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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.
By PHILLIP WALTER WELLMAN | STARS AND STRIPES Published: January 22, 2021 KABUL, Afghanistan Engine failure combined with pilot error caused the crash of an Air Force jet in Afghanistan that killed two pilots last year, a report on the accident said. Lt. Col. Paul K. Voss, 46, and Capt. Ryan S. Phaneuf, 30, were the only ones onboard the twin-turbofan Bombardier E-11A aircraft when it went down in central Ghazni province on Jan. 27. Nearly two hours into their flight, a fan blade broke in the plane’s left engine, causing it to automatically shut down, an Air Force accident investigation report released Thursday said. The pilots then misjudged where the problem was and mistakenly shut down their right engine, it added.
LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va.
Air Combat Command released an accident investigation board report today regarding the E-11A crash that occurred January 27, 2020, during which two pilots were fatally injured. The E-11A crashed in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan, following a catastrophic engine failure.
Both pilots, Lt. Col. Paul K. Voss, 46, and Capt. Ryan S. Phaneuf, 30, were assigned to the 430th Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron, Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, and were conducting a combat sortie in support of Operation FREEDOM’S SENTINEL.
Their mission, and the mission of the E-11A, was to serve as a Battlefield Airborne Communications Node, which allows different communication systems to share and relay voice, video, imagery and data between warfighters in the air and on the ground. BACN is often referred to as “Wi-Fi in the sky” and enables connectivity across multiple battlespace communication platforms.