2/20/2015 - LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. -- A pilot's failure to maintain visual contact with another aircraft and deconflict their flight paths led to a mid-air collision between two F-16C Falcons near Moline, Kan., Oct. 20, 2014, according to an Air Combat Command Accident Investigation Board report released today.
After the collision, one aircraft crashed near Moline while the other successfully returned to Tulsa Air National Guard Base, Okla. Both pilots survived the mishap, with one pilot suffering minor injuries upon ejection.
Both aircraft belonged to the 138th Fighter Wing at Tulsa, Okla., and were operated by pilots assigned to the wing's 125th Fighter Squadron. The pilots were participating in a combat maneuvers training mission when the collision occurred.
According to the results of the investigation, the formation's wingman failed to inform the flight lead of an inability to maintain visual contact with the lead aircraft. Simultaneously, the flight lead failed to assume visual and flight path deconfliction responsibilities for the formation while the wingman set up for complicated training maneuvers. Additionally, the flight lead misinterpreted the wingman's direction of turn and failed to recognize they were on a collision course. These compounded errors
contributed to the pilots' inability to realize the danger in time to take effective evasive action.
The flight lead ejected and the aircraft impacted the ground and was destroyed. The wingman returned safely to base despite five feet of the right wing tip being severed from the aircraft. The total loss to government property was valued at $22.5 million. There was no significant damage to private property.
For more information, contact Air Combat Command Public Affairs at (757) 764-5007 or e-mail accpa.operations@langley.af.mil.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment