Recon flight aborted, emergency landing required.

[GalvestonDuck]

Went home on my break (hey, I'm a mere block or so away) and tuned into the news. Channel 2's Stephen Dean reported from Biloxi. He was supposed to fly with hurricane hunters (correct me if I'm wrong calling it recon...he called them hurricane hunters...aren't they the same as the recon dudes or do a bunch of different mets and military guys fly into those things?). They left Biloxi for what was to be the last flight now that Claudette is overland. But during the flight, there was a problem with engine #3 and fuel began pouring out. They were close enough to get back to Biloxi and land safely. He said the fuel was just gushing out, long after landing.

I'm glad they were able to land safely and I really appreciate what they do for us.

[GulfBreezer]

WOW, that is scary isn't it?? I agree GD, that is a scary job to begin with and they provide us with so much valuable info!! Hats off to all to all of those guys!!

[JetMaxx]

They are extremely fortunate it occurred in the Biloxi area in good weather....and not in the eyewall of Claudette -- which would have been catastrophic.

We've been extremely lucky...the last weather reconnisance crew lost in an Atlantic hurricane was a US Navy Neptune that went down in ferocious hurricane Janet in the Caribbean in September 1955; but there have been some very close calls since then (i.e. - hurricane Camille 1969; hurricane Edith 1971; hurricane Hugo 1989).

We've come to think flying into hurricanes....even powerful cat-5 hurricanes as routine, but it's anything but.....it's frightening and dangerous work, especially penetrating small compact and intense hurricanes such as Andrew and Camille.

PW

[Steve Cosby]

I was watching something last night and one of the HH pilots said that he actually preferred flying Cat 4 and above cyclones because the wind, although at 185 mph, is less turbulent than in the small less defined cyclones like Claudette. I believe I remember him saying that they get bumped around more in these than in the Cat 4's.

Interesting take from the pilot.

[bfez1]

Hats off to all "hurricane hunters". They are some very brave souls.

[JetMaxx]

It depends Steve....a large cat-5 like Gilbert at 10,000 might not be as bad as a small cat-2; but a small intense cat-4 or 5 is hell on earth.

Those three close calls I mentioned occurred in small violent hurricanes.
Hugo became a large hurricane before impacting South Carolina....but when the incident occurred that almost brought a P-3 out of the sky was when Hugo was a small cat-5 well east of Guadeloupe. At the time, winds were 160 mph (918 mb), with hurricane force winds only extending 30 miles from the center...

In 1971, Edith was a very small cat-4 (943 mb/ 140-145 mph); and we all know Camille was a compact cat-5.

I once had the pleasure of meeting USAFR Lt Gale Carter who flew into hurricane Andrew in 1992 as it approached southeast Florida. He said it was the roughest ride into a hurricane he ever experienced....felt as if the plane were coming apart in mid-air.

In a small intense hurricane, the pressure gradient is tighter....much tougher to penetrate than a large, sprawling intense hurricane such as Gilbert or Floyd.

PW

[Steve Cosby]

I did wonder if there was maybe more in his statement that wasn't played back on TV last night. It makes sense, at least somewhat, that turbulence could be less with higher wind speeds.

That's right: hats off to these guys. I hope they are decorated properly after their tours.