What happened
During an approach to Lajes Field, the crew of a C-130 declared an in-flight emergency due to the failure of the number three engine. As the aircraft approached from the south, emergency response teams were positioned along the runway in accordance with standard operating procedures for such emergencies.
As the aircraft performed its landing roll, the flight crew engaged reverse thrust on all three operational engines. This action created an imbalance in thrust, as the left wing experienced significantly more reverse thrust than the right wing. This asymmetry caused the aircraft to yaw sharply to the left, leading it to depart the runway surface.
The aircraft crossed the perimeter fence and struck rock walls, narrowly avoiding two nearby buildings before coming to a halt. During the excursion, a propeller was detached from the engine and struck the fuselage, creating a puncture near the left-hand propeller plane of rotation. The left wing subsequently caught fire, though the pre-positioned fire crews were able to suppress the flames quickly.
There were no fatalities resulting from the incident, and the only reported injury to the crew was a broken finger. The aircraft was carrying cargo consisting of fresh produce intended for a local base commissary.
Findings
- The primary cause of the runway excursion was the improper application of reverse thrust, specifically reversing all three functioning engines rather than maintaining symmetrical thrust between the wings.