“DID YOU LOSE ANYTHING?”

“NO, WHY?

“YOU JUST RAN AROUND THE INTAKE!”

The impact of what I had just done hit me a couple minutes later, bringing me to my knees.

The sun was just setting and we were getting ready for the 1830 launch. The flight deck was a buzz with activity. Pilots were doing there preflight checks and ground crews were buttoning up the aircraft and getting them ready for the launch.

Petty Officer Williams was up by the cockpit with his back to me, giving me hand signals that were supposed to indicate what he wanted me to do. With the aircraft turning, it was really the only way to communicate. The only way to be herd was to be standing next to the person and yelling.

We were running a self test on a radar altimeter. When you push the test button it indicates zero altitude. When you cover one of the antennas it indicates above 5,000 feet.

Petty Officer Williams gave me an unusal signal, which I interpreted as “go to the other side of the aircraft and cover the other antenna.” I thought to myself, this does not make any since,but he is the boss.

I stood up and ran around the aircraft and covered the other antenna. Apparently when I did so I failed to give the ten foot clearance that was required with a turning aircraft. In fact when I went around the front, I had my hand on the lip of the intake.

I had heard about people who have been sucked into the engine and the moment really made me pause and consider just how very close that was.