Hey boss, are my lights on? - aircraft carrier mishaps - Statistical Data Included

Approach, June, 2002 by Matthew Hartkop

In the first instance, the yellowshirt, the shooter, the boss, and everyone else involved in the launch, all failed to notice my lights were off and shot me anyway. The second incident shows just how one person's habit pattern being disturbed could cause a mishap. Once you are put into tension, be ready to fly--immediately! On both launches, only a few seconds had elapsed between tension and being shot off the cat.

Make sure your takeoff checklist is complete (without the wipeout) before taxiing into the shuttle. As a personal technique, I will perform that checklist after final check and ready to taxi. By doing this, you already have done the checklist at least once before getting to the shuttle. The big items that will keep you alive are: flaps-half, trim 12, 30, 30, 30, and 16-degrees nose up (or as dictated by weight and asymmetry), and radar altimeter set to 40 feet.

Use the same scan down the cat every time. Airspeed should be the first priority on the stroke. In a Hornet, airspeed with more than three digits in the HUD usually indicates a good shot. Know what a good shot feels like, but never rely on seat-of-the-pants feel alone. Your instrument scan will save your life, so trust the instruments. Too many pilots have flown into the water because of spatial disorientation caused by a night-catapult shot. If your inner ear and instruments disagree, trust the instruments, climb away safely, and then work out your vertigo.

Finally, remember that thorough and correct habit patterns, knowledge of NATOPS procedures, and total situational awareness may save your life someday.

Lt. Hartkop flies with VFA-15.

Analyst comments: A common misperception is "three digits and I'm flying"--everyone knows the Hornet cannot fly away at 100 knots, yet it appears so on every cat shot. This is because of the inherent lag in the pitot-static system. The performance charts show a 110-knot stall speed for max, and 119-knot stall speed for mil with zero bank angle (with a--402 engine, at 44,000 pounds gross weight). Be sure to check fly-away speed on every shot.

Lt. Cads Barrel is the FA-18 analyst at the Naval Safety Center.