Air Force Secretary: Catastrophic Engine Failure Likely to Blame for Minot B-52 Mishap

[rangerrebew]

Air Force Secretary: Catastrophic Engine Failure Likely to Blame for Minot B-52 Mishap

By: Valerie Insinna, January 6, 2017 (Photo Credit: US Air Force)

MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. — A catastrophic engine failure is the likely cause of a Jan. 4 incident in which a B-52 lost one of its eight engines, top Air Force leaders confirmed to Defense News on Thursday.

A Boeing B-52 Stratofortress assigned to Minot Air Force Base’s 5th Bomb Wing was conducting a training mission over North Dakota when one of its Pratt & Whitney TF33-P-3/103 turbofan engines fell from the plane, the service confirmed late Wednesday. The pilots were able to land the plane safely, with no injury to the five-person crew.

The Air Force continues to investigate the root cause of the mishap, but it appears that the engine began breaking down from the inside, eventually cracking the protective casing around it and detaching from the plane, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said in an exclusive interview.

http://www.defensenews.com/articles/air-force-secretary-catastrophic-engine-failure-likely-to-blame-for-minot-b-52-mishap

[rangerrebew]

I think it was hacked by the Rooskies.

[Smokin Joe]

Not the first time a military aircraft had an engine failure, won't be the last. It's almost hard to hit a dwelling in rural North Dakota, and this one missed any occupied buildings. I'd hope they recover it and do a post-mortem on the engine, though, to determine the cause of the failure.

[corbe]

 23 years left on this airframe (2040), so they think.
 The Air Force needs to get busy, by 2040 the whole concept of long range bombers will probably be obsolete.

[rangerrebew]

23 years left on this airframe (2040), so they think.
 The Air Force needs to get busy, by 2040 the whole concept of long range bombers will probably be obsolete.

Its almost obsolete NOW.

[Wingnut]

Reminds me of ....:

An F-111 was flying escort with a B-52 and generally making a nuisance of himself by flying rolls around the lumbering old bomber.
The message for the B-52 crew was, "Anything you can do, I can do better."
Not to be outdone, the bomber pilot announced that he would rise to the challenge. The B-52, however, continued its flight, straight and level.
Perplexed, the fighter pilot asked, "I'm waiting, what are you going to do?"
"We just shut down two engines."

[corbe]

   That was hilarious, surprised I hadn't heard it before.

THX

@Wingnut

[Smokin Joe]

Reminds me of ....:

An F-111 was flying escort with a B-52 and generally making a nuisance of himself by flying rolls around the lumbering old bomber.
The message for the B-52 crew was, "Anything you can do, I can do better."
Not to be outdone, the bomber pilot announced that he would rise to the challenge. The B-52, however, continued its flight, straight and level.
Perplexed, the fighter pilot asked, "I'm waiting, what are you going to do?"
"We just shut down two engines."

I remember in 1980 working on a Penrod Drilling Rig in the badlands of ND, seeing a BUFF doing low level flying come up one of the draws past the rig, and looking down at the top of the plane. Wow. I'm not easy to impress, but that did it.