ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 317996
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| Date: | Thursday 2 January 1975 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Grumman F-14A Tomcat |
| Owner/operator: | United States Navy (USN) |
| Registration: | 158982 |
| MSN: | 043 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | NAS Cubi Point -
 Philippines
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | |
Grumman F-14A-70-GR 158982 NK-107 of VF-1 "Wolfpack" suffered an engine explosion during take-off, leading to the loss of the aircraft. Both crew members ejected safely.
The F-14A had entered operational service with VF-1 and VF-2 in September 1974. The loss of 158982 was the first loss of a VF-1 Tomcat in quick succession (followed by 159001 NK-112 on January 14nd 1975).
The two losses were traced to the design of the TF30-P-412 axial flow turbofans, which were originally designed for use on the F-111. With the after-burner selected, quick manipulation of the throttle could lead to the burner failing to light, leading to the second fan stage to flutter and overstress. The titanium containment ring intended to contain fan blades in case of a blade failure had been constructed too lightly for weight saving purposes, meaning it was not up to the task: as a result, ruptured blades would cause damage to the airframe and other critical components in the vicinity of the second fan stage.
An inspection of the aircraft of VF-1 in the aftermath of the losses of 158982 and 159001 revealed three further aircraft with cracked containment rings. As a result, monitoring on the second stage fan was increased while a program was implemented to contain fragments and protect components in the event of future incidents.
Sources:
http://www.anft.net/f-14/f14-serial-date.htm
http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_serials/thirdseries20.html
http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_fighters/f14_8.html
https://theaviationgeekclub.com/getting-grumman-and-the-tomcat-through-difficult-times-the-story-of-bob-belter-the-man-who-bought-the-first-70-f-14-fighter-jets-for-the-us-navy/
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 15-Jul-2023 05:53 | Anon | Added |
| 15-Jul-2023 11:26 | Anon | Updated |
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