Blown away on the flight deck

Mech, Winter, 2003 by Brian McKinzie

It was another night on the flight deck, nothing out of the ordinary. We had one aircraft land and taxi toward the bow for a hot pump and crew switch. The yellowshirts parked that jet so the exhaust was pointing off the port side of the bow. Some area between the aircraft and the deck edge still remained, and one flight-deck crewman found out how dangerous this area is.

I was standing at the port wingtip when the yellowshirt gave the signal to insert chocks and tie down the jet. I watched a blueshirt move from the port side of the aircraft toward the starboard main mount, but she wasn't directly under the wing. In fact, she was headed straight for the exhaust.

Just as she crossed the port exhaust, she was blown down on the deck. I ran to grab her, pulling the blueshirt off the deck and out of jet exhaust's path. She kept trying to grab the chock she had dropped, but I wouldn't let her get it. The exhaust pushed the chock all the way to the deck-edge scupper, and the hot whirlwind would have taken her over the edge had I not intervened. She was a little shaken, but she was thankful another shipmate had helped out.

We are under the gun to reduce mishaps 50 percent, so when you're on the carrier deck, always be aware of your surroundings. Look out for other shipmates, and make sure they don't walk behind an aircraft's exhaust or put themselves on other danger. Look out for No. 1, also, because you could be blown off the flight deck and into the open sea. In this incident, the blueshirt was not hurt and walked away with only an injury to her pride.

50% Mishap Reduction Opportunity

Exhaust Damage and Injuries, FY99-03

The Naval Safety Center database shows 16 aircraft damaged and four people blown down or overboard in the last five years (we suspect some events go unreported). Two aircraft had Class A damage, and the total damage cost was $2,788,345.

Type-aircraft breakdown:

FA-18   5
E-2     2
P-3     1
E-6     1
H-60    1
EA-6    1
F-14    1
S-3     1
C-130   1
AH-1    1
AV-8    1

Aircrew, maintainers and yellowshirts must make sure aircraft are clear of destructive jet exhaust, prop wash, and rotor down wash. Flight-deck personnel must maintain SA to avoid swimming with the fishes.

AMEI(AW/SW) McKinzie works in the QA shop at VAQ-139.