F 16's down in SC

Apparently two F 16's collided during a night time exercise and one landed safely...the other has yet to be found?

May be old news here but thought much more light could be spread through this site?

Anybody got any news? God Bless and be with the pilot of the seconf aircraft!

Peace,
Mondo

When you say "collided" it makes it sound like they had a head on collision. However I am betting that they were flying in formation, and got a little too close and bumped into each other.

I hope that the pilot in the lost jet ejected in time and survived.

A pilot is worth far more than a old hunk of metal any day.

Hopefully it wrecked in an unpopulated area and things turn out OK for everyone involved.

Thanks for the news.

I found this, but I'm not sure how "updated" it is. It was last updated on Saturday.


Search widened for missing F-16 pilot off coast

Ok so it was over water I assume?

Anyone from the Air Force know how long a pilot can survive on a raft? How much water do they have? If any?

Not sure what the term, "collided" means in this instance, but yes it was approvimately 30-40 nautical miles off the coast they are saying. However, I agree and am apt to believe that they were involved in a close proximity type of situation rather than a head-on type of thing.
Being that one of the aircraft landed safely, it lends one to imagine that it was not as violent as a head-on would be. I have not found anything that related to altitude levels or anything yet but will keep searching.
www.milavia.net usually has some good info but nothing that I have seen yet so if you have any other sites that are recommended, please pass them on.

Again, my best to the pilot and his family,
Peace,
Mondo

[edit on 19-10-2009 by Mondogiwa]

The USAF said it appears that the canopy impacted the belly of the other jet. They said it appears the the pilot, a 32 year old Captain, was killed instantly and never got out of the aircraft. No beacon from either the seat or raft was heard. Just saw a news article stating the search was called off and is now a recovery effort. They are looking for the aircraft still.

[edit on 10/20/2009 by Zaphod58]

reply to post by Zaphod58


Zaphod,

Great to hear from you and that is unfortunate to say the least. I figured it was a close formation mishap by the way that the reports were making it sound.
May God be with the pilot's family and friends.

Peace,
Mondo

Originally posted by Zaphod58
The USAF said it appears that the canopy impacted the belly of the other jet. They said it appears the the pilot, a 32 year old Captain, was killed instantly and never got out of the aircraft. No beacon from either the seat or raft was heard. Just saw a news article stating the search was called off and is now a recovery effort. They are looking for the aircraft still.

[edit on 10/20/2009 by Zaphod58]

There was a midair by two Danish F-16s that happened almost exactly like that in the early 1980s. I know the surviving pilot, but the pilot from the other plane died probably in the midair impact.

The AIB has 90 days to publish their report. Once they do I`ll get the basics from it and put it here. I am willing to bet though that it will be pilot error exaserbated by unfamiliarity with the NVGs, and loss of visibility with the other aircraft.

Here is what they had to say on the local news here in Charleston, SC.
Search Continues For F-16