FlightFollowerBlue Angel Pilot Declares Emergency (Landing with Arresting Cable)
Accident Facts
- Date
- 30 November 2021
- Aircraft
- U.S. Navy Blue Angels F/A-18
- Location
- Dane County Regional Airport, Madison, Wisconsin
- Issue
- Hydraulic system problem
What Happened
On 30 November 2021, a U.S. Navy Blue Angels F/A-18 made an emergency landing at Dane County Regional Airport in Madison, Wisconsin after the pilot reported a hydraulic problem. The event was unusual because the aircraft was a military demonstration jet operating at a civilian airport, but the emergency itself was handled as a conventional aircraft systems problem: the pilot advised air traffic control, requested emergency equipment and planned for the aircraft to remain on the runway after touchdown.
Dane County airport officials said the pilot reported the hydraulic issue to ATC and asked that emergency vehicles stand by. The pilot also advised the tower that the aircraft would not be able to taxi away from the runway after landing, so a tug would be needed. That information allowed the airport to plan for the runway to remain occupied rather than treating the landing as a normal arrival.
The Landing and Recovery
The F/A-18 landed on runway 36 without reported difficulty. It came to a stop at the intersection of runways 03 and 36, and ground personnel prepared to tow it clear. Contemporary airport reporting said runway 03 was closed for roughly 35 minutes and runway 36 for roughly another 10 minutes while the aircraft was removed and the area checked.
The arresting-cable element often associated with this recording should not be confused with an arrestment actually occurring. The available contemporary reporting confirms that the pilot requested emergency equipment and that the aircraft landed normally; it does not establish that the cable was engaged.
What the Record Shows
This was an emergency landing caused by a reported hydraulic malfunction, not a crash or a failed landing. The airport's response was largely about controlling the runway environment and arranging recovery of an aircraft that could not taxi under its own power. No injuries were reported.