A lapse in maintenance caused the rupture of fuel tank within the left wing of an E-8C surveillance aircraft, which led to an in-flight emergency at a forward operating location March 13, Air Combat Command said yesterday.
An accident investigation board determined that a subcontractor left a mechanical test plug in the climb vent during maintenance, which resulted in increased pressure inside the fuel tank as the aircraft climbed in altitude, according to a report released by the command.
The E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) aircraft was assigned to the 116th Air Control Wing, based out of Robins AFB, Ga., and temporarily deployed in support of overseas contingency operations.
The increased pressure led to a series of noises and vibrations during in-flight refueling, and the crew elected to abort the mission. The crew declared an in-flight emergency and returned to their base where they landed without incident. There were no injuries, and damage to the aircraft is estimated at approximately $25 million.
Prime contractor Northrop Grumman [NOC] released a statement saying that the company “takes the safety of our armed forces and the mission capability of the E-8C Joint STARS fleet very seriously.” A number of corrective actions have been implemented into the depot work and quality control processes, according to the statement.
Air Force spokeswoman Capt. Jennifer Ferrau said yesterday that the accident report was sent to the proper contracting and litigation authorities for an evaluation of recovery options for the $25 million in damages.