CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER 4 DAN POPPLETON
2nd Squadron, 17th Cavalry,
101st Airborne Division
Fort Campbell, Kentucky

What does aircrew coordination encompass? When does it begin and when does it end?

We had just taken off on a four-hour night vision goggle airfield security mission. I was the pilot in command and air mission commander for a team of two OH-58Ds. We were just weeks from going home, so to lower our risk of losing anyone to an accident, our company safety officer had recently coordinated several training classes emphasizing aircrew coordination.

Airfield security was a mission we had performed a hundred times before; however, this time, there were problems right from the start. As soon as we took off, one of the radios broke squelch and wouldn’t stop. I couldn’t understand my co-pilot or my wing man. A minute later, we were at mission airspeed and altitude. A few seconds after that, we were flying over a well-lit area that washed out our goggles. At this point, I felt I was experienced enough to recognize we were maneuvering into a classic accident situation, so over the radio noise I told my co-pilot, “You fix the radio, call off with OPS and I’ll fly the aircraft.” Unable to understand his response, he gave me a thumbs up.

Even though I was concentrating on basic flying, I realized I was rapidly getting behind the aircraft with the radio hissing and washed-out goggles. In all the confusion, I heard one word: wires. My wing had calmly and clearly transmitted that one word and, for whatever reason, it sliced through the interference. I didn’t see any wires; regardless, I immediately initiated a smooth, 500-foot-per-minute climb. A few moments later, the radios cleared and we passed about 50 feet over a huge set of wires.

The rest of the mission went smoothly. Hours later at the chow hall, I realized I had learned a valuable lesson. Even though the crews had more than 9,000 hours of total flight experience in both cockpits during this close call, my wing was the only pilot with total situational awareness. He recognized that accidents are a chain of related events and broke the chain with one simple word. By doing so, he prevented what could have been two fatalities and a destroyed aircraft. Aircrew coordination suddenly became much more than a required class to improve Army aviation operations.

So what does aircrew coordination encompass? It’s not only for your aircraft, but also extends to the other aircraft in the flight, ground element, air traffic control and others. When does it begin and when does it end? It starts at the mission brief and ends in the chow hall. I had both questions answered in a close call while in Iraq.