Mishap: The ski-equipped LC-130 Hercules aircraft was damaged during takeoff from site D59 in Antarctica, 125 miles south of the French station Dumont d'Urville and about 850 miles from McMurdo Station.
It had just completed the second of five supply flights to the French Carrefour traverse party, part of a U.S./French glaciology project. After an uneventful open field landing and resupply, during the takeoff at an altitude of about 50 feet, two JATO bottles broke loose from their attachment points on the left rear fuselage. One went up the tailpipe of the no.2 engine. The other struck the no. 2 propeller. The propeller broke up, and some of the debris took out the no. 1 engine and propeller, with several large pieces entering the cargo compartment.
No one was injured, but the ten occupants had to live in survival shelters for more than 3 days until the weather improved. The occupants were rescued but the aircraft was left behind. Over the years the aircraft was covered almost entirely by snow.
In 1986 it was decided to attempt to recover the aircraft. Before the recovery could be completed, another LC-130 (159131, msn 4522) crashed at the recovery site on 9 December 1987.
After recovery was complete, the aircraft flew back to McMurdo on 10 January 1988.
NOTE: Exact dates in the database will be displayed as such (2012-07-14). All other dates are approximations or date the data was reported.
Aircraft History Status Legend
act Active
des Destroyed
emb Embargoed
ia Instructional Airframe
pre Preserved
pro Production
wfu Withdraen from use
w/o Written off
Nose Art
C/N: 3567
Country:
Model:
Reg/Tail Number:
Operator:
Operation:
Image Date:
Photographer:
Info:
United States of America
LC-130F
148321
USN
Phoenix
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3567 