Increased pitch angle by the pilot while landing an E-4B aircraft at night on May 12 at Offutt AFB, Neb., caused the tail to strike the runway and incur damage, according to the results of Air Combat Command’s accident investigation. The tail and the lower fuselage sustained about $3.1 million in damages. The pilots and crewmembers were not injured. The members of the accident investigation board identified several factors that contributed to the accident, including pilot misperception of operational conditions and procedural error. E-4B aircraft serve as airborne command and control platforms for the President and Pentagon leadership during national emergenices. (Langley release) (AIB executive summary)
The use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border this week—which prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to abruptly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas—will be a “case study” on the complex web of authorities needed to employ such weapons near civilian areas and the consequences of agencies…
