Flying a practice mission in preparation for a performance at the Arctic Thunder Air show at JB Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska, one of the best workhorses of the military crashed, killing all four of its crew members.
The C-17 accident took place approximately 6:15 p.m. local time, Wednesday, July 28.
The C-17 Globemaster is known for its durability as well as its steep combat takeoffs and landings. Ironically, the crash occurred approximately one minute after takeoff.
The Globemaster that crashed near Anchorage is one of 199 U.S. military C-17s based around the world.
Three of the four airmen who perished in the crash were members of the Alaska Air National Guard. The fourth crew member was active-duty Air Force from Elmendorf.
Having served more than 12 years in the Air National Guard, Major Aaron W. Malone had flown over 2,100 military flying hours. He routinely flew combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Major Michael H. Freyholtz flew 608 combat hours supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He recently accompanied the precision U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds throughout the Pacific, flying a C-17.
Captain Jeffrey A. Hill began his military career as an enlisted aircraft maintainer in 1998 and later earned his commission in 2002. In 2007 he was assigned to start up the new C-17A squadron in Alaska. He was a C-17A instructor pilot and operations flight commander for the 517th Airlift Squadron.
Serving more than 28 years in the military, Master Sergeant Thomas E. Cicardo only needed service in the U.S. Coast Guard to round out his resume. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps, the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force Reserve. He joined the Alaska Air National Guard in 1997. A highly decorated combat veteran, Master Sgt. Cicardo had 5400 flying hours and is credited with saving some 66 lives on the 58 search and rescue missions he was on.
Military grief counselors and chaplains are providing care to the grieving families and squadron co-workers while investigators search for the cause of the crash.
Examiner’s Note: Condolences to the loved ones of this heroic crew. Their combined service to our county cannot be measured in statistics alone.
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Comments
Video footage of the aircraft in its last moments reveal that the aircraft commander apparently exceeded safe airspeed/altitude operational limitations. Airspeed was insufficient (and altitude too low) to permit the highly aggressive banking maneuver indicated in the video footage, resulting in catastrophic loss of lift in this bank, followed immediately by a banking stall and crash. The C-17 has been shown to be a highly reliable and well designed machine (after early teething problems in development were resolved) and it has extraordinary STOL characteristics that permit it to do things few other large aircraft like it may accomplish. HOWEVER...even the CF-17 has its aerodynamic limits and the pilot-in-command seems to have exceeded those for the C-17. As sad as it may be, this accident appears (at least superficially, based on the flight video footage) to have been caused by pilot error. Even highly experienced pilots will sometimes perform maneuvers that end up in tragedy (as history have proven time and time again). I would like to be proven wrong, as a member of the Air Force community, but I doubt the accident investigation will make any other determination after it has been concluded. My sincere sympathy to the aircrew's survivors.
@Kalikiano Kalei, Thank you for this information. And, most of all, thank you for your service to this country.
~Examiner, Susy
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