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Up from the ashes: Team Tinker raises B-1

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  • By Danielle Gregory
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla., --  When an Ellsworth Air Force Base B-1 Bomber sustained major fire damage on a landing it made at Anderson Air Base, Guam in Sept 2005, it took combined efforts from several Tinker employees to get the aircraft flying so that it could once again protect and serve. 

"It gives the team quite a sense of accomplishment. I'm ex-military so my pride goes deep. This is what protects America and I was directly responsible for this. I think overall the rest of the team felt the same great sense of accomplishment," said Jay Pachucki, aircraft supervisor. 

While landing, a hydraulic component on one of the main right landing-gear brakes failed, allowing high pressure hydraulic fluid to be sprayed on the hot brakes, this caused the ignition of the hydraulic fluid. The result was fire damage to the landing gear, wing, engine nacelle and numerous panels and fairings. 

When the aircraft's severe damage was first reported, Air Force officials decided the aircraft should be scrapped. It was on the brink of being eliminated. Two years later, funding had been set aside and it was decided that the B-1 would be brought back to life.
"Because of the cost of the aircraft and the cost to repair Air Staff deemed it would be more practical to repair. The cost to dispose of it was equal to or larger than bringing the plane back into service," said Barbara Alexander, B-1 project manager. 

On May 11, 2007 a 565th depot field team arrived at the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group in Tucson, Ariz., to reclaim the wing, nacelle and other parts from a donor aircraft. The team then returned to Tinker on July 5, 2007. 

Exactly two years after the fire the team began their work. 

"A team of 20 from Tinker and Ellsworth was rotated on a basis of what was needed to be done at that time. The amount of people that were sent TDY was minimal, so the capability of multi-skills was highly considered," said Mr. Pachucki. 

Prior to the removing of the damaged wing and beginning the repairs, the DFT had to perform a longeron web repair on the aircraft. The longeron web repair and removal/installation of a wing from one aircraft to another were first-time efforts to be undertaken by a B-1 repair team. 

"I was excited about being able to work on it and proud to be part of a team that took an aircraft from the brink of being eliminated from the Air Force inventory and making it mission capable again," said Brian Koehl, a structural engineer with Tinker who deployed to Guam. 

The damaged wing was removed on Oct. 31, 2007 and the donor wing was successfully installed on Nov. 26. 

"We are the only ones in the world that do B-1 depot maintenance, the work was beyond the field level repair," said Mel Black, a logistics management specialist for the B1.
On June 11,2008, the 10th Flight Squadron was able to perform the first Functional Check Flight. 

"Even the flight crew said considering all that the aircraft went through and the amount of time that it was down it did exceptionally well," said Mr. Pachucki. 

The aircraft write-ups from the first FCF were successfully corrected, and on June 23, the flight crew delivered B-1 bomber 85-0066 to Tinker to program depot maintenance. 

"We were originally, not counting the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group portion, given approximately nine months to complete the task," said Rena Califf, Industrial Engineer Technician and planner of the B-1 project. 

The team completed the nine month task as planned and on time. 

The repair of the B-1was a major team effort by the personnel from the 427th Aircraft Sustainment Group, 76th Maintenance Wing, 10th Flight Squadron, 654th Combat Logistics Support Squadron, 28th Maintenance Group, 28th Operations Support Squadron, 36th Maintenance Group, AMARG and Boeing. 

"It was just a big coordination effort the whole time with everyone making sure everything was going smoothly," said Ms. Alexander. 

During its stay at Tinker, the plane will undergo routine depot maintenance. Due to the humid climate in Guam that the plane was exposed to for such a long period of time, a thorough corrosion inspection and repair will be done. 

"This is the most work that has ever been done to recover an aircraft. After the plane is fully functional it will be returned for use at Ellsworth," said Mr. Koehl. 

"We wanted to add that Roger Walker, team lead, played a big role in the success of this project. Due to his dedication and focus on getting the job done, he had his hands in there all of the time and if we needed something done he would get in there and do it. He was completely involved the whole time," said Mr. Pachucki.