BOARD C-130H, T/N 88-4404 and C-27J, T/N 10-27030 Pope Army Air Field, North Carolina 1 December 2014 On | December 2014, at approximately 2022 local time, a C-130H, tail number (T/N) 88-4404, assigned to the 440th Airlift Wing, Pope Army Air Field (AAF), North Carolina and a United States Army C-27J, T/N 10-27030, assigned to the United States Army Special Operations Command Flight Company, Pope AAF, North Carolina collided approximately 8 miles south of Mackall AAF, North Carolina. Both aircraft declared emergencies and landed safely, the C-27 to Mackall AAF and the C-130 to Pope AAF. There were no injuries to the eight C-130 crewmembers or the five C-27 crewmembers. Damage estimates for the C-27 are still ongoing. The government loss for the C-130 and associated cleanup was valued at $1,837,649.93. At the time of the incident, the mishap C-130 was performing an escape maneuver to egress Luzon Drop Zone (DZ) following completion of a visual Container Delivery System airdrop. The mishap C-27 was departing Laurinburg-Maxton Airport enroute to two waypoint DZs for simulated airdrops. The C-130 was leveling at 1500’ Mean Sea Level (MSL) on a heading of 193 degrees while the C-27 was level at 1500’ MSL, on a heading of approximately 310 degrees passing slightly beneath the C-130 from left to right. The right wingtip of the C-27 grazed the right underside of the C-130 at the nose gear door, damaging the gear door and following a path that tore the flare dispenser hood from the fuselage and then proceeded beneath the C-130’s right wing. The C-27 vertical stabilizer crossed immediately in front of the nose of the C-130 and proceeded between the prop arcs of the C-130’s number 3 and 4 engines. The vertical stabilizer then came into contact with the front of the C-130’s right external fuel tank and continued on a path impacting midway down the inboard side of the number 4 engine and leading edge of the right wing in the vicinity of the engine mount. The C-130 sustained damage to the leading edge of the right wing and number 4 engine. The C-27 sustained significant damage to the top third of the vertical stabilizer and rudder. The Accident Investigation Board President found by clear and convincing evidence that the cause of the mishap was a breakdown in visual scan resulting in insufficient clearing of the aircraft flight path by both aircrews. The AIB President found that both aircrews were over- reliant on Traffic Collision Avoidance Systems to alert them to potential traffic conflicts and concentrate their visual scan. Additionally, the AIB President found that both aircrews exhibited complacency due to the routine nature of the mission profiles, despite the inherent risk associated with night, low-level, visual flight rules operations on Night Vision Goggles. The AIB President further found that the visibility afforded by the C-27 is limited, presenting a considerably obstructed view for the left-seat pilot who was flying, limiting his ability to see the C-130 approaching from the right with sufficient time to avoid collision. Lastly, the AIB President found the pilot flying from the left seat of the C-130 channelized his attention on aircraft control resulting in a loss of situational awareness and breakdown of visual scan outside the aircraft.