F-16 Reference

F-16 Aircraft Database

F-16 Accidents & Mishaps for the United States Air Force

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Found 523 aircraft, displaying 196- 210 [Sorted by Date]
Date Status Local S/N Aircraft AF/Unit Version Info Details
Jan 1990 [ act] 84292 84- 1292 USAF 313 TFS F-16C Block 25 E Details
Aircraft had a leading edge malfuntion during flight which ripped off the majority of edge. It landed safely and was repaired.
18 Dec 1989 [ w/o] 84293 84- 1293 USAF 496 TFS F-16C Block 25 E Details
Collided with F-16C (#84-1293) over Maxdorf, Germany. One pilot, First Lieutenant Steve 'Sunny' Sundstrom (in 84-1293) died, the other pilot, Major Rodd Kallman ejected safely. Both were engaging F-15s in BFM when in their final engagement they 'bellied' each other trying to pursuit the same F-15. Lack of situational awareness was the cause of this collision. Both aircraft crashed around 16:12 hours. Lt. Sundstrom did eject, but the heavily shaking aircraft made the seat also to be heavily moving and getting entangled with the chute lines, which prevented it from deploying. The pilot wasn't able to disentangle himself before impact.
26 Oct 2006 [ w/o] 84296 84- 1296 USAF 62 FS F-16C Block 25 E News Article Details
Experienced an engine fire during takeoff roll at Luke AFB, Arizona but aborted before lift off. Fire crews sprayed foam on the aircraft and the pilot was treated at the scene. Early reports said the pilot ejected, this turned out not to be the case as images from the scene show the canopy still in place. Early reports also incorrectly reported that the aircraft tookoff and returned to Luke AFB with an emergency landing. Excerpt from the crash report: "After being cleared for takeoff, Colonel Sherman taxied to the left side of the runway accompanied by Captain Cuadra on the right side. Upon ignition of the afterburner, Colonel Sherman heard an explosion and noticed that a fire had started on his aircraft. His wingman transmitted "Fire" on the radio and Colonel Sherman applied full brakes and initiated the appropriate critical action procedures to abort the takeoff due to fire and preparing to get out of the stopped, but burning aircraft. He was able to open the canopy and safely exit the F-16. Members of the Luke AFB fire department extinguished the aircraft fire". Cause was determined to be a failure of the 3rd stage when the disc fractured putting three holes in the airframe. The resulting fire burned the entire aft section of the aircraft.
Jan 1988 [ act] 84300 84- 1300 USAF 10 TFS F-16C Block 25 E Details
The aircraft struck a landing light tower during night operations at Hahn AB, Germany. Aircraft was low in the rain at night and was forty feet short of the threshold for the runway. The left MLG was sheared off. It skidded to a stop on the runway and the pilot ground egressed without injury. It was repaired at Hahn and returned to service.
22 Sep 2003 [ w/o] 84303 84- 1303 USAF 111 FS F-16C Block 25 E News Article Details
Crashed at Fort Polk, Louisiana on a routine training mission. Fatigue failure of an engine blade at the first stage caused imballance which lead to all blades on the first stage being torn out. Captain Louis A. Davenport was able to eject safely and flew again 12 days after. Wreckage barried itself in the ground in a forest.
03 Feb 1999 [ w/o] 84304 84- 1304 USAF 62 FS F-16C Block 25 E News Article Details
Went down just before 10:00 hours at the Barry M. Goldwater range, about seven miles south of Gila Bend, Arizona. The student pilot, First Lieutenant Esther Obert, radioed that she was having aircraft problems. She was in a three ship formation. Esther ejected shortly after. All Luke AFB F-16's were grounded for safety checks. Cause of the crash was numerous cracks in the afterburner wall which caused fire to spread.
16 Jun 2000 [ w/o] 84311 84- 1311 USAF 309 FS F-16C Block 25 E News Article Details
First Lieutenant Doyle Pompa ejected safely at 7:45 hours. The location was fourteen miles southwest of Sells, Arizona on the Barry M. Goldwater range. The pilot was engaged in an air-to-air fighting training. It was later revealed that the student pilot without realizing, pulled the throttle into the cut-off location during the intensity of the exercise. An airstart was performed, but seemed unsuccessfull due to the pilot applying the Critical Action Procedures (CAPs) incorrectly. All Luke based F-16's were grounded as a result. The mishap was not a fleet wide problem, so flying resumed on June 20th.
15 Dec 1998 [ w/o] 84314 84- 1314 USAF 61 FS F-16C Block 25 E Details
Major Will Sparrow ejected at 15:30 hours over the Barry M. Goldwater range about 40 miles west of Gila Bend, Arizona. The pilot, who was on a training mission, ejected safely.
04 Dec 2006 [ w/o] 84319 84- 1319 USAF 62 FS F-16D Block 25 C News Article Details
The aircraft crashed at 8:30 hours just east of Highway 85 on the Barry M. Goldwater Range. Both crew ejected safely. The F-16 was on a training flight with an instructor and a student pilot.
16 Sep 1997 [ w/o] 84320 84- 1320 USAF 119 FS F-16D Block 25 C News Article Details
Collided with an F-16C (84-1286) from the same squadron over the Atlantic just off the coast. The two aircraft were to rendezvous just after take-off. There destination was Whiskey-107, an ocean training area located 40 miles from Atlantic City. One crew member was rescued at 21:15 hours in good shape. The other crew member was picked up at 21:25 hours and was taken to a trauma center where his condition was stabilized. He had suffered a gash to his head. Damage to the F-16C was to its left wing, horizontal stabiliser, fuselage, canopy and the engine. Damage to this aircraft is estimated to be $1.15 million worth. The F-16D was recovered from the ocean but is a total write off. The aircraft was valued at $16.3 million at the time of the crash. The aircraft belonged to the New Jersey ANG. Surprisingly, blame for the accident was placed on both pilots. The F-16D pilot thought the other aircraft was miles ahead. By the time he spotted the other aircraft it was too late. Lack of communication between both pilots contributed to the accident, as well, both aircraft had their strobe lights turned off. Both pilots were grounded.
07 Aug 1990 [ w/o] 84321 84- 1321 USAF 19 TFS F-16D Block 25 C Details
The aircraft crashed around 11:00 hours 6 miles out of Charleston AFB. The pilot, First Lieutenant Tortsen K. Arnold, and his back-seat IP, Lieutenant Colonel Gregory W. Lewis, were attempting an IFR emergency landing on runway 15. The engine began to fail while flying in the warning areas east of Charleston and quit totally on short final. The weather precluded an SFO landing from high key. The official cause of the accident was 'undetermined' but most likely fuel contamination from the fuel received earlier from a KC-135 AAR as determined by the investigation board. Both pilots ejected safely.
26 May 2006 [ act] 84326 84- 1326 USAF 302 FS F-16D Block 25 D AIB Report Details
Due to a oxygen mask disfunction, the second pilot was cut from oxygen during the climb-out. He suffered severe hypoxia and died by this cause.
22 Oct 2009 [ i/a] 84328 84- 1328 USAF 62 FS F-16D Block 25 E News Article Details
Made an emergency landing short of the runway at Wickenburg municipal airport at approximately 10:30h after losing engine power. Both crew exited the aircraft safely. Could be repaired, but since it's an older block 25 airframe it probably won't be fixed.
02 Apr 2008 [ i/a] 84330 84- 1330 USAF 61 FS F-16D Block 25 E News Article Details
Belly landed at Gila Bend Auxiliary Field, Arizona while returning from a training mission. Pilots were one instructor pilot and one pilot training to become an instructor pilot. As a precaution, both pilots were taken to Luke AFB medical facility.
05 Jun 1990 [ act] 84331 84- 1331 USAF 10 TFS F-16D Block 25 E AIB Report Details
Collided with a German glider (H101 Salto glider, D-2195) ten nautical miles north-north-west of Sembach, Germany. The glider pilot was killed, the F-16 was barely damaged and easily repaired. The pilot of the F-16 was Captain Chris Luithly, but he was not the lead in the flight that was returning from Ramstein to Hahn AB.

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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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Errors and Omissions

Mar 04, 2022 - 09:51 AM
F-16 CRASH

I couldn't find the Edwards AFB crash of 2001 in this list. I was trying to find what tail number it was.


Mar 04, 2024 - 06:45 AM
Jan 82

Some time in the 80s a f16 landing at nellis missed the the arresting Hook and went thru the barrier at end of runway and came to rest in 3 pieces on the golf course

Pilot was cut out of cockpit and walked away





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