Dyess Air Force Base assists civilian aircraft with a blown engine

Published Aug. 24, 2010
By Airman 1st Class Brittney Smolinski
7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Two civilian pilots glided roughly seven miles to Dyess Air Force Base after their plane's engine broke.

"There was a thrown rod which caused oil to spew all over the windshield of the plane. The pilots could hardly even see," said Bob Butt, retired airplane mechanic hired to fix the downed aircraft.

Mr. Butt was hired by the owner of the private plane to fix the engine. He has been an airplane mechanic for over 40 years.

When the airplane landed on Dyess, leadership was notified and coordinated with the 317th Airlift Group, 7th Bomb Wing Safety, lodging and airfield management. They provided Mr. Butt a hangar to work in, a forklift to help replace the old engine with the new one, and lodging until the plane was running again.

"The Air Force has bent over backwards to accommodate my every need," said Mr. Butt. "I couldn't ask for a better experience and everyone has gone out of their way to be helpful."

"Team Dyess is glad we were able to assist a local aviator in an emergency situation. It was the right thing to do," said Col. David Béen, 7th Bomb Wing commander. "We always have such great support from our community. We were thrilled to have the chance to return the favor."