DOCKET NO. SA-516
APPENDIX AA
NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD
WASHINGTON, DC
INTERVIEW SUMMARY
AW2 RUSSELL BALMER, AW3 DUANE OAKS, AW1 SHAWN BETAS,
AW1 PHILLIP DUNN, LT. JOHN BROWN, AT1 JEFFERY HAYES,
LT. TED SHEWMAN, AND AT3 MICHAEL AIKENS
MARCH 24, 1997
(9 pages)
:
XATIOHALTRMSPORTATIoWSBB%TYBOMD
Interview Summary
On March 24, 1997, the Navy P-3 crew was re interviewed individually, by the
NTSB. Present for the interviews was Norm Wiemeyer, NTSB, and Rich
Karnoweitz, FBI. The interviews were held at Brunswick Naval Air Station,
Brunswick, Maine.
The persons interviewed were:
Russell Balmer
Duane Oaks
Shawn Betas
Philip Dunn
John Browne
Jeffery Hayes
Ted Schewman
Michael Aikens
No information was gained as a result of the re interviews to change the-
individual recollections given during the first set of interviews. The
following persons had been transferred in normal'tour rotation and were not
available for interview.
Ray Ott
Richard Van Deorstyne
Bradley Baca
Manuel Yarberry
The new information which did come from this visit to Naval Air station
Brunswick is a copy of the Air Wing flight operations for July 17, 1996, a
copy of the squadron flight schedule for July 17, 1996, maintenance activity
on the transponder which failed, on the witness aircraft, following departure,
and SONOBOUYS carried and deployed during the P-3 training mission.
According to both squadron and air wing records, the aircraft carried three
types of sonobuoys AQS 36, AQS 57B, AQS 53, and AQS 62. These systems, and
the other systems on all of the P-3 aircraft at NAS Brunswick are specifically
designed to find, localize, and track submarines.
During the course of the training mission flown on July 17, which passed over
the scene of the TWA flight 800 loss while enroute to the practice area, the
P-3 dropped 52 sonobuoys all of which were dropped a minimum of 200 miles
south of the site of the loss, in the practice area, while working with the
submarine. .
During the visit to NAS Brunswick, it was determined that the Navy P-3
aircraft in use at this air station have no air-to-air weapons delivery
capability and the aircraft in question carried no weapons or shapes.
In addition the interviews provided information that when the transponder
failed after takeoff a electronic repair technician, who is normal crew
compliment, went through the in flight repair procedures on the transponder
but could not restore it to operation. Following the flight; the unit was
exchanged for a replacement through the normal Navy supply network.
\
8 Nov 96
From : Operations Officer, Patrol Squadron TWEWTY SIX
To: Operations Officer, Commander Patrol wing FIVE
subj: VP-26 OPERATIONS 16-18 JULY 1996
1. VP-26 flew the following flights as indicated (all times local
Brunswick, ME):
16 JULY
158224 160455 160900 KNHZ- AIRWAYS TO PENSACOLA
16.1015 161400 ICWPA-KWPA PILOTTRAINER
161655 162020 KWPA-XWHZ AIRWAYS To BRUNSWICK
161585 161030 161115 KNHZ-KNHZ F'UNCTIONAL CHECKFLIGHT
158933(cDU) 161345 161725 KNHZ-KNHZ cDucREWTRA1NER
161585 161725 161940 KNHZ-KNHZ PILOTTRAINER
17 JULY
157321 171030 171305 KWBZ-KWHZ PILOTTRAINER
171400 171605 KNHZ-KNHZ PILOT TRAINER
159319 171930 180210 KNHZ-KNHZ BT CERT
18 JTJLY
157321 180802 181205 KNHZ-KNHZ PILOT TRAIWBR
158933(CDU) 180845 181205 KNHZ-KNHZ CDU CREWTRAINER
158564 180940 181450 KNHZ-KNHZ TOOEX
2. These are all the flights VP-26 flew, verified against the flight
schedule, master flight hour log and NALCOMIS/NAVFLIRS records. CPWL
Ops requested a specific accounting of PCDU/CUUaircraft to ensure they
did not fall through the crack. We have reported flights for 933 (the
one PCBU in our custody at the time) and VP-10 Ops has indicated he
will include 311 and 312 (the PCDU/CLXJ assets they held) in his report.
This will account for all CUU aircraft in operation at the time.
4,
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