B-52 Loses Engine While Flying Over North Dakota

[FunkyZero]

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2017/01/05/b52-loses-engine-flying-north-dakota.html

An engine fell from a B-52 Stratofortress bomber Wednesday while the aircraft was flying over North Dakota, according to the U.S. Air Force.

The incident occurred during a training flight near Minot Air Force Base, officials confirmed to Military.com. The engine broke up and debris landed in unpopulated area, they said. No injuries were reported.

"Earlier today, a B-52 dropped an engine while in flight," a spokesperson said in an email. "The aircraft landed safely with no injuries."

[DLR Pyro]

I worked on these for several years and was always amazed that the engines are mounted to the strut with just 3 bolts.  Big bolts, but still only 3 of them.   Fortunately they had 7 engines remaining to get them home safely.

[Gina]

At least in ND it wouldn't hit anything.

[Fourwinds]

Ah....the dreaded 7 engine landing.


Jokes aside that had to pucker every sphincter on board

[DLR Pyro]

Ah....the dreaded 7 engine landing.


Jokes aside that had to pucker every sphincter on board

Probably not as much as the maintenance supervisor who signed off the last engine change on the plane.

a BUFF can operate with up to 4 engines out and still get home safely.



Aircrew have been known to joke about the power to spare...

A young guy in an F-15 fighter was flying escort for a B-52 and generally being a nuisance, acting like a hotdog, flying rolls around the lumbering old bomber. The hotdog said over the air,
“Anything you can do, I can do better.”

The veteran bomber pilot answered, “Try this hot-shot.” The B-52 continued its flight, straight and level.

Perplexed, the hotdog asked, “So? What did you do?”

“I just shut down two engines, kid.”

[Fourwinds]

Probably not as much as the maintenance supervisor who signed off the last engine change on the plane.

a BUFF can operate with up to 4 engines out and still get home safely.



Aircrew have been known to joke about the power to spare...

I love those old jokes. I never saw the inside of one of those things. I just wrote down the tail numbers at night and drove around the flight line making sure they stayed where they were ( as if I could do anything about it).

Damndest thing I ever saw though was a B52 landing nearly sideways! A crew chief told me the plane could rotate its wheels to compensate a bit if it was coming in goofy. I thought he was pulling my leg.

[DLR Pyro]

I love those old jokes. I never saw the inside of one of those things. I just wrote down the tail numbers at night and drove around the flight line making sure they stayed where they were ( as if I could do anything about it).

Damndest thing I ever saw though was a B52 landing nearly sideways! A crew chief told me the plane could rotate its wheels to compensate a bit if it was coming in goofy. I thought he was pulling my leg.

I'm gonna guess you were and SP?  I was a crew chief at Castle AFB in the '80's.

The landing gear has a crosswind landing system that allows it to turn 20 degrees from centerline left or right giving it a total of 40 degrees of movement.  I have many hours of flight time in the BUFF and it was always a strange feeling when the pilot tested the crosswind as we taxied to the runway and you had to look out a side window to see where you were tracking.

heres a view of the front office for you


and the lower desk where the navigator and radar navigator (bombadier) hungout


The Electronic warfare officer's position contains sensitive equipment and there are no pictures on the web.  The gunner's position was removed in the early '90's when it was determined that the guns are no longer effective against enemy aircraft with long range missiles.