If you’re willing to read it, here goes. Short background. These were both failed landings at the Garrett Aireserch facility in Augusta’s Bush field (the only other facility was in Phoenix) on 1978. During that time those airframes with the TFE 731 and/or TPE 331 power plants were required to be brought in every 100 hours and gone through. Almost all of the customers were from central and or South America. You can do a quick google search and see what aircraft were equipped with these power plants. The attention of detail given to these aircraft during those scheduled maintenance programs when witnessed by even a casual observer, was to be honest, impressive. We even fabricated a test truck out of a 3500 GMC that allowed us to mount, test and validate engine performance prior to remounting on the aircraft. Basically a portable dyno.
The staff at that time was close to 100% former A/P guys from the Navy and Airforce. There were also (3) F4 pilots who also worked there and would sit in the copilots seat and verify the aircrafts performance prior to its return to its owner. Notice I said sit, not fly. They also did a lot of shuttle flying of Garretts own aircraft for the obviously high end clientele that owned these types of aircraft.
On the two flights I joked about upon (because I lived through them) occurred on runway 3. This is the runway that runs purpendicular to the main highway, and is know for occasional wind shear Alerts’s during late humid summer afternoons. Traffic control was still managed on site in the airport tower (it was shortly thereafter moved to Savannah).
On both occasions the contracted pilots were executing their approach, everything looked good. We had three in the green and attitude, airspeed, everything good until we crossed the outer markers. It was then we felt a “push”. Followed by the aircraft feeling as if it simply lost its airspeed and stalled, and the landing gear made hard contact against the gravel and concrete pliers that made up the leading edge of the tarmac.
Here is the leave it in the deck part: when the possibility of: best case (all the wheels, struts, are gone, but hydraulic fluid and tank fuel can be bussed close) allowing the pilot to attempt a belly to bring it to a stop. Obvious problem is the fuel. Without a dump you are dealing with a possible fire. Vs the worst case: partial gear on one side or nose gear inoperable, struts torn and partially imbedded into the fuselage (more of a problem on the Lear then the Mitz) loss of hydraulic fluid that is pumping out on to the surface of a hot airframe. And no way to determine fuel line ruptures, avionic failure, flaps, etc. And now you are back in the air. You leave it on the fucking ground. This was by the way the findings of the ensuing investigation on both mishaps.
What actually happened is on both occasions both pilots pulled them back in the air. Not having any knowledge of the severity of the damage, including whether they would even fly at that point.
The tower requested a fly by to try and attempt to evaluate what was hanging off, leaking from, etc. now, things may be different now. But in those days the guys fixing em, or employed by the company, even as pilots couldn’t touch the stick. Which was a big problem to us. Because we had a shit load more faith with the cat sitting in the copilot seat, who was one retired Capt. Benjamin Owen. Who had flown F4’s in Vietnam for two years. And had at least several thousand hours on the same aircraft we were in. Far more then the contractors who were at the controls.
The point of the most anxiety came after we did the flyby in the MU2. Looking at a dozen guys in white shirts and ties looking back at us. They radio us and state. Micro Alpha 281, you do not have left landing gear, repeat left gear is missing..a slight pause and then Good Luck. As we banked we saw the fire teams putting jelly across the runway. I’m talking huge tanker trucks shooting that foaming shit everywhere.
Benjemin looked straight at the pilot and gave him his options. As we flew around Augusta planning the next move and going over everything step by step we stayed over the swamp in case she just dropped. When we made the final approach we dumped the fuel, alarms went off. Emergency lighting triggered and we hit actually hit pretty soft. The problem was that the struts from the damaged gear grabbed the tarmac and shoved them up through their mounts into the hydraulic lines and electrical systems. And it spun the fucker like a top. Right tip tank jettisoned, fuselage broke, but stayed together. The spinning took us about 200’ off the runway into the adjacent field. Where all four of us walked away.
It was a hell of a ride. And as I had been flying since 1962, it was the first time I experienced a controlled crash.