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Blue Angel #8 Emergency Landing at KMSN

A US Navy Blue Angel F/A-18 performs an emergency arrested landing in Madison due to hydraulic failure.

2021-12-01 Dane County Regional Airport (KMSN), Madison, Wisconsin

Summary

Blue Angel #8, a two-seat F/A-18 Super Hornet, declared an emergency near Madison, Wisconsin, following a significant hydraulic malfunction. The pilot coordinated with Madison Approach to perform an emergency gear extension and a cable-arrested landing on Runway 36. Air traffic control cleared the local airspace and prepared the runway's arresting gear to ensure a safe recovery of the elite flight demonstration aircraft.

Analysis

This recording captures a high-stakes but professionally handled emergency involving one of the most recognizable aircraft in the world: a US Navy Blue Angel. Blue Angel #8, typically the team’s narrator and media aircraft (an F/A-18F Super Hornet), experienced a hydraulic failure while operating near Madison. In the F/A-18, hydraulic systems are critical for flight controls, landing gear extension, and braking. The pilot informs the controller that they must "emergency-extend" the gear—a one-way process using high-pressure nitrogen—which often necessitates an arrested landing because normal braking and nose-wheel steering may be unavailable or unreliable.

The exchange is a masterclass in military-civilian ATC coordination. Madison Approach immediately prioritizes the fighter, providing vectors to keep the jet within 10 miles of the field while the pilot configures the aircraft. A notable moment occurs when the controller asks if the jet is "armed"; the pilot responds that he is a "slick jet," meaning no external ordnance or fuel tanks are attached, which simplifies the emergency landing profile.

A key technical aspect of this event is the "arrested landing" or "cable trap." While most civilian airports do not have arresting cables, Dane County Regional Airport (KMSN) is a joint-use facility that hosts the Wisconsin Air National Guard's 115th Fighter Wing. This means the runways are equipped with BAK-12 or similar arresting cables. The pilot specifically requests the "approach-end" cable to be raised, allowing the aircraft's tailhook to snag the wire immediately upon touchdown to safely decelerate the 38,000-pound jet without relying on wheel brakes.

The incident concludes successfully with the pilot landing at 140 knots and catching the cable. Because the aircraft is trapped by the wire and lacks normal taxi capabilities due to the hydraulic failure, the runway is temporarily closed so the jet can be towed. The professionalism of both the pilot and the controllers ensured that what could have been a catastrophic mechanical failure resulted in a routine, albeit dramatic, recovery.

View Ratings Overall: 8/10
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Original ATC Communication

Plain English Translation

PILOT
Madison Approach, Blue Angel 8 passing 17,000 for 10,000. Emergency aircraft headed towards Madison at 10,000.
PILOT
Madison air traffic control, this is Blue Angel 8. We’re descending through 17,000 feet down to 10,000. We are an emergency aircraft heading toward Madison and leveling off at 10,000 feet.
ATC
Blue Angel 8, Madison Approach. Roger. The altimeter is 30.02. You can maintain 10,000. If you want to hold, just let me know where you want to hold.
ATC
Blue Angel 8, this is Madison. I understand. The local air pressure for your altitude sensor is 30.02. You’re cleared to stay at 10,000 feet. If you need to circle anywhere while you work the problem, just let me know where you'd like to stay.
PILOT
Blue Angel 8, 30.02, down to 10,000. If we could just maintain overhead Madison within 10 miles, that will help.
PILOT
Blue Angel 8, copy 30.02, descending to 10,000 feet. It would help us if we could just stay directly over the Madison area within a 10-mile radius.
ATC
Blue Angel 8, Roger. Would it work if I just gave you a holding vector? Blue Angel 8, I'll just give you vectors to keep you within 10 miles of Madison. When you have time, just give me the souls on board and fuel remaining in minutes.
ATC
Blue Angel 8, understood. Would it work if I just gave you specific headings to fly? I'll give you steering directions to keep you within 10 miles of the airport. When you're able, let me know how many people are on board and how many minutes of fuel you have left.
PILOT
Blue Angel 8, copy that, works. We're just going to slow down to our landing speed to make sure all of our gear is working. We are two souls with over an hour of fuel.
PILOT
Blue Angel 8, that works for us. We’re going to slow down to our approach speed now to make sure our landing gear is locking into place. We have two people on board and over an hour of fuel remaining.
ATC
Blue Angel 8, Roger. Thank you. Just for my info, when the time comes, are you just going to be a straight-in for runway 36?
ATC
Blue Angel 8, copy that. Thanks. Just so I can plan ahead, when you're ready to land, are you planning to fly straight in for the runway pointing north?
PILOT
Blue Angel 8, turn left heading 180.
PILOT
Blue Angel 8, turning left now to fly a south-facing heading.
ATC
Blue Angel 8, heading 180. When you have time, we just need more information on the emergency. We understand it's a hydraulic issue, but what is that exactly?
ATC
Blue Angel 8, heading south. Whenever you've got a moment, we need a bit more detail on the emergency. We know it’s a hydraulic problem, but what exactly does that mean for the plane?
PILOT
Blue Angel 8. one of our hydraulic systems has malfunctioned and it prevents us from extending our gear normally. We have to emergency-extend the gear, which forces us to take an arrested landing if able.
PILOT
Blue Angel 8. One of our hydraulic systems failed, so we can't put the wheels down the normal way. We have to use the emergency backup to drop the gear, which means we’ll need to use our tailhook to catch the emergency cable on the runway if possible.
ATC
Blue Angel 8, copy all. Thank you so much.
ATC
Blue Angel 8, I've got all that. Thank you very much.
PILOT
And Approach from Blue Angel 8, just to make sure it got relayed: we will be unable to taxi. Our system will require someone to tow us off the runway.
PILOT
And Madison, this is Blue Angel 8 again, just to make sure everyone knows: we won't be able to drive the plane once we land. We’re going to need a tow truck to pull us off the runway.
ATC
Blue Angel 8, Roger. We'll accommodate. We'll just show the runway shut down after you land.
ATC
Blue Angel 8, understood. We’ll take care of it. We’ll just plan on closing that runway to all other traffic after you touchdown.
PILOT
Blue Angel 8, thanks.
PILOT
Blue Angel 8, thank you.
ATC
Blue Angel 8, for information, are you armed with anything or are you de-armed right now?
ATC
Blue Angel 8, just for our records, are you carrying any live weapons or explosives, or is the jet disarmed right now?
PILOT
No ordnance. I'm a complete slick jet.
PILOT
No weapons on board. The jet is completely clean and unarmed.
ATC
Blue Angel 8, turn right heading 270. Blue Angel 8, any chance you have an estimate of how long you need to hold?
ATC
Blue Angel 8, turn right to a heading of 270. Blue Angel 8, do you have any idea how much longer you'll need to circle and wait out there?
PILOT
Blue Angel 8, probably about 10 minutes.
PILOT
This is Blue Angel 8, we'll probably need about 10 more minutes.
ATC
And you plan for the straight-in runway 36. I'll have vectors shortly. Blue Angel 8, now descend and maintain 4,000.
ATC
And you should plan on coming straight in for the north-facing runway 36. I'll give you steering directions in just a moment. Blue Angel 8, go ahead and descend to 4,000 feet and stay at that altitude.
ATC
N57T, clear to land runway 32. Actually, N57T, cancel landing clearance. I'm going to need you to turn westbound and just orbit over the city for now. There's going to be emergency traffic inbound for runway 36.
ATC
November 57 Tango, you're cleared to land on runway 32. Actually, 57 Tango, cancel that landing. I'm going to need you to turn west and just circle over the city for now. We have an emergency flight coming in for the north runway.
OTHER AIRCRAFT
All right, we'll be turning westbound and just orbit, 57 Tango.
OTHER AIRCRAFT
Understood, we're turning west to circle the city, 57 Tango.
ATC
Blue Angel 8, turn left. Left turn heading 090. Blue Angel 8, as you join the final, Madison airport will be at 12 o'clock and 12 miles.
ATC
Blue Angel 8, turn left. Left turn to a heading of 090. Blue Angel 8, as you line up for your final approach, the Madison airport will be straight ahead of you, twelve miles away.
PILOT
Blue Angel 8, field in sight.
PILOT
Blue Angel 8, we have the airport in sight.
ATC
Blue Angel 8, Roger. Cleared visual approach runway 36, straight in.
ATC
Blue Angel 8, understood. You're cleared to land using your own eyes on the north runway, coming straight in.
PILOT
Blue Angel 8, cleared visual approach straight in 36.
PILOT
Blue Angel 8, cleared to fly the visual approach straight in to runway 36.
ATC
Blue Angel 8, contact Tower on 119.3 or 257.8.
ATC
Blue Angel 8, switch over and talk to the Control Tower now on frequency 119.3 or 257.8.
PILOT
119.3. Thanks so much for the help.
PILOT
Switching to 119.3. Thanks so much for all your help.
ATC
You bet.
ATC
You're very welcome.
ATC
Runway 36, cleared to land.
ATC
You are cleared to land on runway 36.
PILOT
Blue Angel 8, cleared to land 36 and copy the gear location, Alpha 2.
PILOT
Blue Angel 8, cleared to land on 36, and we see the emergency equipment waiting for us at taxiway Alpha 2.
ATC
Madison altimeter 30.02.
ATC
The Madison barometric pressure for your altitude reading is 30.02.
PILOT
Blue Angel 8, 30.02. Tower from Blue Angel 8, are we able to switch to 18 so that we're closer to the gear?
PILOT
Blue Angel 8, I've got the altimeter setting. Tower, can we switch to Runway 18? It'll put us closer to the emergency arrestor cables.
ATC
You can switch to 18. We can bring the other cable up. Do you want the approach-end cable up?
ATC
You can have Runway 18. We can raise the other set of cables for you. Do you want the ones at the very start of the runway raised?
PILOT
Blue Angel 8, affirmative. We would like the approach-end up. To 36 with the approach gear up. Can you confirm when the approach cable for 36 is up?
PILOT
Blue Angel 8, that's right. We want the cables at the start of the runway raised. We'll head for Runway 36 with those cables ready. Can you let me know when the cables for 36 are in place?
ATC
Wilco. It's on its way up.
ATC
Will do. They're on the way up now.
PILOT
Blue Angel 8, thanks.
PILOT
Blue Angel 8, thanks.
ATC
And the north cable is up—that's over by Alpha 2. The south cable is now coming up—that's near Alpha 5. Blue Angel 8, you will have to touchdown probably around the displaced threshold or very near the threshold.
ATC
The north cable is up—that's over by taxiway Alpha 2. The south cable is coming up now near Alpha 5. Blue Angel 8, you'll have to touch down right at the very start of the landing zone.
PILOT
Blue Angel 8, we can do that. 140 knots at 38,000 pounds.
PILOT
Blue Angel 8, we can do that. We're coming in at 160 miles per hour, weighing 38,000 pounds.
ATC
Blue Angel 8, thank you. Blue Angel 8, switch to Ground on 121.9 or 348.6.
ATC
Blue Angel 8, thank you. Go ahead and switch over to the ground controllers on the other radio channel.
PILOT
Blue Angel 8, switching to 348.6. Thanks so much for the help. Good day.
PILOT
Blue Angel 8, switching over now. Thanks so much for all the help. Have a good one.
ATC
Good day.
ATC
Have a good one.
OTHER AIRCRAFT
Madison Approach, this is Cirrus 25 Lima. Just curious, you said there was an emergency F-18 back into the airport. Hopefully everybody's okay?
OTHER AIRCRAFT
Madison Approach, this is the Cirrus. I’m just curious, you mentioned an F-18 had an emergency landing back at the airport. I hope everyone’s alright?
ATC
Yep, everybody landed just fine.
ATC
Yep, they touched down safely.
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