BY LT RYAN HURLBURT
I
t was the first week of combat ops and we were launching from a carrier in the Arabian Gulf. We were scheduled for a single-cycle unit level training (ULT) flight in the late afternoon. The man-up was routine with the exception of the multifunction information distribution system (MIDS), which was giving us some issues, but nothing that would cause us to cancel the event. After leveling off at 500 feet during the Case 1 departure, we lost MIDS (including the TACAN). With the last known TACAN DME between four and five, we drove out for another minute, and then began our climb. The combat information center officer (CICO) started to troubleshoot MIDS as we executed our normal climb out. Passing through 2,000 feet, we entered a non-convective cloud layer. We broke out of the layer around 10,000 feet and continued up to 20,000 feet. Between 10,000 feet and 15,000 feet, I asked the copilot if he noticed an odd smell. This was my first time flying in the Gulf and first time in many years for the copilot. After a brief discussion, we thought it may be the smell of dusty cloud moisture over-saturating the AC compressor. As this discussion was going on, the air control officer (ACO) went into the forward equipment compartment to reseat the cables on the back of the MIDS box. We were talking to the CICO to let him know we still did not have a working TACAN and that it may be an issue with the ship. Our playmate from the event prior was not receiving TACAN either. The ACO finished her troubleshooting and headed back to her seat. The CICO and radar officer (RO) were having the same conversation that we had up in the cockpit about an unusual smell. We started to level off at 20,000 feet. The smell was getting stronger. We discussed turning off the air conditioning to see if the odor went away, but we decided not to since it would cause the aircraft to lose cabin pressurization. In a matter of seconds, white smoke built up in the cockpit. As we notified the other three crew members, the master caution illumi28
nated along with the flight HYD quantity light. We had to land immediately. The copilot directed me to start an immediate descent back towards the ship as he declared an emergency with tower. The whole crew connected their oxygen masks and internal communication system (ICS) within 30 seconds, and the smoke continued to get thicker for the next minute of descent. The copilot told everyone to start preparing for bailout in case the
Approach
