A tough touchdown at Ramstein Air Base in 2020 broken a C-130J’s structural integrity, which led to it changing into the primary of the sort to obtain a wing substitute within the discipline.
A C-130J Tremendous Hercules flew once more with a brand new pair of wings on Jul. 26, 2025, after being grounded for 5 years at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The plane, assigned to the thirty seventh Airlift Squadron (thirty seventh AS), 86th Airlift Wing (86th AW), sustained intensive injury to its wings and construction following a tough touchdown at Ramstein on Apr. 23, 2020.
A press launch from the 86th AW defined that, in addition to the manufacturing of the brand new wings, the work additionally required transport containers to be manufactured to maneuver the wings from the U.S. to Ramstein. The assertion burdened that that is the primary such wing substitute for a ‘J’ variant of the C-130 on the sector.
The C-130J, tail quantity 11-5376, is now again at Robins AFB, Georgia, house to the 402nd Expeditionary Upkeep Squadron (402nd EMS) and the 86th Upkeep Group (86th MG). Whereas at Ramstein, the 2 items “spent over 30 days changing the wings, engines and different primary elements of the plane,” defined the service.
The rationale for the intensive repairs was that the arduous touchdown in 2020 “broken the structural integrity of the wings, engines and touchdown gear assemblies, rendering it unable to fly,” defined the press launch. A subsequent AAIB (Plane Accident Investigation Board) report decided pilot error because the trigger.
Whereas no casualties or accidents have been reported, the mishap was discovered to be attributed to pilot error. In truth, the AAIB discovered that the Mishap Pilot diminished engine energy (or throttle), whereas coming in for touchdown, from an altitude larger than the one stipulated, which was thought of unsuited for the C-130J’s flight traits.
Wing substitute and return to flight
The press launch quoted 86th MG commander Col. Lucas Buckley, who mentioned the C-130’s program workplace decided “that it might be more economical to return the plane” as a substitute of divesting the airframe, and thus kickstarted the challenge. “Between the engineers, planners and technicians, taking the steps to place the plane again collectively was the very best funding for the Air Drive,” Buckley mentioned.
The subsequent 4 years noticed new wings and the “first-of-its-kind” C-130J wing transport containers being constructed. These have been then transported to Ramstein AB, the place the 402nd EMS and the 86th MXG set to work on the core substitute effort. Buckley credited a “lot of serving to palms” within the effort to return 5736 to flying requirements, which have been concerned in “planning, engineering, dealing with and transport of the wings from the USA to Ramstein Air Base.”
Months of planning, executing and repairs resulted within the plane 5736 conducting its first take a look at flight in 5 years on Jul. 15, 2025. Some extra tweaks and checks adopted, and the C-130J lastly flew “again house to the USA within the morning of July 28, 2025,” added the discharge, though the captions and the VIRIN naming of the pictures state the flight occurred on July 26.
The official photos nonetheless don’t present the wing substitute effort, or the transport of the brand new wings to Ramstein from the continental United States.
The U.S. Air Drive makes use of about 300 C-130 of the H and J variants because the mainstay of its tactical airlift functionality, along with tens of plane configured for particular missions. Over 560 airframes of the C-130J variant are in use in 23 nations, collectively logging over 3 million flight hours.
On Jun. 18, 2025, producer Lockheed Martin additionally introduced that the anticipated lifetime of the C-130J Tremendous Hercules’s wing is now at 122,500 EFH (Equal Flight Hours), as a substitute of the beforehand calculated 90,000 EFH. This was revealed following a multi-year Wing Sturdiness Take a look at program funded by the U.S. Air Drive and the Royal Canadian Air Drive. The take a look at “pushed the wing to its limits by simulating the stresses and strains of real-world flying situations,” mentioned Lockheed Martin.
C-130J mishap and trigger
On the day of the incident on Apr. 23, 2020, the thirty seventh AS was conducting a “routine periodic analysis flight” for the Mishap Pilot 1 (MP1), which concerned a “most effort takeoff, most effort (assault) touchdown, full cease, after which rejoin a formation” to finish the rest of the analysis. The incident befell through the touchdown portion of the train.
As per the AAIB report, the MP1 (Mishap Pilot 1) carried out an “early engine energy discount (energy pull)” whereas at 70 ft AGL (Above Floor Degree) and set absolutely FLT IDLE (Flight Idle) at 45 ft AGL. Nonetheless, this could have occurred at roughly 20 ft AGL.
“Because of the aerodynamics of the C-130J, a discount in energy will exacerbate the sink charge, as a result of reality the C-130J propellers generate excessive velocity airflow over the wings, straight affecting carry,” the AAIB defined in its report.
The vertical acceleration load issue (g-load) was 3.62 occasions the drive of gravity (3.62g) and the touchdown sink charge was 834 ft per minute (FPM), exceeding the C-130J’s restrict of two.0g and 540 FPM. AAIB investigators additionally dominated out the crew’s perception that elevated tailwind performed a component within the elevated sink charge.
Each the pilots didn’t determine and arrest in a well timed method the extreme sink charge, “considerably contributing” to the C-130J-30 exceeding its g-load and sink charge touchdown limits. The AAIB report recognized the broken components because the “heart wing, each outer wings, left and proper primary touchdown gear assemblies, and engines, to incorporate mounting buildings,” placing the worth of the damages at $20.9 million.
Efforts paid off
The press launch famous the “full crew effort” was a results of profitable coordination between the “C-130 program workplace, engineers, depot, MAJCOM (Main Command) workers and of the maintainers of the 86th AW that took care of the plane for the previous 5 years.”
Eighty-Sixth MXG’s high quality assurance superintendent Senior Grasp Sgt. Justin Jordan highlighted the hassle’s testimony in regards to the Air Drive’s “capabilities […] resilience, technical experience, and dedication to operational excellence.” In an emotional reflection, Jordan mentioned watching the C-130J carry off was “like watching a dream take flight.”
Herculean Stroll! 6 U.S. Air Drive C-130J Tremendous Hercules from the 86th Airlift Wing taxi down the flightline, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Feb. 13, 24.The 86th AW flexed its means to defend U.S. pursuits. 📷 Senior Airman Andrew Bertain #avgeeks #aviationlovers (Airman Journal) pic.twitter.com/40XtQrTMQD
— Stealthy (@stealthy360) June 13, 2025
“It wasn’t only a mechanical achievement, it was a deeply private second,” defined Jordan. “Plane 5736 grew to become greater than only a machine to us; she represented resilience, historical past and the spirit of aviation. That first flight was a tribute to everybody who believed in her and labored tirelessly to carry her again to life. I’ll always remember the sound of her engines roaring to life and the sight of her wheels leaving the bottom. It was magic!”
