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Airframe Details for F-16 #81-0779

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F-16 Aircraft Profile

Aircraft: 81-0779
LM Aero T/V 61-460
Plant General Dynamics
Local C/N
Delivered USAF 81779
F-16A Block 15G
Current USAF 81779
F-16A Block 15G ADF
Status [w/o]

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Aircraft History

Date Status Local S/N Airforce/Unit Version Name Info
18 Feb 1983 [act] 81779 F-16A Block 15G
19 Mar 1983 [msh] 81779 USAF 612 TFS 'TJ' F-16A Block 15G
Belly landed at Torrejon AB, Spain when the pilot forgot to lower landing gear. Aircraft, which was on a delivery flight, landed on three external tanks. Damage was considered minimal but was damaged when the recovery crane dropped it from roughly 4 feet during recovery. Because of that the aircraft had to have a spar replaced so a CLSS team flew in from Hill AFB, Utah and fixed the aircraft within a week.
26 Mar 1984 [act] 81779 USAF 612 TFS 'TJ' F-16A Block 15G
Aug 1984 [act] 81779 USAF 421 TFS 'HL' F-16A Block 15G
Mar 1986 [act] 81779 USAF 16 TFTS 'HL' F-16A Block 15G
Jul 1986 [act] 81779 USAF 4 TFS 'HL' F-16A Block 15G
Dec 1986 [act] 81779 USAF 421 TFS 'HL' F-16A Block 15G
Unknown [con] 81779 F-16A Block 15G ADF
May 1990 [act] 81779 USAF 170 TFS 'SI' F-16A Block 15G ADF
Mar 1991 [act] 81779 USAF 119 FIS F-16A Block 15G ADF
May 1993 [act] 81779 USAF 169 FS 'IL' F-16A Block 15G ADF
11 Sep 1993 [msh] 81779 USAF 169 FS 'IL' F-16A Block 15G ADF
The aircraft was completely destroyed in a crash. It impacted the ground near Union, Missouri due to bearing failure. The pilot ejected safely.
11 Sep 1993 [w/o] 81779 USAF 169 FS 'IL' F-16A Block 15G ADF AIB Report

Crew Chief Comments

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MSgt. Ken Ramage

Crew Chief Profile
612th Tactical Fighter Squadron "Fighting 612th" , -
When 779 was landing at Torrejon AB, Spain for the first time, coming from the factory, the pilot forgot to put the landing gear down somehow and landed on the tanks. My beautiful, brand new F-16 with only 16 flying hours on it as I remember it began its assignment at TJ with a bang. Then, the crash recovery crew picked it up with a crane and dropped it twice. My baby sat on the ground for a couple of months while we waited for a depot crew to come and change a rib in the engine bay that was compressed, not from the landing but from being dropped by the crash recovery crew. I still am hoping to find a picture of that some day.


Abbreviations and symbols:
[act] Active [i/a] Instructional Airframe [sto] Stored (e.g. at AMARG)
[cld] Cancelled Order [msh] Involved in Mishap [w/o] Write-off
[con] Converted [o/o] On Order
[des] Destroyed (drone) [pre] Preserved (museum, gateguard) T/V LM Aero Type/Version (Construction) number
[emb] Embargoed [scr] Scrapped Photo Available
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