Engine Failure, Aircrew Error Led to Fatal E-11A Crash in Afghanistan, Air Force Says
An E-11A outfitted with a Battlefield Airborne Communications Node sits on the runway at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, Nov. 16, 2018. (U.S. Air Force/Senior Airman Kaylee Dubois)
21 Jan 2021
As an Air Force E-11A battlefield communications aircraft conducted missions over Ghazni Province, Afghanistan, on Jan. 27, 2020, a fan blade broke inside the left engine. Efforts to address the problem led to a series of missteps that caused the aircraft to crash, killing the two pilots, according to a new Accident Investigation Board report.
The report, released Thursday by Air Combat Command, concluded that the broken blade caused the left engine to shut down automatically. But the pilots improperly assessed "that the right engine had failed or been damaged" and initiated right engine shutdown procedures, it adds.