The published reports are sketchy. Either they say nothing much at all or they misidentify the airplane as a Herk.
The word in aviation circles is that the airplane was a 747-400 with eight SOBs. The crew radioed that the cargo had shifted aft. The airplane then went very nose-high, stalled and crashed.
UPDATE: Video of the crash from a dashboard cam.
You’re Te-Killing Me, New Hire!
1 hour ago
3 comments:
Some more info here:
http://avherald.com/h?article=46183bb4&opt=0
If a load shift, either the loadmaster did not do his job or the load strapping equipment was in such disrepair that something broke. When a 20 ton military vehicle shifts, that's end game. The Taliban claiming credit doesn't surprise me, they might as well, since the reason that jet was taking off in such a hurry at full power and high angle was to avoid possible Taliban MANPAD's. At a more leisurely civilian pace intended to conserve fuel and avoid noise complaints rather than avoid being shot down it's less likely that the load would have shifted. My money is on disrepair, these contractors are notorious for cutting corners, though you'd think that with a multi-million dollar aircraft they wouldn't because it isn't in their best interests. I guess the magic Free Market Fairy that automatically makes everything safe if it's Free Market wasn't sprinkling magic Free Market fairy dust around or somethin', funny how people don't always act in their own best interests (talkin' ta you, Kansas!), isn't it?
Either way we'll never know, because it will be investigated by the military and the results classified as a military secret (especially if it turns out they were ordered to take off by the military before the load was fully secured).
dashcam video here. God, my heart was in my throat watching them lose it. Piper Cub or 747, physics are ineluctable.
http://www.nycaviation.com/2013/04/national-air-cargo-747-crash-at-bagram-afghanistan/#.UYAO3Hd9B8D
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