Water-skiing at 100,000 pounds - Netherlands Royal Navy flight maneuver off Lajes, Azores - Column - Statistical Data Included - Evaluation

Approach, Jan, 2002 by Drew Mitchell

I remember feeling my arm tense as the option to firewall it, get off the ground, and take my chances airborne went through my mind. But, almost as fast, I decided that getting air-borne would be asking for even more trouble and opted to stay on the ground.

I said, "Down, right," on the ICS. My copilot, on the yoke, tried to push the nosewheel down to regain some control and to keep the upwind wing forced down. I moved No. 1 and No. 2 power levers to full reverse and No. 3 and No. 4 forward. With the power levers positioned, the four big windmills on the wings immediately took over. Constant-speed propellers were a great thing to have, straightening us out before we hit a dry spot.

Time compression (as well as seeing my life flash before my eyes) makes it hard to guess accurately, but I would say we hydro-planed for six to eight seconds, traveling the better part of 1,000 feet. You haven't lived until you look down the runway centerline out your port window in a 45-degree skid. I had visions of all the cartwheeling airplanes I had seen in movies, which was something I could soon experience.

We came to a stop with the left mainmount on centerline, a little over 1,000 feet of runway remaining and the rest of the flight station (especially me) not believing what had just happened. I set the parking brake on the runway to check for crew injuries or damage to the aircraft, and also to take a deep breath. We looked at each other in silence, which was broken by the control tower giving us permission to taxi and asking us for the braking action. Apparently they hadn't been paying attention to what we had just done. I replied, weakly, "Poor and roger." After a few more seconds, we slowly taxied to the line.

Weather is never something to be taken for granted, especially in a place like Lajes that is known for high winds. Standing water and mid-to-end-runway, wind-condition reports were not given, but then again, I never asked for them. This led to a practical display of dynamic hydro-planing. Even when making the best decisions with the best information available, flight crews still can find themselves pushed into a box. Sometimes this box is not evident until after the fact, and I think that is what happened to me. I could have destroyed one of the Queen's aircraft, instead of having a good story and a couple of new gray hairs.

Lt. Mitchell is an exchange pilot with the Dutch Navy at Det Valkenburg.