Sat, Nov 02, 2013
Fighting Falcon Went Down After A Bird Strike In June
Air Force officials announced the results of an F-16D Fighting Falcon accident investigation Thursday. The investigation into the June 26, F-16 mishap at Luke Air Force Base, AZ, determined the accident was due to the pilot’s decision-making error after the aircraft suffered low-altitude bird strikes following takeoff.
The mishap instructor pilot and mishap student pilot, assigned to the 56th Fighter Wing’s 309th Fighter Squadron, were executing a planned touch-and-go training exercise when the aircraft’s engine ingested several birds resulting in degraded engine performance.
The Accident Investigation Board found evidence that the cause of the mishap was a result of the pilot erroneously electing to make an immediate turn that robbed the aircraft of altitude and airspeed, rather than climbing straight ahead to achieve minimum maneuvering speed for aircraft recovery. The mishap instructor pilot’s channelized attention and breakdown of visual scan limited the time to fully analyze the situation and successfully recover flight. All of the factors substantially contributed to the aircraft mishap.
Both pilots were able to safely exit the aircraft, suffering only minor injuries. There were no fatalities or significant injuries, and only limited damage to civilian property. The estimated damage costs are approximately $22 million.
The president of the Accident Investigation Board was Col. John J. Menozzi. He is assigned as the 71st Flying Training Wing Vice Wing Commander at Vance AFB, OK.
(F-16 image from file. Not accident airplane)
More News
Airport Rotating Beacon A visual NAVAID operated at many airports. At civil airports, alternating white and green flashes indicate the location of the airport. At military airports>[...]
Aero Linx: Fly for the Culture Fly For the Culture, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that serves young people interested in pursuing professions in the aviation industry>[...]
Klyde Is Having Some Issues Comprehending The Fed's Priorities FMI: www.klydemorris.com>[...]
Also: Viasat-uAvionix, UL94 Fuel Investigation, AF Materiel Command, NTSB Safety Alert Norges Luftsportforbund chose Aura Aero's little 2-seater in electric trim for their next gli>[...]
Also: EP Systems' Battery, Boeing SAF, Repeat TBM 960 Order, Japan Coast Guard H225 Buy Despite nearly 100 complaints totaling millions of dollars of potential fraud, combined with>[...]