It could be argued that just about every trap on a carrier is a close call but video released this week by the Navy shows just how close it can get. An E-2C Hawkeye was landing on the deck of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower March 18 and while a gust lifted a wing just before touchdown, it appeared to be a normal landing. But the arresting cable broke and that’s when things got interesting. The cable didn’t break until the aircraft was most of the way down the deck and well below flying speed. The accompanying video below shows the plane disappearing off the prow of the big ship before struggling back into the air. Eight sailors were injured by the writhing cable.
The report on the incident was obtained by the Virginian-Pilot on a freedom of information request. The cable failed because maintenance personnel misrigged the device that absorbs the tremendous load from the trapped aircraft. The cable snapped at the hook point when the huge hydraulic pistons that normally disperse the energy held their ground. The Navy found the sailors were at fault for the error but said it was understandable because the procedure they’d done wasn’t explained very well in the manuals. In addition to the injuries to the deck personnel, two aircraft were damaged by the cable to the tune of $82,000.
