However, as the crew prepared to execute the order, they realized the blast had also damaged the right paratroop door, and with the complete loss of hydraulics to open up the ramp, this was their only option to exit the aircraft."įor military members and their families, the sacrifice made by the men and women of the armed forces is a bitter reality. "The aircraft commander ordered the back-end crew to bailout. "While simultaneously working through multiple emergency procedures, it became apparent they would not be able to maintain altitude long enough to make landfall, and ditching was inevitable," Bauernfeind said. The delay in getting the paratroop door open combined with the inability of the aircraft to maintain altitude, made it too risky to continue with the bail out. When they were finally able to open the door enough to exit the aircraft, four of the crew members were able to bail out, three were successfully recovered, but one Air Commando was never located. While the front-end crew desperately tried to regain aircraft control and make their way back to the coastline, the back-end crew fought heroically to extinguish the fire onboard the aircraft. The crew fought multiple battles at once. Having already sustained substantial damage to the aircraft, the crew of Jockey 14 would soon discover additional obstacles caused by the devastating blast. "Additionally, the blast damaged fuel and hydraulic lines to the second engine on the left side, requiring the crew to shut down that engine." "The blast and fragments from the munition and exploded gun barrel destroyed one engine on the left side of the aircraft, causing the propeller from that engine to depart the aircraft," Bauernfeind continued. While in the process of firing, one of the high explosive rounds detonated prematurely in the bore of the cannon."Īs Bauernfeind continued to create a detailed visual of the events that took place 20 years ago, a hush fell over the crowd. "Approximately 43 minutes into the flight, the crew began conducting a routine "tweak" of the fire control system. "On that day, Jockey 14 was tasked to perform a routine, 8.5 hour daily patrol mission near Somalia and the surrounding countries," Bauernfeind said. Tony Bauernfeind, 27 SOW commander, detailed the chain of events that ultimately claimed the lives of eight members of the Air Force Special Operations Command family. Throughout the ceremony, Air Commandos listened as Col. The atmosphere was charged with a sense of remorse and remembrance, as those who came to pay tribute to their fallen brothers took their seats. Members of the 27th Special Operations Wing attended a memorial ceremony, March 14 at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., to mark the 20th anniversary of Jockey 14, a 16th Special Operations Squadron AC-130H Spectre gunship that crashed off the coast of Kenya in 1994. 27th Special Operations Wing Public AffairsĬANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M.
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