The accident investigation board convened by Air Mobility Command to review a Nov. 2, 2009, incident with a C-21 at Ali Base, Iraq, has found the flight crew responsible for letting the aircraft depart the end of the runway and sustain about $1.8 million in damage. According to an AMC release Feb. 3, there were four crew-related factors involved. First, the crew didn’t reduce speed and altitude sufficiently. Second, they failed to complete the checklist for a high speed partial flap landing. Third, they didn’t realize they hadn’t enough runway left. And, fourth, the crew failed to initiate a go-around to ensure there was sufficient runway for a safe landing.
Gas is king in the vast expanse of the Pacific. And as the Pentagon has sought to build up its capability to deter China, the Department of Defense has undergone a major rethink about how to get fuel to the region. At the heart of the effort is the U.S. Transportation…