Officials release A-10C accident report

Air Combat Command Public Affairs

9/2/2010 - LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. -- Human factor error caused an A-10C aircraft to depart the runway during an aborted takeoff May 10 at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., according to an Air Combat Command Accident Investigation Board report released Sept. 2.

The aircraft was assigned to the 75th Fighter Squadron from the 23rd Wing at Moody AFB. The pilot sustained minor injuries after ejecting when the aircraft left the runway. The aircraft continued traveling over uneven grassland until the nose gear collapsed. The right main landing gear and aircraft nose became lodged into the ground causing a catastrophic fuselage failure. The aircraft was engulfed in fire due to a ruptured forward main fuel tank and was subsequently destroyed.

According to the report, the cause of the mishap was specifically attributed to the pilot's initial decision not to abort the takeoff. Then, once the decision to abort was made, the pilot applied an inappropriate braking procedure based on his perception of being at a lower airspeed. Additionally, pitot-static system blockage, task misprioritization, distraction and procedural error were all substantially contributing factors to the mishap. The loss associated with the mishap is valued at $17,306,077, including $52,095 in environmental cleanup on Moody AFB.

Source