B-52 Crash at Fairchild AFB in 1994

[Blackhawk]

This is a stretch, but does anyone have any information beyond the typical Wikipedia stuff on the 1994 Fairchild AFB involving a B-52H (Czar 52) that was flown by Arthur "Bud" Holland?  The incident has been used as a case study/teaching point for ethical decision-making & safety for a number of years.  I'm trying to create a more comprehensive case study for junior leaders.   

[coudano]

it's still being actively used today.

http://www.uscg.mil/safety/docs/CRM/Darker_Shades_of_Blue.pdf

if you search you can also find video of his 'tactical ridge crossing' extremely low altitude pass over a camera
and other "hot dogging" that he was doing leading up to the crash

[NIN]

http://www.uscg.mil/safety/docs/CRM/Darker_Shades_of_Blue.pdf

EDIT: Daggone it, Dano..

[coudano]

Also, by the way, in my opinion this case isn't about flight safety and CRM.
It's about the good ole boy network, and horrible command decision making (non-decision making).
Utter, repeated, blatant, failures of leadership, at multiple levels.

[PHall]

Headhunter, your local Flying Safety folks can probably give you lots of material about this needless act of manslaughter.

[Cliff_Chambliss]

You can also search for other similar writings by Anthony Kern.  I believe there is one titled "Rogue Pilot" that goes more into the background of the mindset of certain pilot types.

Dr. Kern wrote his paper "Darker Shades of Blue" when he was a student at the Air Unversity at Maxwell AFB.  You may want to check the Maxwell AFB Air University Bookstore/Library to see if they have any more of his writings.  (AU Press does have a large selection of safety materials on file). 

Of course with the current government shutdown the AU Bookstore website is offline.

[Flying Pig]

One piece of trivia is that piece you see flying off, just in front of the tail was determined to be the Co-Pilots ejection hatch.  The Co-Pilot was the only person allowed to fly with him, and coincidentally, it was his last flight.  His family was waiting for him to land with champagne and all. 

http://www.crm-devel.org/resources/paper/darkblue/darkblue.htm

This is probably one of the better break downs.  The biggest issue with the Czar 52 crash had very little to do with the crash.  The case study is the years that led up to it. 

[Flying Pig]

I would say before you reinvent the wheel, being a military officer, this case study has been broken down into nauseating detail  many many times.  Im sure someone at any one of the many schools officers attend will have something you could have access to. 

[PHall]

I would say before you reinvent the wheel, being a military officer, this case study has been broken down into nauseating detail  many many times.  Im sure someone at any one of the many schools officers attend will have something you could have access to.

That's why I directed him to the Flying Safety folks Rob, they have a ton of stuff about this crash and they just love to share it!

[flyboy53]

Talk to any one of the recent NSC graduates. This issue is one of the seminars.

[Майор Хаткевич]

Read the posted case study. Couldn't believe what I read.

[PHall]

Read the posted case study. Couldn't believe what I read.

Sickening, isn't it.

[abdsp51]

This is prime example of politics at work within the military.

[Майор Хаткевич]

This is prime example of politics at work within the military.

I don't know if it was politics so much as "keep bad news away". It is baffaling that so many wing commanders and their staff would willingly conceal. he issues, not really address them, or pass on the info to the next guy. Worse, the squadron level folks knew and tried, but were basically ignored.

[PHall]

Lt Col Holland had been anoited a "golden child" long before this accident.
Chief of Wing StanEval is a very political position, and only the "chosen ones" got that job.
The old 1st Combat Evaluation Group was nothing more then a large collection of "chosen ones".
Basically the guy was untouchable.


FYI: The 1st Combat Evaluation Group were the folks who did the evaluations on the Wing StanEval section and people in SAC.
These people had the power to end someone's career and they knew it too.
Assignment to this unit was very selective and was made by the StanEval Directorite at Headquarters SAC.
"Non-belivers" need not apply.

[Shuman 14]

Read the posted case study. Couldn't believe what I read.

Sickening, isn't it.

Just read it too... stunned.

[ColonelJack]

I had to read it twice to get the full impact.  What sickened me most was ... Holland took three other good officers with him when his luck ran out. 

From my reading, I gathered that everybody expected Holland to crash one day, which is why so many people put their careers on the line by saying they were not going to fly with him under any circumstances.  But for him to continue to get a free pass to do whatever he wanted, especially when his defiance was pretty much on the record ... wow.

Leadership fail all the way around.

Jack

[raivo]

What sickened me most was ... Holland took three other good officers with him when his luck ran out.

And one of them had his family watching. Horrific.

[Майор Хаткевич]

What sickened me most was ... Holland took three other good officers with him when his luck ran out.

And one of them had his family watching. Horrific.

Another put himself there to protect his followers.

[Blackhawk]

Sickening; I have seen people like him protected in organizations.

[Flying Pig]

I see it in LE also.  In a world that has a very low or even a zero defect type mentality, I never understood how a guy like this gets protected by those around him.   Even in law enforcement, there are guys who are a complete waste of a position, who are somehow "in the circle" protected by people who you would think would be the first to want that person gone.  Military, especially pilots, cops, firefighters, EMS are usually rule followers to an extreme.  But somehow people like this end up untouchable.  Don't get it. 

[JC004]

I see it in LE also.  In a world that has a very low or even a zero defect type mentality, I never understood how a guy like this gets protected by those around him.   Even in law enforcement, there are guys who are a complete waste of a position, who are somehow "in the circle" protected by people who you would think would be the first to want that person gone.  Military, especially pilots, cops, firefighters, EMS are usually rule followers to an extreme.  But somehow people like this end up untouchable.  Don't get it.

Blue Veil/Blue Shield kind of thing?

[Flying Pig]

No nothing sinister like that I just mean guys who are just not very good cops. I have been very fortunate that in my almost 17 years to see blatant dishonesty or anything criminal is dealt with pretty swiftly.

[THRAWN]

There was a good lecture on it in the ACSC. If I can dredge up the disk, I'll send you a copy.