B-52H Succesfully Recovered After 4 Engines Flamed Out

[RAFEngO74to09]

Really well-done. Skillfully recovered after 4 engines flamed out on one side.

Bomber crew earns AFGSC General Curtis E. LeMay award > Barksdale Air Force Base > Display (https://www.barksdale.af.mil/News/Display/Article/3798932/bomber-crew-earns-afgsc-general-curtis-e-lemay-award/)

[Moi/]

Reminds me of Air Clues - https://www.raf.mod.uk/our-organisation/units/raf-safety-centre/air-clues/raf-safety-centre-documents/air-clues-safety-centre-42/

"well trained pers, perform role they are trained to do so, get award.."

[artee]

Reminds me of Air Clues - https://www.raf.mod.uk/our-organisation/units/raf-safety-centre/air-clues/raf-safety-centre-documents/air-clues-safety-centre-42/

"well trained pers, perform role they are trained to do so, get award.."
The dreaded 6 engine landing...

Someone had to say it :O

[Compass Call]

Why no flight engineer? Just two pilots and a navigator.

[212man]

Why no flight engineer? Just two pilots and a navigator.
https://aeroflap.com.br/en/US-B-52-bombers-will-have-one-less-crew-member/

When I read the account I think there is a lot more to it than described! 2 generators out leads to total black out and loss of control and 4 engines flaming out???

[DogTailRed2]

How many engines can a B52 safely fly on?

[beardy]

This crew really deserve the greatest respect. Assymetric power very close to if not beyond design specs, unexpected and rapid roll, close to stall speed, 4 engines on the same side not working and at low level in weather avoidance. They worked together as a team to recover from an extremely disorientating experience and land the aircraft safely.
I'm in awe of their skills.

[ORAC]

Add in trading height for speed to maintain control and bottoming out at 1000ft above city…

Not sure what the engine relight speed bracket is, but they sound as if they were lucky to get 2 going again.

As above, I am intrigued at the sequence of events. I can understand losing 4 on the same side tripping out the generators, but puzzled as too what would cause the 4 engines flaming out in the first place.

[Fly-by-Wife]

Hopefully the B52J with its new RR F130 engines won't be susceptible to the same problem, whatever it was.

[TURIN]

As above, I am intrigued at the sequence of events. I can understand losing 4 on the same side tripping out the generators, but puzzled as to what would cause the 4 engines flaming out in the first place.

Me too. Amazing recovery.
All I can think of is fuel management or an external influence, multiple bird strikes or extreme rain/hail.

As this happened nearly two years ago I'm assuming the investigation is complete. Do the USAF make these things public?
Just another question for anyone in the know, does the BUFF have an auto rudder trim for such events like some of the modern civilian jets?

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[tdracer]

All engines out on the same side is nasty, but with a little airmanship it's still controllable (noticed how big the vertical stab is on a B-52?).
Not overly familiar with the specifics of the B-52, but the 747 is designed to do a 'go-around' with both engines out on one side - although on the higher thrust engines we needed to limit go-around to something less than full takeoff power.

[Barksdale Boy]

All engines out on the same side is nasty, but with a little airmanship it's still controllable (noticed how big the vertical stab is on a B-52?).
Not overly familiar with the specifics of the B-52, but the 747 is designed to do a 'go-around' with both engines out on one side - although on the higher thrust engines we needed to limit go-around to something less than full takeoff power.
Airmanship is becoming a forgotten word, but this crew showed it in spades.

[treadigraph]

Just another question for anyone in the know, does the BUFF have an auto rudder trim for such events like some of the modern civilian jets?​​​​​​

Is that effectively the yaw damper? Boeing came up with automatic yaw damper to counteract Dutch roll on the B-47 which I believe translated across to the B-52 and all their subsequent swept wing designs.

[DuncanDoenitz]

All engines out on the same side is nasty, but with a little airmanship it's still controllable (noticed how big the vertical stab is on a B-52?).

... and how small the rudder? From what I've read, the lack of authority in yaw, with reduced engine redundancy, is the main reason that Boeing never made a change to 4, more efficient, engines. RR was proposing the RB.211 in the 70s.

[212man]

Is that effectively the yaw damper? Boeing came up with automatic yaw damper to counteract Dutch roll on the B-47 which I believe translated across to the B-52 and all their subsequent swept wing designs.
Separate systems I think. Boeing has a system, in some types, called ‘rudder bias’ but it’s not the yaw damper. A yaw damper operates continuously in the background during normal flight.

[beardy]

... and how small the rudder? From what I've read, the lack of authority in yaw, with reduced engine redundancy, is the main reason that Boeing never made a change to 4, more efficient, engines. RR was proposing the RB.211 in the 70s.
By implication the rudder was never designed to have sufficient authority for complete lack of power on one wing.

[havoc]

The Buff guys on FB are all wondering the cause of the 4 engines out situation. Rehashing previous similar incidents unfortunately the article didn’t give a reason. So the speculation grows.

All agree great recovery.

[atakacs]

This one is really raising a lot a questions

Obviously not familiar at all with the B52 and I understand this is a 70 years old design but still..


Are the generators actually needed for the engines to function at all ?
What could cause such an asymmetric and sudden loss ? The article doesn’t say much but still implies weather related. Could it be a lighting strike ?
As others have mentioned surprised there was no FE. Certainly, did not help in this situation…

All in all happy to see the managed to walk form it but still a rather strange incident.

[DuncanDoenitz]

Wikipedia doesn't list FE as part of the current complement; 2 pilots, Nav, EWO, WSO. Presumably, like post-1970s airliners (and Wireless-Operator/Air-gunners) the FE function has been subsumed by automation, technology and the rest of the crew.

[212man]

Wikipedia doesn't list FE as part of the current complement; 2 pilots, Nav, EWO, WSO. Presumably, like post-1970s airliners (and Wireless-Operator/Air-gunners) the FE function has been subsumed by automation, technology and the rest of the crew.

Yes, I posted that earlier.

[tdracer]

... and how small the rudder? From what I've read, the lack of authority in yaw, with reduced engine redundancy, is the main reason that Boeing never made a change to 4, more efficient, engines. RR was proposing the RB.211 in the 70s.
I was part of an effort in the early 2000's to re-engine with four either RB211-535 or PW2000s (i.e. the 757 engines) (BTW the RB211-535 looked like a far better option in IMHO). Given the order of magnitude improvement in engine reliability, redundancy never came into the discussion. I'm told the USAF killed it by saying it didn't make economical sense (even though just the fuel savings would have paid for the engines) by neglecting to add in the little fact that aerial refueling fuel costs ~ 4 times more per gallon that the stuff loaded on the ground... Supposedly this was because they didn't want to spend the money putting new engines on B-52s because the wanted to spend it to buy more new B-2s (which didn't happen).

[Compass Call]

THE B-52 has been known to fly without a fin as happened in January 1964. So quite a tough old bird with a competent crew on board. :eek:
https://theaviationist.com/2021/01/11/that-time-a-b-52h-stratofortress-bomber-lost-its-tail-over-new-mexico-but-managed-to-land-6-hours-later/#:~:text=Although%20the%20vertical%20fin%20and,81%20mph%20(1 30%20kmh)!

[havoc]

Ferry flight home from Nellis to Barksbale min crew is 3, 2 pilots and one crew member in the ejection seat downstairs.

In theory if they have to eject the downstairs crew member now gone leaves a hole in case the top crew has a seat malfunction.