john@asuvax.eas.asu.edu (John Moore) (03/27/91)
From: micquis!john@asuvax.eas.asu.edu (John Moore) Due to mailer screwups, my request for P-3 Orion MidAir information had the wrong return address. Since the moderator had asked that all responses be sent directly to me, please send responses to my questions on that incident and previous incidents of P-3 crashes to: asuvax.eas.asu.edu!anasaz!micquis!john. I will summarize to the net. Note that asuvax does NOT know the path to micquis - it is unpublished (because it is temporary).
mbk@netcom.com (Miles Kehoe) (04/06/91)
From: mbk@netcom.com (Miles Kehoe) >Due to mailer screwups, my request for P-3 Orion MidAir information had >the wrong return address. Since the moderator had asked that all responses >be sent directly to me, please send responses to my questions on >that incident and previous incidents of P-3 crashes to: > asuvax.eas.asu.edu!anasaz!micquis!john. I heard an interesting story the day before the recent mid-air from a friend that he had recently noticed 'black' p-3s coming in and out of Moffett Naval Air Station where the 2 aircraft involved in the mid-air were based. He added (the day before the crash) that "black p-3s are specially equipped for sub tracking, with more electronics than the normal p-3" and that they send the black p-3s in when they have a hard siting on a sub they really want to track. Isn't it interesting that a day after several of these 'black' p-3s were flying around that 2 of them should hit out in the middle of the ocean.... of course, they might have been 'changing posts' as the news reported... but then again... my first reaction was "How could two of those planes be so unlucky as to be in the same time and place over such a big ocean?".. unless of course there was something really interesting near them... AND, of course, a helicopter just happened to be passing by 60 miles offshore to witness the explosion.... hm.. (Food for thought..?)
stevenp@decwrl.pa.dec.com (Steven Philipson) (04/17/91)
From: stevenp@decwrl.pa.dec.com (Steven Philipson) [Carl] requested that mail go directly to John Moore on this one, but I can't reach him with the address that was posted. asuvax.eas.asu.edu!micquis!john (John Moore) asks about P-3 losses. There was a recent loss of a P-3C in northern California prior to this fall's Moffet Field Air Show (1990). A very low time aircraft was destroyed while practicing for a flight demonstration for the air show. A friend who works at Moffet reported that the aircraft landed hard while practicing a short field landing maneuver. At least one main gear failed on impact. The aircraft departed the runway and burned to destruction. Very little was salvageable. Steve stevenp@decwrl.dec.com
stevenp@decwrl.pa.dec.com (Steven Philipson) (04/18/91)
From: stevenp@decwrl.pa.dec.com (Steven Philipson) mbk@netcom.com (Miles Kehoe) writes; > He added (the day before the crash) that "black p-3s are specially > equipped for sub tracking, with more electronics than the normal > p-3" and that they send the black p-3s in when they have a hard > siting on a sub they really want to track. My source at Moffet tells me that this is incorrect. There are no "black" P-3s. There are dark grey P-3s, but there is nothing special about them. This is simply the latest paint scheme. All P-3s that are refurbished and repainted are given this scheme. The color scheme does not correlate with the revision level of the avionics. I can confirm the color being grey. It was possible to get get within about 10 feet of these aircraft during this year's airshow at Moffet. The older scheme is a lighter shade with a white top, the later being an attempt to reduce the air conditioning load. [Umm, I think Mr. Kehoe is using "black" to refer to secret programs, not painting. --CDR] > [...] my first reaction was "How could two > of those planes be so unlucky as to be in the same time and place > over such a big ocean?".. unless of course there was something > really interesting near them... Both aircraft were on a training mission. They were in the process of handing off control of the sector from the aircraft leaving station to the aircraft arriving. This is a routine operation. The SOP is for the aircraft to be at different altitudes. I've not seen any official explanation for why both aircraft were at the same altitude. Weather at the time ws pretty bad though, and could have been distracting. (This was reported in the local papers and Aviation Week.) > AND, of course, a helicopter just happened to be passing by 60 miles offshore > to witness the explosion.... hm.. Sub-hunting helicopters participate in exercises with P-3s. Steve stevenp@decwrl.dec.com