIMINAL PENALTIES. HANDLING AND DESTRUCTION NOTICE: COMPLY WITH DlSTRIBUTlON STATEMENT AND DESTROY BY ANY MEANS THAT WILL PREVENT DISCLOSURE OF THE CONTENTS OR RECONSTRUCTION OF THE DOCUMENT.

SHORT TITLE: ENGINE POWER LOSS

1. PURPOSE: TO PROVIDE FLIGHT CREWS WITH UPDATED INFORMATION RELATIVE TO FOUR ENGINE POWER LOSS.

2. GENERAL: FOUR ENGINE POWER LOSS PROCEDURES ARE AMENDED AS STATED IN THIS MESSAGE.

3. INSTRUCTIONS: THE PROCEDURES CONCERNING FOUR ENGINE POWER LOSS ARE AMENDED AS FOLLOWS:

ENGINE POWER-LOSS

 LOW VOLTAGE ON THE ESSENTIAL AC BUS CAN CAUSE ALL FOUR ENGINES TO LOSE TORQUE. WHEN THE AC VOLTAGE IS BETWEEN 50 AND 70 VOLTS, THE SYNCHROPHASER AND TEMPERATURE DATUM AMPLIFIER CAN MALFUNCTION CAUSING TORQUE TO DROP 2,000 INCH-POUNDS OR MORE. AN ANOMALY INVOLVlNG THE ESSENTIAL AC BUS CAN INDUCE AN EFFECT AMONG MULTlPLE SYSTEMS RESULTING IN A SIMULTANEOUS OR SEQUENTIAL POWER LOSS, NORMALLY AFFECTING ALL ENGINES. INDICATlONS MAY VARY AND INCLUDE ANY COMBINATlON OF ABNORMAL TORQUE, RPM, TIT, AND FUEL FLOW.

WARNlNG

IF CORRECTIVE ACTIONS ARE NOT INlTlATED PROMPTLY, FLAME OUT OF ALL ENGINES IS POSSIBLE.

WARNING

ON AIRPLANES EQUIPPED WITH GTC'S, WITH COMPLETE LOSS OF AC POWER, AIRSTART IS NOT POSSIBLE AFTER FOUR ENGINE FAILURE.

WARNING

ON AIRPLANES EQUIPPED WITH APU'S, AIRSTART OF THE APU/GENERATOR lS REQUIRED IN ORDER TO AIRSTART THE AIRCRAFT ENGINES AFTER FOUR ENGINE FAILURE.

THE FOLLOWING STEPS SHOULD BE TAKEN IF LOW VOLTAGE ON THE ESSENTIAL AC BUS, ENGINE POWER LOSS OR FOUR ENGINE POWER LOSS (ROLLBACK) IS ENCOUNTERED:

A. PLACE THE PROPELLER GOVERNOR CONTROL SWITCHES TO MECHNICAL GOVERNING.

NOTE

IF ALL FOUR PROPELLER GOVERNOR CONTROL SWITCHES ARE NOT PLACED IN THE MECH GOV POSITION PRIOR TO RESTORING POWER TO THE ESSENTIAL AC BUS, A SIGNIFICANT POWER FLUCTUATION MAY BE EXPERIENCED.

B. TURN OFF THE GENERATOR SUPPLYING THE ESSENTIAL AC BUS, NORMALLY NUMBER 2 GENERATOR, AND ENSURE THAT ANOTHER GENERATOR PICKS UP THE LOAD.

C. PLACE THE TEMPERATURE DATUM CONTROL VALVE SWITCHES TO NULL POSlTlON.

D. TURN OFF SYNCHROPHASER AND PULL ITS ESSENTIAL AC AND ESSENTIAL DC CIRCUIT BREAKERS.

WARNING

IF POWER LOSS CONDITIONS STILL PERSIST AFTER PULLING THE SYNCHROPHASER ESSENTIAL AC AND ESSENTIAL DC CIRCUIT BREAKERS, REMOVE THE SYNCHROPHASER FROM THE MOUNT AND STOW TO ELIMlNATE ANY SYNCHROPHASER INPUTS TO THE PROPELLER CONTROL ASSEMBLY.

E. LAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

WARNING

THESE PROCEDCURES SHOULD CORRECT THE LOSS OF POWER ON AN ENGINE OR ON FOUR ENGINES DUE TO LOW ESSENTIAL AC VOLTAGE, BUT THERE ARE OTHER MALFUNCTIONS THAT CAN CAUSE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER SUCH AS A FAILURE IN THE BLEED AIR SYSTEM. WHEN THE ABOVE PROCEDURES HAVE BEEN COMPLETED, THE CREW SHOULD CHECK ALL OTHER ESSENTIAL SYSTEMS FOR PROPER OPERATION. CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO AIRSTART OF AN ENGINE PREVIOUSLY SHUTDOWN FOR POWER LOSS SHOULD THE SITUATION BE CORRECTED.

4. THE FOLLOWING LIST IDENTIFIES THE APPLICABLE FLIGHT MANUAL, THE APPROPRIATE SECTION/PAGE FOR POSTING, AND THE NUMBER OF THIS SAFETY SUPPLEMENT.

A. T.O. IC-130B-ISS-13, SECTION 3, PAGE 3-21, AMEND EXISTING PROCEDURE. B. T.O. IC-130H-lSS-133, SECTION 3, PAGE 3-19, AMEND EXISTING PROCEDURE. C. T.O. IC-130(H)H-ISS-222. SECTION 3, PAGE 3-20. AMEND ENGINE POWER LOSS PROCEDURE. D. T.O. IC-130(M)E-ISS-I 14, SECTION 3, PAGE 3-19. AMEND EXISTING PROCEDURE. E. T.O. IC-130(M)H-ISS-26, SECTION 3, PAGE 3-17, AMEND EXISTING PROCEDURE. F. T.O. IC-130E(RH)-1 SS-118, SECTION 3, PAGE 3-21 1. ADD THIS SUPPLEMENT FOLLOWING ENGINE SYSTEMS FAILURE, PRIOR TO TD CONTROL VALVE SYSTEM MALFUNCTION. THIS SUPERSEDES T.O. IC-130(RF)-ISS-102. G. T.O. IC-130(A)H-ISS-32, SECTION, 3, PAGE 3-13, ADD THIS SUPPLEMENT PRIOR TO FIRST WARNING FOLLOWING ENGrNE FAILURE. THIS SUPPLEMENT SUPERSEDES ISS-9. H. T.O. IC-130(A)H-ISS-5, SECTION 3, PAGE 3-27, AMEND EXISTING PROCEDURE.

5. THIS IS A COORDINATED WR-ALC/LU/LB MESSAGE. POC FOR THIS SUPPLEMENT IS MR ALLEN L. POWELL, C-130 FMM, DSN 468-2982. FAX 468-3053.

6 HQ AFSOC POC IS SMSGT MIKE JOLLY, DOVW', DSN 579-4859.