So Hoser.... RE:2017 KC-13-T Mmississippi crash report......

[USMC88-93]

This does not paint a good Maintenance picture are all birds put through the same Depot level service (same place?)? Are service intervals and details different from one branch of Service to another or the Aircraft's actual assigned task?

Link to Militaary Times article on crash report.
https://www.militarytimes.com/2018/1...hat-killed-16/

Crash Animation

[Bailey Guns]

That's pretty horrible. Another KC-130 crashed near Japan a few days ago. It can be a dangerous business.

[USMC88-93]

That's pretty horrible. Another KC-130 crashed near Japan a few days ago. It can be a dangerous business.

Wasn't it yesterday? The refueling mishap off Hiroshima?

[Bailey Guns]

Could'a been. I don't remember...but that's the one.

[Ridge]

Jeez, that's terrible. Looks like it was nearly instantaneous from the first prop blade breaking off until the flight deck was separated from the rest of the aircraft.

I'm surprised and a bit impressed that the rearward section of the plane was rather intact in the field.

[Hoser]

I saw the report several months ago. Sent shivers down my spine.

I can't speak for other services maintenance schedules, but ours go through regular depot maint at a couple different places.

The Hurk that went down a couple nights ago off the coast of Japan refueling a FA-18 was a KC-130J.

[BushMasterBoy]

Maybe it is time for a retirement. The design has been flying since 1954. Surely we have something safer?

[Ridge]

The Hurk that went down a couple nights ago off the coast of Japan refueling a FA-18 was a KC-130J.

I was going to say, I'm surprised a J model would already have enough wear for something to happen. But reading the news, this was a mid-air collision with one of the Hornets??

[Bailey Guns]

Maybe it is time for a retirement. The design has been flying since 1954. Surely we have something safer?

The newest B-52 was delivered in 1961 or thereabouts. They're scheduled to be in service until at least 2040.

The C-130 is still in production and they're in high demand around the world. I think the AF is buying new J models rather than upgrade most older models because it's cheaper. It's pretty hard to argue with the success of the C-130 considering Harry Truman was president when the contract for the first AF C-130 was signed.

[Duman]

So one blade of a propeller cuts loose and slices into the air frame. A moment later a complete propeller assembly cuts loose and slices into the air frame opposite the first intrusion.

Effectively the air frame, within a fraction of a second, is decapitated. I can understand the micro-fractures causing the blade to cut loose.

I don't understand how an entire propeller can cut loose. I'm not familiar with the mechanical assembly connecting the propeller to the engine.