"304, your signal divert …" - Letter to the Editor

Approach, Dec, 2002 by Bill Dooris

"304, your signal divert."

"Hornet rep. I can't. I don't even have the fuel to bingo."

"Say state."

"1.7K useable."

(Insert sounds of CATCC exploding in chaos.)

How did I get into this box during a Case III night CQ? With a tank 4 fuel-transfer failure and a bolter. CQ means a relatively steady deck, a divert available (120 miles), and no tanker required (so none readily available).

This was our last sea period before deployment. We were all very proficient, having just completed the air-wing Fallon detachment and having received our last nugget two months earlier. JTFEX would be our last wicket before we finally could get on with our job.

But first, we would travel to the waters off Alaska for a joint exercise. Eighteen hours of daylight should outweigh the pitching decks we might experience. The initial plan was just to day CQ, since we would fall out of night currency in Alaska anyway. But, plans change, and we found ourselves behind the ship at night, with the deck moving plus- or minus-14 feet.

My CQ requirement was two traps. When I manned up, I noticed the left drop tank was only half full. Many cockpit switches also were set incorrectly, and the parking brake was off. I wondered what else I wasn't noticing. Since the purpleshirts on deck seemed to be ignoring the flight-deck chief's calls for fuel, I decided to transfer the drop-tank fuel into the jet. Add in a software-configuration caution that required an engine shutdown and a new digital-map load, and my good-deal day launch, pinky recovery, turned into a dark cat shot.

"304 airborne."

I turned downwind and reported, "Ready to come aboard."

Let's start the list: Radar is inop, the TACAN will not show up on the HIS, and the fuel won't dump. As I stationed overhead at 6,000 feet and troubleshot all the problems, I told my CATCC rep my delay would be due to the failing fuel dumps.

"Copy 304. Just confirm you have normal fuel transfer."

Of course I have normal transfer. Why would he ask that?

"Affirm rep, good transfer."

I actually could dump fuel at very high rpm, greater than 90 percent. Then the FUEL XFER and GLIM 7.5 G cautions illuminated, which drew my attention to the fuel page. It showed tank 4 full and tank 1 only one-third full, with 900 pounds.

This situation is strange for the Hornet. The jet has four internal fuel tanks (tank 1 being the most forward), and the signal-data converter (SDC) controls the tank 1 fuel transfer. To prevent the center of gravity from moving too far aft, the SDC allows tank 1 to transfer only after tank 4 has started to transfer into the feed tanks. If the farthest aft fuel cell (tank 4) fails to transfer anything, the SM will stop the transfer of the farthest forward cell until the low-fuel light comes on.

What does that all mean? I had 3,600 pounds of unusable able fuel, After dumping to my max trap of 5,900 pounds and a long vector, I called the ball with 5,500 pounds--certainly a very comfortable fuel state. It allowed for at least two additional looks at the deck before I reached bingo.

As I was calling the ball, the thought emerged that I actually didn't have 5,500 pounds to use for a divert. My bingo fuel was 2,800 pounds, which we bumped up at night to 3,600 pounds.

"Bolter. Bolter."

"Rep, 304 airborne. Can you look at my CG again?"

"304 rep. Your signal divert." (pause) "Hornet rep. I can't. I don't even have the fuel to bingo."

"Say state."

"1.7k useable."

All of a sudden, I was in a box, with only one way out: Land next pass or barricade.

I landed with 1,200 pounds usable.

What did I learn? Inform everyone as soon as you can of your usable fuel. Include this info on the ball call. NATOPS states that, with a tank 4 transfer failure, gravity transfer alone will be insufficient to transfer all the fuel, leaving as much as 2,500 pounds unusable.

The FA-18C charts show that, for a Lot XIV, it is impossible to go aft of the CG limit, regardless of the fuel-tank states.

When I really must get aboard in the future, I won't use auto-throttles.

Cdr. Dooris flies with VFA-113.