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Goshawk Steers Toward Safety With New Stability System

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS070120-04
Release Date: 1/20/2007 10:14:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Aramis X. Ramirez, Training Air Wing 1 Public Affairs

MERIDIAN, Miss. (NNS) -- The final T-45C Goshawk Jet returned to the training fleet Jan. 11 after a two-year modification of the aircrafts’ stability augmenting steering system (SASS).

The T-45C Goshawk Jet currently is used at the Navy’s training air bases in Meridian, Miss. and Kingsville, Texas.

“The new system keeps the jets from running off the runway,” said Homer McIlwain, who headed a four-member contracting team from L3 Communications Vertex Aerospace. “Prior to the implementation of this system, pilots were forced to manually steer the jet upon landing. At high speeds, steerage became an issue and staying steady and maintaining course on the runway was challenging.”

NAS Meridian reported a third mishap in Oct. 2002 to the Naval Safety Center in Norfolk, Va., involving the lack of steering control landing a training jet. A student pilot had run off the runway, not just severely damaging the plane, but also the runway itself.

SASS was added to more than 70 T-45C jets at Naval Air Station (NAS) Meridian.

“Each plane took about eight to 10 days to modify,” McIlwain said. “It required little cosmetic changes to the jet itself. Basically, the system lays within a metal box next to the passenger seat and [there is] some wiring to the control sticks and front wheel. Small changes, but with huge impacts that take steps to avoid mishaps in the future.”

Commander, Training Air Wing One, Capt. Curt Goldacker said he understands the need for continuing efforts in ensuring safety to all hands.

“Anything that would make it easier for instructors and students to be able to safely control the aircraft during landing and take-off, by all means, let’s get them all done,” Goldacker said.

Goldacker explained that control during take-off becomes a concern when a jet blows a tire. With the SASS modification, pilots are now able to remain steady on the runway. Before the new steering system was installed, pilots were more likely to veer off the runway.

Training on the new system began simultaneously with the initial installation of SASS on the first T-45C. Student aviators are given a chance to experience a lack of steering control through simulators.

“Again, it boils down to safety concerns,” said Goldacker, who has over 300 hours of recorded flight time with the T-45C. “We want the students to know what happens in the event of the systems failure, we just don’t want them to actually experience it and pose a risk to their safety. We’d like to save those experiences for them for the future when they have more experience to be able to deal with what we hope are highly unlikely circumstances.”

Goldacker said the Navy already is planning further modifications to the T-45, incorporating such things as virtual radar.

“The capabilities the T-45C has as a trainer will prepare students for transition to fleet aircraft, especially now that we’ve taken steps to ensure their safety,” he added.