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 271- 285 [Sorted by Date]
Date Status Local S/N Aircraft AF/Unit Version Info Details
27 Jul 1993 [ w/o] 86275 86- 0275 USAF 35 FS F-16C Block 30 D Details
In poor weather this F-16 landed on top of F-16C (87-0335) which was trying to take off . Pilot Lt. Col. Ralph Earl "Bark" Gardner who had just arrived at Kunsan AB, Korea from MacDill AFB was killed. The 56th FW which was closing down had just enough aircraft to fly for his memorial.
18 Mar 1999 [ act] 86277 86- 0277 USAF 35 FS F-16C Block 30 D Details
Fog at Kunsan AB, Korea caused the flight of two to divert to Kimhae International Airport also in Korea. Conditions at this airport were raining. The first aircraft landed but hydroplaned, resulting in the pilot using the end of runway barrier. The second aircraft landed and hydroplaned, but had to steer off the runway in order to avoid hitting the other aircraft which had just taken the barrier. Following this the aircraft struck the MA-1A barrier chain which tore off the entire undercarriage. Instructor pilot Major David L. Orr exited the aircraft safely without ejecting. Damage was a destroyed ECM pod, undercarriage and debris which was ingested into the engine.
21 Jun 2004 [ act] 86282 86- 0282 USAF 80 FS F-16C Block 30 D Details
The aircraft was being towed from the Foxtrot taxiway (next to the alternative runway) coming from the washing area called a "birdbath" when the right wing hit some of the "birdbath" structure. The TSgt who was driving for some reason swerved the aircraft towards the birdbath instead of keeping it in the center of the taxiway. The structure of the birdbath stuck on the right wing pulling it off the taxiway. Most of the damage was the result of the nose gear collapsing in contact with the soft ground
12 Jul 1999 [ w/o] 86284 86- 0284 USAF 523 FS F-16C Block 30 D News Article Details
Crashed during a night training mission at about 8:45 hours. The aircraft crashed eight miles north of Hobbs, New Mexico. The pilot (callsign BamBam) ejected safely only twenty seconds before impact. Cause of the crash was an engine failure, when two blades broke loose due to fatigue. The pilot had attempted two re-lights of engine before ejecting. The aircraft skidded nearly intact partly across a highway. The pilot landed a few hundred yards from the aircraft at which point he picked up the back of his seat (which is quite heavy) carried it to the aircraft and leaned it up against the side of the jet before walking to a farmhouse nearby and calling ops.
29 Jan 1989 [ w/o] 86297 86- 0297 USAF 35 TFS F-16C Block 30 D Details
Crashed into the Yellow Sea just off South Korea. Pilot ejected and was rescued by a US Army Chinook. The wreck was salvaged by a US Navy vessel. Recovery from the sea took about a week. Photograph taken after recovery.
26 Dec 1989 [ w/o] 86300 86- 0300 USAF 35 TFS F-16C Block 30 D Details
Destroyed 23 miles off Kunsan AB, South Korea after suffering an engine malfunction which wasn't recoverable. The pilot, Captain Jeffrey Sturmthal, ejected safely.
21 Feb 2012 [ act] 86310 86- 0310 USAF 18 AGRS F-16C Block 30 D Details
Rolled off the end of the runway into the grass about 100 feet after making an emergency landing at Saipan international airport Tuesday morning due to "hydraulic issues" during Cope North 2012 exercise.
14 Mar 1989 [ w/o] 86311 86- 0311 USAF 612 TFS F-16C Block 30 D Details
Collided with F-16C (86-0312) over Barchin del Hoyo, Spain when practising BFM. Both aircraft were lost. One pilot, 1st Lieutenant Danny Ralph Johnson, was killed due to an ejection seat malfunction while the other, Captain Stephen S. Kempf, ejected safely.
14 Mar 1989 [ w/o] 86312 86- 0312 USAF 612 TFS F-16C Block 30 D Details
Collided with F-16C (86-0311) over Barchin del Hoyo, Spain when practising BFM. Both aircraft were lost. One pilot, 1st Lieutenant Danny Ralph Johnson, was killed due to an ejection seat malfunction while the other, Captain Stephen S. Kempf, ejected safely.
13 Dec 2000 [ w/o] 86313 86- 0313 USAF 523 FS F-16C Block 30 D Details
This aircraft piloted by Lieutenant Colonel John C. Harrison of the 83rd FWS at Tyndal AFB, Florida. The aircraft was on temporary duty with this unit. He ejected east of Panama City at Apalachicola, Florida at about 13:50 hours with minor injuries. Cause was engine failure and fire. John was rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter.
05 Dec 1988 [ w/o] 86316 86- 0316 USAF 612 TFS F-16C Block 30 D Details
Crashed near Chiloeches, Spain which is close to Torrejon AB, outside of Madrid during approach to the airfield. The pilot, Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott Harpe, died in the crash. He was the commander of the USAF operations in the Mediterranean. Harpe, 51, was on a training flight. The exact curcumstances have never been totally revealed since the investigation showed no technical failure nore. Most probably Gen. Harpe got disoriented during the nightly approach to Torrejon AB.
08 Dec 2020 [ w/o] 86317 86- 0317 USAF 176 FS F-16C Block 30 E News Article Details
During a night-time training sortie the pilot experienced a malfunctioning GPS system. While trying to solve this the pilot entered worse weather condition while making manoeuvres to deconflict with his wingman. The pilot then suffered spatial disorientation and suffered from a controlled flight into terrain with no attempt to eject. The pilot, capt. Durwood Jones, didn't survide the crash.
18 Jul 1989 [ act] 86322 86- 0322 USAF 80 TFS F-16C Block 30 E Details
The aircraft was hit by bird and the aircraft left the runway with the right landing gear collapsing. The pilot, Major Jerry “Irish” Mayer, escaped unharmfull.
01 Sep 1998 [ w/o] 86324 86- 0324 USAF 523 FS F-16C Block 30 E News Article Details
Crashed at 9:13 hours, 30 miles southwest of Fort Sumner in the eastern portion of New Mexico. The pilot, Major Kevin Frisbie, was severely injured in the ejection. He was treated at the University Hospital, Albuquerque. Cause of the crash was the pilot having gravity-induced loss of consciousness after preforming a high-g manoeuvre of 6.4 g’s. Frisbie was unconscious for about ten seconds. When he woke he was 70 degrees nose down 5,000 feet altitude and at a speed of 575 knots (1,065 km/h). He attempted to pull out of the dive, but at 300 feet ejected. The pilot knew about the g-suit malfunction prior to flight during his checks. He was cleared to take it as is with a g-limit restriction. His parachute also did not open fully before he impacted the ground causing multiple breaks to both hips and legs. It was over 4 to 6 months until he was around on crutches.
09 Nov 1993 [ w/o] 86325 86- 0325 USAF 120 FS F-16C Block 30 E Details
Went down near Laramie, Wyoming at 14:22 hours. The pilot, Lt. Julian Clay, ejected safely. Cause was an engine failure.

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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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