Check flight forced to make emergency landing
The US Air Force has suspended flying of production Northrop Grumman RQ-4A Global Hawk unmanned air vehicles after an engine in-flight shutdown in late July. The Global Hawk fleet is grounded until the cause of the problem can be determined.
The order comes as the first RQ-4A ordered by the US Navy – air vehicle N-1 – entered test flights last week. That aircraft was expected to be delivered to NAS Patuxent River, Maryland by late August. The two navy vehicles are scheduled later this year to enter a four-year Global Hawk Maritime Demonstration (GHMD) programme.
Few details about the nature of the engine shutdown that led to the stand-down have been released. At about 10:00 on 28 July, an RQ-4A undergoing a 4h check flight at Edwards AFB, California, reported “engine difficulties”, says Northrop. The RQ-4A then followed a pre-programmed mission protocol and landed at Edwards without incident, the company says.
An Edwards air traffic controller, who was overheard via radio by a Flight International reporter, warned nearby air traffic that a Global Hawk had suffered an engine shutdown and was returning unpowered for an emergency landing. The RQ-4A is powered by the Rolls-Royce AE3007 engine. Three air force Global Hawks have crashed in the programme’s history.
STEPHEN TRIMBLE / WASHINGTON DC
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY GUY NORRIS/LOS ANGELES
Source: Flight International
