The airfield is closed! The skid mark told the tale of where we touched down …

Combat Edge, March, 2004 by Casey Keibler

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The lessons learned in our little escapade are that things can go to hell in a hand basket real quick. And, it's not just bad guys and bullets that you need to be wary of. Just because you're in a war zone doesn't mean the airplane miraculously stops breaking. We hadn't been shot, which was the first thing that popped into my mind when I felt the airplane snaking its way back and forth over the centerline and hearing the LM saying he saw something hanging off the right side. Rather, the tire had a mechanical failure.

We were all geared up for the anti-aircraft artillery and Manned Portable Anti-Aircraft Defense threats on the ground, and each of us breathed a little sigh of relief and let our guard down when we felt the gear touch down. The blown tires and subsequent ELT (which was ours and we can't figure out why) was the wake-up call that brought us all right back in the game.

Another lesson I learned was once the airplane stops, the emergency isn't magically over. I was still pumped full of adrenaline and had a hard time articulating to the tower the nature of our plight. This illustrated yet another lesson, the need to heed basic Crew Resource Management training: speak clearly and concisely and make affirmative statements all the time.

The egress went smoothly but highlighted the importance of being prepared. We should've briefed the passengers, and the crew for that matter, not to depart the paved surface should the need arise to egress. We should have thought more fully about where we were going and emphasized what we might need to do differently than normal.

The final lesson is, if space allows, throw an extra pair of underwear, a toothbrush, and a few overnight amenities in your flight kit before leaving the home 'drome. You never know when you'll get stuck out on the road.

This entire situation reminded me of the words of wisdom my dad imparted on me years earlier. Back in the 70s flying off carriers in Vietnam he said they had far more operational casualties than any the bad guys inflicted upon them. Sometimes, we can be our own worst enemy.

By Capt Casey Keibler, Youngstown ARB, Ohio