EXCELLENCE IN AIRMANSHIP
reprinted from The MAC FLYER, December 1982

Captain Brewer and crew, 75th MAS, Travis AFB, were on takeoff roll at Clark Air Base, Republic of the Philippines, when shortly after go speed, the crew of the C-5 heard a muffled "bang" from the right side of the aircraft, followed by a slight yaw to the right. Knowing he didn't have enough room to safely stop the crippled Galaxy, Captain Milton Brewer continued the takeoff and ordered gear up. Major Richard Batsford, in the jump seat, immediately announced that the number 3 engine had failed. Technical Sergeant Mark Warren, scanner, quickly moved to the copilot's window and scanned the right side. He reported the number 3 engine ablaze.

Reacting to the critical situation, Captain Brewer ordered the fire handle pulled and the fire agent discharged. Major Batsford pulled the fire handle while Captain Robert Johnson, the copilot, fired the agent. The AC then directed the jump seat pilot to handle the radios, and the copilot to start the in-flight- engine-shutdown checklist. The flight engineer, Staff Sergeant Phillip Peterman, began accomplishing the flight engineer's portion of the checklist. In addition, Master Sergeant Gary Villeneuve, another flight engineer who had been sitting in the crew compartment, came forward and started fighting the fire with the fire suppression system. Technical Sergeant Warren, meanwhile, had gone to the cargo compartment to scan for damage and reported the engine was still burning and the fire spreading.

Flying a tight, closed pattern and retracting the flaps, Captain Brewer had the copilot fire the second fire bottle to the number 3 engine. The scanner advised the crew that the fire was now beginning to climb the pylon. When the copilot tried to fire the second bottle, however, it wouldn't discharge.

The crew obtained an immediate landing clearance even though debris was reported on the runway. Captain Brewer ordered the before-landing checklist and configured the aircraft. As he made the turn to final, he advised the crew they would be landing long beyond the debris. Captain Brewer landed the still-burning Galaxy safely, using symmetrical thrust on the outboard engines, then applying maximum anti-skid braking to stop the aircraft about 1,000 feet from the end of the runway. Now the main job of the crew turned to safely evacuating the passengers from the stricken plane.

Prior to the landing, Staff Sergeant William Marshall and Airman First Class Michael Johns had briefed the passengers on what to expect. After the plane stopped, they gave the signal to evacuate, deploying the number 6 service door escape slide. The escape slide at the number 3 escape hatch failed, but Airman Johns was able to deploy it manually. In addition, Staff Sergeant Michael See, another loadmaster, opened the left troop door and deployed the escape rope located there as an alternate means of escape. As the passengers egressed from the aircraft on the slides, crewmembers assisted them. Staff Sergeant Daniel Guthrie, a flight engineer, directed the passengers to a safe location once they were on the ground. The remainder of the crew shut down the engines, completed emergency checklists, and egressed from the aircraft after the passengers.

Throughout this extremely critical emergency, Captain Brewer and his crew exhibited a calm, professional command of the situation. Their superior airmanship, superb procedural knowledge, and exceptional crew coordination were directly responsible for the safe recovery of a valuable aircraft. More importantly, their excellence in airmanship undoubtedly saved the lives of everyone on board the stricken Galaxy.

For their truly heroic performance, we at TMF salute Captain Brewer and his crew.

the BEST OVERALL AIRCREW IN THE MILITARY AIRLIFT COMMAND (MAC)
1982


Back row left to right: TSgt Eugene Clairborne, LM; TSgt Ralph Jones. LM; MSgt Gary Villeneuve, FE; SSgt Daniel Guthrie, FE; SSgt Michael See, LM.
Middle row left to right: A1C Michael Johns, LM; SSgt William Marshall, LM; SSgt Phillip Peterman, FE; TSgt Mark Warren, FE.
Front row left to right: Capt Milton Brewer, AC; Maj Richard Batsford, CP; Maj Kendall Wright, N; Capt Robert Johnson, CP.
Not pictured: SrA Stephen Hampton, Crew Chief.

'Pilot, our number 3 engine exploded! 
We have an emergency.'

75th MAS crew receives Tunner award for C-5 Galaxy save

reprinted from THE TAILWIND / SEPTEMBER 24, 1982
by Technical Sergeant G. P. McDonald
Travis Public Affairs

A 75th Military Airlift Squadron crew was named as "The best overall aircrew in the Military Airlift Command," by the Air Force Association at their 36th  Annual Convention held recently in Washington, DC.  They were the first to receive the new Lieutenant General William H. Tunner Crew award, one of the AFA's highest for saving a C-5 Galaxy and 73 passengers when the number three engine exploded on takeoff roll at Clark Air Base, Philippines.

Takeoff

It was about 7 o'clock the morning of June 7 and we were scheduled to fly from Clark to Cubi Point NAS, Philippines," said Brewer, the aircraft commander.  "Everything went normally until takeoff. As we reached takeoff speed, Johnson, the copilot, announced "go" and I pulled back on the yoke to get the nose in the air. At about the same time, we heard a loud bang from the right side of the aircraft.

We were at decision point and the nose was just starting to come up when this occurred.  I didn't know exactly what happened so I continued the take-off," he continued.  "It was a few seconds later when Major Richard Batsford, the first pilot, said, "We've lost number three!"

Fire

"We climbing and had reached about 100-foot altitude by the, time Technical Sergeant Mark Warren, flight engineer, got down stairs to the inspection port and announced we had a fire although the instruments didn't show it.  I shut down the engine and went back to flying the airplane while Captain Johnson raised the gear and pulled the fire handle." Since most of the engine cowling had been blown away in the explosion, the fire agent had no effect.

"We were now at about 500 foot altitude," the pilot said.  "Major Batsford was running the radios and everyone else were either calming passengers or running their own checklists.  I retracted the flaps and was going into a tight pattern to land when Captain Johnson tried to discharge the second fire bottle.  It didn't work either."

Emergency Landing

Further complicating Captain Brewer's job of landing the stricken airlifter were the pieces of shattered engine still lying on the runway. "We had to land short," the pilot said, "touching down with only about 5,500 feet of runway remaining." By applying full reverse thrust and some heavy brakes, Captain Brewer was able to stop the crippled giant within 1,200 ft. of the runway's end.

Witnesses on the ground said the fire was so big, flames were lapping up the pylon and over the wing. "By the time we . landed," the pilot said, "flames were shooting about 25- 50 feet in front of the engine and about 50 feet behind.

Handling the Passengers

"Because we were carrying a full load of 73 passengers and many of them were women, children and old people, everyone went back to assist in getting them out." Adding to the difficulty of the evacuation was dense white smoke covering the entire bottom of the aircraft. Also, the forward escape slide failed to deploy and had to be operated manually. "All of us got involved in some way," Captain Brewer continued. "I remember Technical Sergeant. Eugene Clairborne, one of the loadmasters, as he calmed a mother who got hysterical and safely carried her baby down the escape slide.   I'm proud to say that not one crewmember left the aircraft until all the passenger were safely off.

The Clark AB fire department arrived at the aircraft just as it stopped and had the fire extinguished by the time the last passenger got down the slide. "it's hard to imagine," Captain Brewer said, "the whole event from the time we discovered the problem until we were safely on the ground and the fire was extinguished, took only about 11 minutes.

Professional Crew

"Perhaps the best thing about the whole incident was the way the crew performed," Captain Brewer said. "They acted cool and professional throughout. Everyone knew what to do without my direction, and perhaps more important, they knew what not to do. It wasn't until much later that reaction to what had happened set in."

Other crew members named in the award are: Major Kendell J. Wright; navigator, Master Sergeant Gary L. Villenueve; flight engineer, Technical Sergeant Mark D. Warren; flight engineer, Staff Sergeant Phillip E. Peterman; flight engineer, Staff Sergeant Daniel H. Guthrie; flight engineer, Technical Sergeant Ralph D. Jones; loadmaster, Staff Sergeant William H. Marshall III; loadmaster, and Staff Sergeant Michael A. See; loadmaster.

Of the 12 crewmembers named award, nine were able to journey to Washington D.C. to receive it. The Tunner award is named after Lieutenant General William H. Tunner, a former commander of - States Air Forces, Europe, who went on to become the commander of MAC's forerunner, Military Air Transport Service.  He is credited with being the chief orchestrator of the 1949 Berlin Airlift.
 

Calm heroics earn local C-5A crew top honor
Plane avoided tragedy despite faulty engine

By DENNIS AKIZUKI
The Fairfield Daily Republic
Thursday, September 23, 1982


A Travis C-5A crew is happy to receive the Air Force Association's award the Military Airlift Command's top aircrew, but they'd rather not repeat the feat that won them the honor.

On June 7, at Clark Air Base, Philippines, one of the four turbo-fan engines on the mammoth C-5A cargo jet aircraft, with 73 passengers aboard, exploded on take-off.

The 12-man crew made a "flawless landing with the engine remnants still on fire, and in danger of spreading to the wing fuel tanks.

"There were no injuries to crew or passengers.

In recognition of the effort, the AFA presented the crew with the Gen. William H. Tunner Crew award at the annual convention in Washington D.C.

"We think its fantastic. We're very proud of it," said aircraft commander Capt. Milton M. Brewer of the award, which began this year.

Other members of the recipients are:
Maj. Robert Batsford, first pilot; Maj. Kendall J. Wright, navigator; Master Sgt. Gary L. Villenueve, flight engineer; Staff Sgt. Phillip E. Peterman, flight engineer; Tech. Sgt. Mark. D. Warren, flight engineer; Staff Sgt. Daniel H. Guthrie, flight engineer; Tech. Sgt. Eugene R. Clairborne, loadmaster; Tech. Sgt. Ralph D. Jones, Loadmaster; Staff Sgt. William H. Marshall III, Loadmaster; and Staff Sgt. Michael A. See, loadmaster.

This week, Brewer, 32, and co-pilot Capt. Robert C. Johnson, 28, calmly recounted the harrowing minutes on and above Clark Air Base that clear June morning.
"Everyone knew what to do and when to do it without much direction from me," said Brewer, who was on his first mission as a new aircraft commander.

"At the same time they knew what not to do.  "There's nothing that specifically directs what to do in this particular situation.  "There was a lot of good judgment made by all crew members."  The 75th MAS C-5 was taxiing for take-off.  As Johnson gave Brewer the "go" word to take off, the C-5A experienced an engine failure.

A dull pop was heard, but the warning lights failed to register. "I continued to take off," Brewer said.  "It wasn't until a few seconds later that Maj. Batsford said we were losing number three (engine)."  The fact was the $97.1 million Lockheed aircraft had lost the engine.  It had exploded, spraying debris over hundreds of feet of the runway.  People on the ground later told the crew that when the engine exploded, flames shot out about 50 feet in front and 50 to 100 feet out the back.

"SSgt. Warren looked out from the co-pilot's seat and said we were on fire," Brewer said.

"Descriptions of people from the ground described it as a gigantic log on fire," said Johnson, who immediately pulled the extinguisher handle.  But the chemical agent had no effect.

Anxiety kept building," Brewer said. "We were 500 feet above the ground level and I brought the aircraft into a tight right turn to move into a landing position.'" Batsford operated the radio, while other crew members went down their checklists or calmed the passengers and planned exit from the plane upon landing.  Johnson pulled the handle to the second extinguisher, but it failed to discharge.

Debris from the explosion forced Brewer to land the aircraft in the middle of the runway.  Using emergency braking procedures and reverse engine thrust, the cargo plane ground to a halt about 4,300 feet after touching down, only about 1,200 feet from the end of the runway.  A C-5 usually requires 6,000 feet for landings.

"When we hit the ground, the whole bottom portion of the plane was engulfed in white smoke from the fire," Brewer said.

Crew members helped the passengers disembark through escape chutes.  Clairborne calmed a hysterical mother and then carried her baby down the chute, while Brewer helped an elderly man off the aircraft.  The most commendable aspect, Brewer said, was the entire crew reacted "very professionally and stayed real calm. It wasn't until after that people started shaking."

Total damage to the C-5A was about $300,000 and the aircraft was repaired in 10 days and flown back to Travis.

The Clark incident, along with a similar occurrence near Altus AFB, temporarily limited C-5 operations to high priority flights.  Cause of the explosion was a combustion chamber failure.

                          
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