CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER 4 ROBERT JUSTISON
Delaware Army National Guard
New Castle, Del.
In 2004, I was a member of Company B, 1st Battalion, 150th Aviation Regiment, Delaware Army National Guard, and my unit was mobilized in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III. We were a UH-60 aviation company assigned to provide troop and VIP transport missions in Kuwait and Iraq. This was our first combat deployment.
While at our mobilization station, our aircraft were upgraded and modified. We were flying UH-60A/L helicopters, and the modifications required a lot of new wiring and the replacement of old wiring. The upgrades were done by more than one contractor and all of our eight aircraft were modified prior to our arrival in Kuwait. All company aircraft were flown for training and then to the port and loaded onto a ship for the trip.
After arriving in Kuwait, I was assigned to fly a routine VIP mission. Our crew was to pick up the division commander and bring him to our base. The total flight time was about 30 minutes. I was the pilot in command, sitting in the right seat, and the other pilot with me was an experienced aviator.
The crew and I arrived at the aircraft about an hour and a half prior to liftoff to complete our preflight and configure the aircraft for the mission. The preflight revealed no deficiencies, and we entered into the aircraft and began the checklist. The aircraft auxiliary power unit was started to provide AC electrical power to run aircraft systems on the ground before starting the two main engines.
After performing the checklist, it was time to complete the flight controls check. This is done before the first flight of the day to test both the hydraulic systems and the helicopter flight controls and is normally accomplished by the pilot in the right seat. One part of the check is to move the cyclic control stick through its full range of motion. The operator’s manual states there should be no binding or restrictions during this test.
While moving the cyclic control, I noticed a slight restriction immediately followed by bright sparks and black smoke coming from the cabin ceiling between the pilots’ seats. We immediately shut down the APU, turned off the battery, exited the aircraft and used our company spare aircraft to fly the mission.
Fortunately, nobody was injured, but there was damage to the aircraft. The sparks and smoke were due to a wiring bundle being cut from one of the aircraft control tubes. The heat generated was enough to arc-weld the wire retaining clip to the control tube. Most, if not all, of the electrical relays in the aircraft were blown, and the aircraft was out of commission for an extended period of time before being returned to service.
This incident could have had serious and/or catastrophic results if it happened in flight. It is very important to use and follow all checklists because they and their associated steps are there to protect both personnel and equipment.