Team Vance members save T-1A engine during hoist failure

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Christopher Buzzetta
  • 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Quick reactions and teamwork on the part of eight contractor maintenance employees ensured that a costly T-1A Jayhawk Beech 400 engine and all nearby personnel were unharmed when a hydraulic engine hoist failed Dec. 1.

The incident happened in Hangar 199 where all T-1 maintenance takes place. Delbert Mavity, senior aircraft mechanic, was on top of the T-1A wing guiding the engine away from the mount points. Once the engine was aligned with the engine stand, John Snook, who was operating the hoist, began lowering the engine.

Mr. Snook, senior aircraft mechanic, closed the lowering valve after the engine reached the desired height of eight feet, but the engine continued falling. Mike McClurg, aircraft mechanic, jumped off the wing and pushed the engine stand out of the way.

Mr. Snook began pumping the engine jack handle while Mr. Mavity assisted. The pumping process, 60 pumps per minute, slowed the engine's decent. Roy Gamble, aircraft mechanic, took over at the pump handle while Mr. Mavity left to request a forklift from the engine shop. The forklift would be used to lower the engine safely.

While pumping the hoist handle, the low pressure return line cracked and spewed approximately two quarts of hydraulic fluid in a 25-foot radius. Mr. Snook took the brunt of the fluid in the face. Fortunately he was wearing eye glasses.

Time became critical as the hydraulic fluid emptied. Without fluid, the 702-pound engine would slam to the ground.

Mr. Mavity was looking for a solution when he saw an aircraft jack. He detached the handle from the jack and wedged it between the top of the engine stand jacking cylinder and the hoist lifting arm, stopping the engine from falling to the ground.

Plastic zip ties were strapped to the jack handle so that the handle would not fly off and injure personnel or property.

When John Maddox arrived with the forklift, the engine was lifted and placed on the engine stand.

"There's no procedure for using a chain to take an engine off the stand with a forklift," said Carl Simmons, T-1 branch manager. "Delbert and his team dramatically demonstrated that there is no substitute for experience, mechanical aptitude and a cool head. The exact benefit of this save cannot be practically determined, but it is obvious that there would have been a costly consequence had the jet engine slammed into the hard concrete hangar floor, not to mention the possible personal injuries averted."