Published: May 09, 2008 12:49 am            

USAF trainer lands safely

Crew declared emergency and diverted to Key Field

Along the flight line of the 186th Air Refueling Wing stationed at Key Field, scores of KC-135 tanker pilots and crewmen waited anxiously for the approach of a USAF T-1A Jayhawk trainer from Columbus Air Force Base.

Many of them have been involved in in-flight emergencies of their own and they wanted to show their support for their USAF brethren.

The twin engine jet, with three crew members on board and 19,000 pounds of fuel, had earlier declared an emergency due to a flat tire on their left wing. With a southerly wind zipping from south to north along the airport at 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph, the crew requested a north south runway which Key Field has. The crew burned off most of the fuel before attempting to land.

At about 12:50 p.m., the jet made a perfect, soft landing coming to a stop without further incident. None of the crew were injured and the jet was shortly thereafter towed off the runway so crews could repair the minimal damage that was done.

"It's always good to see that incidents such as this can turn out very well," said Tom Williams, president of the Meridian Airport Authority. "We had several crash crews standing by just in case but the large majority of times these types of emergencies thankfully end up just like this."

Crash crews and personnel from Meridian Regional Airport, the 186th ARW of the Mississippi Air National Guard, and from the city of Meridian were on the scene along with law enforcement personnel just in case the worst did occur.

Williams said, "We always prepare for the worst and hope for the best."

The T-1A Jayhawk is a medium-range, twin-engine jet trainer used in the advanced phase of specialized undergraduate pilot training for students selected to fly airlift or tanker aircraft. It is also used to support navigator training for the U.S. Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and international service.

The swept-wing T-1A is a military version of the Beech 400A. It has cockpit seating for an instructor and two students and is powered by twin turbofan engines capable of an operating speed of Mach .78.

        

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