CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER 2 ANTHONY BERGEN
B Company, 2nd Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment,
10th Combat Aviation Brigade
Fort Drum, New York

It was June at Self Army Airfield at Fort Polk, Louisiana, and I was almost through my second Joint Readiness Training Center rotation of the summer. I was a new pilot in command and, despite being at JRTC in June, enjoying the flight time.

Toward the end of a 12-hour quick-reaction force shift, I was asked to move one of our Black Hawks from the maintenance pad to our company parking area. We were in a bit of a hurry to get the aircraft back to the pad so the maintenance test pilot could perform the post-phase checks and have it ready to fly for the night shift.

After arriving at the UH-60, as is typical, we split up the preflight duties. The other pilot performed the preflight checks on the bottom of the aircraft, and I performed the preflight checks on the top. Because the pilot in command is ultimately responsible for everything that happens on board the aircraft, and since the aircraft was coming out of maintenance, I wanted our crew chief to go over the systems up top to double-check everything was as it should be. So, I left the hydraulic cover forward, the engine cowlings open and the oil cooler doors open and unlatched. To climb back over the blades, however, I closed the oil cooler doors but left them unlatched.

The crew chief went up top, performed his checks and closed the hydraulic deck and engine cowlings. Unfortunately, he did not notice the oil cooler door was not latched. In my haste, I also forgot to check, or even ask the crew chief to double-check all the latches on top of the aircraft were properly fastened. The UH-60 checklist clearly states:

COCKPIT – RIGHT SIDE (AREA 8).
4. Ensure all access covers and maintenance platforms are closed and checked.

The run-up went without incident, and after calling the tower, we repositioned to the side of the runway for an engine power check. While we were running the check, the battalion maintenance officer approached the aircraft and told the crew chief that the oil cooler door had flapped open and we needed to shut down to check for damage. I knew almost instantly exactly what had happened and I was furious with myself.

After shutting down, the crew chief went up top and verified the door was indeed unlatched. The maintenance officer then contacted the battalion safety officer and a technical inspector so they could take a look at the oil cooler doors and airframe. The battalion commander was also notified of the incident.

I stood by nervously while the inspection took place. In my mind, my PC orders and impending safety course reservation and PCS hung in the balance. Finally, the technical inspector declared he found no damage. After some mentoring from the battalion maintenance officer, and with the permission of the battalion commander, we were cleared to finish moving the aircraft to the parking area. Thankfully there was no damage to the aircraft and no one was injured.

Of course, there were still consequences. My PC orders were suspended for 14 days and I was only allowed to fly briefly as a pilot during that timeframe, missing out on valuable experience. But had I been flying a mission instead of just relocating the aircraft on the flight line, the potential consequences of this incident could have been much more severe. The door repeatedly slamming against the airframe, or a detached door encountering the tail or main rotor, could have resulted in serious damage or death. I'll take my punishment over those any day of the week.

Lessons learned
I've taken three lessons from this incident.

   1. Always fully close and latch any panel you open on preflight. If maintenance is required, they can open it again.

   2. Always follow and review the preflight checklist when duties have been performed separately by individual crewmembers.

   3. Always perform a detailed walk-around and latch check, and have another crewmember double-check the latches before climbing into the aircraft.

The last step of the preflight check, and the practice of reviewing the checklist, will prevent the type of incident I experienced. It's a safety valve to ensure that even in a rush the aircraft is ready for safe flight.