293.7000

[cjrjr507]

Hi
I heard on my scanner yesterday that a plane was having problems with it's #2 engine. It kept stalling out when the pilot pushed the throttle to 45 %, then it would go to idle. Not good! He tried restarting it but it kept doing it. I heard him mention something about fighter aircraft so he may have had an fighter squdron escorting him in. He was heading to fairchild afb I believe as that is their frequency. The time was 1457 hrs.

Keep on listening!

 

[eorange]

Where are you located?

I have 293.7 as an air-to-air freq for the 171st ARW out of Pittsburgh.

 

[ColoradoRedlands]

297.3 is a freq that is used by a handful of ANG units as their OPS freq.

Sounds like your aircraft in trouble was a KC-135. Chances are the fighters you heard mentioned were with the tanker for refueling, so he is (was) escorting them rather than the other way around.

 

[cjrjr507]

Hi eorange
I'm located in the northwest portion of montana. I hear the refueling tankers on 238.9 as they usally fly right above my area headed east or west. Sometimes I also pick them up on 122.7500 when jet fighters are with them refueling.

 

[cjrjr507]

Hi ColoradoRedlands
They may have been refueling at the time of the engine problems. From the comms there was more than one fighter in the area though. Usally I hear them on 238.9 when they are refueling but did not for some reason unless it wasn't a refueling tanker.

 

[tmfok7]

Where are you located?

I have 293.7 as an air-to-air freq for the 171st ARW out of Pittsburgh.

He is probably correct that they were headed to Fairchild AFB, which has as I remember, the largest Air Refueling Wing on the west coast. It is located just west of Spokane, WA.

 

[TinEar]

Freq 293.7 is listed in Airnav as an Operations freq at Fairchild AFB.

 

[eorange]

Wasn't Fairchild AFB the place where that B-52 crashed due to that crazy pilot?

Also...would a AR flight originating from Pittsburgh go cross-country all the way to WA, i.e. is that a normal thing for an ARW to do? I suppose it could be if they were en route to a mission?

(I have absolutely zero military background, just gleaning knowledge on how things work from the folks here and what I monitor on the radio!)

 

[tmfok7]

Wasn't Fairchild AFB the place where that B-52 crashed due to that crazy pilot?

Also...would a AR flight originating from Pittsburgh go cross-country all the way to WA, i.e. is that a normal thing for an ARW to do? I suppose it could be if they were en route to a mission?

(I have absolutely zero military background, just gleaning knowledge on how things work from the folks here and what I monitor on the radio!)

It probably wasn't the ARW out of Pittsburgh but from Spokane (Fairchild). He heard the comm in western Montana so, that would be approximately 200 miles + or - from FAFB and 'Yes', that is the same base where the B-52 crashed but they don't have the bombers there anymore. It is strictly an ARW base along with a survival school now!

Funny thing is, I lived just southeast of the base on the north aspect of a hill and could see the base quite well from my [then] house. I had been standing outside watching him fly that day and walked around to the back and went inside and just as I walked in, the power went out. Then I looked out the living room window and saw the column of black smoke!

 

[Bandingabout]

Wow. BAFB just a stone throw from me. Many sweet aircraft , so near, so comm far. Monitor, monitor me.

 

[eorange]

and just as I walked in, the power went out. Then I looked out the living room window and saw the column of black smoke!

Wow...!

I did a youtube search for the B-52 crash and easily found it. Before the plane knife-edges into the ground, you can see it clip some power lines and see the flash of electricity.