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Airframe Details for F-16 #78-0078

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F-16 Aircraft Profile

Aircraft: 78-0078
LM Aero T/V 62-4
Plant General Dynamics
Local C/N
Delivered USAF 78078
F-16B Block 1
Current USAF 78078
F-16B Block 1
Status [w/o]

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Aircraft History

Date Status Local S/N Airforce/Unit Version Name Info
30 Nov 1978 [act] 78078 F-16B Block 1
Dec 1978 [act] 78078 USAF 57 FWW 'HL' F-16B Block 1
Detachment 16 at Nellis AFB.
09 Aug 1979 [msh] 78078 USAF 57 FWW 'HL' F-16B Block 1
F-16 write-off number one. The aircraft was written off in a crash while on approach to Hill AFB, Utah. The pilot at the controls was a Belgian pilot on the OT&E team. The pilot had refueled and forgot to close the aerial refueling door. Therefore, he could not get gas from his external tanks, which were de-pressurized for the refueling. Worse, the B-model lowered flaps when refueling to provide increased clearance between the boom and the canopy. So he couldn't get external fuel (had two big external tanks) and if he slowed down the flaps extended. He had plenty of internal gas originally, but apparently failed to monitor the actual amount of internal fuel and suddenly the 'low fuel' light came on! His 'total' fuel was way up, but all the gas in the external tanks was unusable due to no pressurization. He had to manually select the tanks of interest, otherwise what you saw on the gauge was 'total' fuel. The pilot tries for Hill AFB and slows to best range speed, slow enough for the trailing flaps to come down and increasing drag/fuel consumption. The F-16 flames out on downwind and the pilot tries for a deadstick landing, unfortunately he couldn't make it and punches out really low. The now pilot-less plane actually made it to the runway overrun and pancakes but was a total lost.
09 Aug 1979 [w/o] 78078 USAF 57 FWW 'HL' F-16B Block 1

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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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