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Accident report shows neglect

Disaster came close to striking the 20-plus member crew of an E-8C Joint STARS while the reconnaissance jet was deployed to the Persian Gulf in March, according to an accident investigation report released Thursday.

The left wing of the jet, a military version of the Boeing 707 passenger jet, came close to breaking off after a series of fuel tank explosions rocked the jet and tore apart the wing’s interior, the Air Combat Command accident investigation board concluded.

Despite the damage, the aircrew safely flew the jet back to al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. The repair bill was pegged at $25 million.

The cause of the near catastrophe was a fuel vent plug about two inches in diameter. It mistakenly was left in the jet in late 2008 or early 2009 while the jet was undergoing depot maintenance at Northrop Grumman’s Lake Charles (La.) Maintenance Modification Center, the report said. The work was done by Floats and Fuel Cell Services, a subcontractor.

Workers questioned by investigators denied they left the plug, the report said.

However, previous Air Force inspections of the Lake Charles center in 2007 and 2008 found workers didn’t accurately track the use of tools to make sure equipment wasn’t left in a plane, the report said. Also, an identification number on the plug showed it came from Lake Charles.