HomeNewsArticle Display

Tinker recuperates from hail storm

  • Published
  • By Brandice J. Armstrong
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE --  The May 1 hail storm damaged nearly 40 aircraft. Yet, Team Tinker was undeterred. Members from several organizations united to ensure aircraft were airborne as soon as humanly possible.
   Those saving the day included 76th Aircraft Maintenance Group nondestructive inspection technicians and engineers, the 654th Combat Logistics Support Squadron, the 552nd Maintenance Group and the Air Force Reserve Command's 513th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and 513th Maintenance Squadron.
   "This is truly 'Team Tinker,'" said Lt. Col. Randy Burke, 76th AMXG deputy commander. Several aircraft were damaged by the storm and many members within his unit helped other groups within the base. "All organizations worked well together in a short amount of time to identify and assess damage to aircraft, vehicles and equipment."
   On the evening of May 1, hail measuring 1 inch in diameter struck Tinker. Nearly a tenth of an inch of precipitation fell. After midnight on May 2, almost a half-an-inch more precipitation and hail measuring three-quarters-of-an-inch fell on Tinker, said 2nd Lt. Christina Bell, 72nd Operations Support Squadron Wing Weather officer.
   The 552nd Air Control Wing was among units hit the worst.
   Several AWACS were damaged with multiple dents and needed in-depth inspections and repairs, said Lt. Col. Darrell Steele, 552nd AMXS commander.
   The hail dented the painted surface of rotodomes and the metal surface of aircraft flight control systems or cracked windshields.
   "The flight control surfaces can only be damaged a certain amount, which is determined by (Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center) engineers and applicable aircraft technical data," said Maj. James Zick, 552nd AMXS Maintenance Operations officer. "Any damage exceeding limits could negatively affect the structural integrity of the item as well as affecting the aerodynamic properties of the surface."
   Master Sgt. Joseph Brooks, 552nd AMXS White Aircraft Maintenance Unit Production supervisor, was there that night. He said he did what he could to minimize the damage.
   "I directed and assisted the closing up of all aircraft doors and windows minutes prior and during the hail storm to minimize damage to the AWACS fleet," the sergeant said. "I (also) directed and assisted the inspecting of all aircraft and vehicles to determine preliminary damages.
   "The credit goes to all the Airmen and junior noncommissioned officers that not only restored our fleet health but enabled the successful launches of a Noble Eagle Mission," Sergeant Brooks said.
The 552nd MXS and 513th MXS maintenance technicians worked around the clock last weekend to repair the aircraft.
   Tech. Sgt. Donald Kelly, noncommissioned officer-in-charge of the 552nd MXS Sheet Metal Shop, was instrumental in managing the inspection and flight control repair processes, and coordinated the inspection and repair effort between the active-duty and reserve technicians, said Lt. Col. James Mullin, 552nd MXS commander.
   Staff Sgt. Calvin Harris, 552nd MXS aero repair technician, who worked the weekend rigging flight controls said, "We managed to get more training done this weekend than we normally can do in a year."
   The recuperation success was in large part due to the number of reservists on base, as the storm preceded a reserve unit training assembly weekend. The maintenance shops were full of active-duty and reservist technicians who provided the force multiplier that made reconstituting the fleet possible, Colonel Mullin said.
   Lt. Col. Stella Smith, 552nd MXG deputy commander, agreed.
   "If we are ever going to have an event of this magnitude, please let it only happen before a UTA weekend," she said. "We couldn't have recovered that quickly without them."
   Hail also damaged nearly 25 aircraft - E-3, B-1, B-52, KC-135 and C-130J - in the 76th AMXG. Most damage was minor or needed no additional repair outside of programmed depot maintenance, said Colonel Burke.