My Hornet Cobra Maneuver - Brief Article

I was excited because this was going to be my first afterburner catapult shot.

I was sitting at midrats when I overheard several other pilots talking about how the new guy from one of the Hornet squadrons tried to kill himself off the catapult earlier in the day. I knew instantly whom they were talking about, since I'd had a similar experience that morning.

I had joined the squadron in the Arabian Gulf just 10 days before, but I was beginning to feel more comfortable around the ship. That morning, another JO and I were scheduled for some unit-level training, dropping Mk-83 inerts on smokes. I was excited because this was going to be my first afterburner catapult shot. We thoroughly briefed the procedures and hand signals I could expect from the shooter. The flight lead also mentioned that the aircraft would settle a little more than usual because of the extra weight of the ordnance. This settling had been an issue in the past; the Air Boss regularly expressed concern for Hornets settling during heavy catapult shots.

Before walking to the PR shop, we calculated stabilator-trim settings, using each aircraft's weight, center of gravity and 15 knots of excess end speed. Armed with my weight chit and my 20-foot nose-up trim calculation, I walked up to flight-deck control, dropped off my weight chit, and walked to my jet. After a normal start sequence, I taxied to the catapult, completing my takeoff checklist on the way. I went into tension as I anxiously awaited the signal for max afterburner from the shooter.

After one more cursory check of the cockpit, I saluted and prepared for the impending jolt. I had developed a habit of putting my right hand on the towel rack for launch, because instructors at the FRS had stressed it so much during CQ. This time, however, perhaps because of nervousness and not wanting a call from the Air Boss, or not having a new set of habits for afterburner shots, I placed my hand on my kneeboard. Before I knew it, I was screaming down cat 3.

In the excitement of the moment, I subconsciously pulled the stick back. The jet pitched up rapidly to a very uncomfortable, nose-high attitude with an AOA tone ringing in my helmet. Lacking any other ideas, I released the stick, hoping the aircraft would recover itself. The aircraft began a series of violent oscillations at 60 feet AGL that would frighten even the dumbest pilot.

The oscillations began to dampen out after about three seconds, and once again I was in control of the aircraft.

As I climbed away, the Air Boss, knowing exactly what I had just done, asked if I was having any problems. The flight ended with an uneventful recovery, but could have had more tragic consequences than the much-deserved harassment from by other pilots.

It's important to remember that a trim input of 18 degrees, nose up gives you a maximum capture AOA of 12 degrees at any value above 18 degrees; nose up only affects the pitch-rate change to capture AOA. NATOPS catapult-launch trim graphs provide the aircraft with a consistent 10- to-12-degree-per-second pitch rate, using center of gravity and excess end speed. Any inputs by the pilot at launch create a dampening effect in the opposite direction to counter the excess pitch-rate change. Don't let the anxiety of doing something new cause you to break normal habit patterns.

Ltjg. Buchanan flies with VFA-195.

COPYRIGHT 2000 U.S. Naval Safety Center
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group