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 451- 465 [Sorted by Date]
Date Status Local S/N Aircraft AF/Unit Version Info Details
29 Jul 2011 [ act] 90733 90- 0733 USAF 80 FS F-16C Block 40 H Details
Received $589,322 worth of damage after #90-0717 ran into it while on the runway before take-off. Damage to wing box, horizontal stab, fuel tank and targetting pod reported.
31 May 1992 [ w/o] 90749 90- 0749 USAF 57 FW F-16C Block 42 J Details
Aircraft crashed while returning from a training mission approximately 20 miles SE of Pahrump, Nevada,. The pilot, Scott Gierat, ejected safely and was rescued by a Las Vegas Police helicopter. The pilot detected smoke in the cockpit along with a decreasing oil pressure. When the oil pressure reached 5 PSI, the pilot heard a loud bang accompanied with a grinding noise. Shortly thereafter the pilot noted the engine RPM was at 0. He attempted a JFS airstart which was unsuccessful. At 3000' AGL he succesfully ejected.
29 Oct 2019 [ w/o] 90755 90- 0755 USAF 314 FS F-16C Block 42 J News Article Details
The aircraft crashed around 6:30 pm local time 95NM from Holloman AB with the pilot ejecting safely. The crash was caused by the catastrophic failure of the engine resulting from the failure to install the 1st Stage Rear Air Seal during overhaul of the engine’s Inlet Fan Module by depot-level maintenance personnel at Tinker AFB in September of 2016.
24 Apr 2018 [ w/o] 90760 90- 0760 USAF 310 FS F-16C Block 42 J Details
This F-16 departed the runway at Lake Havasu City Municipal Airport on 10:35am local time. The F-16 diverted to the airport during a routine training mission. The aircraft landed on runway 14 but departed the runway for unknown reasons. The pilot ejected safely. The aircraft suffered extensive damage with the cockpit section torn off and substantial damage to the rest of the fuselage. It is considered a write-off.
27 Oct 1992 [ w/o] 90761 90- 0761 USAF 17 FS F-16C Block 42 J Details
Impacted the ground near Shaw AFB, South Carolina. On the return flight of an exercise the pilot, Captain Bradley S. Johnson, noticed fuel issues. He tried to land, but when he saw he couldn't make it, he ejected.
07 Feb 1994 [ w/o] 90764 90- 0764 USAF 125 FS F-16C Block 42 J Details
Crashed due to an engine fire in Soper, Oklahoma. The pilot ejected safely and walked to the nearest farmhouse for assistance. The crash was the unit's first loss in its entire 54 year history. Cause was that the engine experienced a high cycle fatigue fracture of a fourth stage turbine blade below the blade platform and subsequent damage to the low pressure turbine which made it to stall.
21 Mar 2012 [ w/o] 90771 90- 0771 USAF 36 FS F-16C Block 40 K News Article Details
The aircraft crashed in a rice paddy near Kunsan AFB around noon. The pilot ejected safely.
27 Nov 2006 [ w/o] 90776 90- 0776 USAF 524 FS F-16C Block 40 K News Article Details
Went down over Iraq north of Falluja in western Anbar province at 13:35 hours during a combat mission supporting ground forces. The official cause of the accident was "chanalized attention manifested by the pilots to maintain a constant visual positive identification of targeted enemy vehicles and subsequent target fixation on these vehicles while they were traveling at a high rate of speed". Unfortunately the pilot, Major Troy L. Gilbert of the 309th FS, was killed in this accident.
13 Jul 2004 [ act] 90779 90- 0779 USAF 36 FS F-16D Block 40 H Details
The aircraft caught fire right after take off from Osan AB. The pilot, Capt. Kermis, circled around and was able to land. The core spray bar broke off and started spraying fuel in the enging bay. Due to the fire the rudder ISA also failed resulting in loss of rudder control during landing. It was a class A mishap but the plane was repaired.
18 Feb 1993 [ w/o] 90784 90- 0784 USAF 18 FS F-16D Block 40 H Details
Destroyed near Eielson AFB, Alaska. Both crew, pilot Capt. Glen S. Porter and backseat passenger, flight surgeon Maj. Robert D. Verdone, were killed. It has been speculated that during a ground avoidance maneuver the backseater had interfered with the control stick and rudders.
25 Mar 1998 [ w/o] 90792 90- 0792 USAF 36 FS F-16D Block 40 J News Article Details
Crashed into the Yellow Sea 100 kilometres west of Osan AB, South Korea at 20:52 hours. The aircraft was part of a four-ship formation on a combat training mission. Eleven hours after the mishap, the body of Captain Keith A. Sands was found. United States Air Force, Navy and Korean Air Force helped in the search. Korean Navy minesweepers found the wreckage, but the USS Salvor (ARS-52) salvaged 300 pieces to the aircraft, but lacked one large portion. This mishap was caused by a combination of the pilot unintentionally maneuvering his aircraft in excess of briefed parameters, and personal injuries and equipment damage sustained during the subsequent ejection. The pilot did eject safely, but sustained injuries which let him to pass away while in the water.
16 Feb 2000 [ w/o] 90794 90- 0794 USAF 68 FS F-16D Block 40 J News Article Details
Crashed eight kilometres north of Donaldsonville, Georgia while on a night goggle training mission out of Moody. The crew of two, Major Charles B. Kearney and First Lieutenant Christopher Hutchins, ejected safely and were picked up by 41st Rescue Squadron SH-60's. The cause of the accident turned out to be a failed high pressure turbine wheel that shelled in flight. The aircraft was lend to the 69 FS at the time of the accident.
Jan 1994 [ act] 90797 90- 0797 USAF 307 FS F-16D Block 40 K Details
Suffered an electrical fire on the ground due to chaffing wires under a panel on the aircrafts right side. Was quickly repaired on site at Moody AFB. Happened in January or February 1994.
19 Jun 1998 [ w/o] 90798 90- 0798 USAF 68 FS F-16D Block 40 K Details
Skidded off the runway and burned out during take-off on a post maintenance test flight. The AOA probe was installed backwards. As soon as the aircraft broke ground the aircraft porpoised up and down the runway. Faulty instrument readings gave the wrong angle of attack to the computer. Air data inputs are used to automatically schedule the leading edge flaps and the AOA limiting is in effect. The pilot, Captain Bryan Nordhelm, managed to eject safely. The pilot attempted to correct the bad data but the computer would not respond. The mishap occurred at Hill AFB, but the aircraft is normally operated by the 347th Wing at Moody AFB, Georgia. It was being worked on for NIVIS lighting upgrade before the CCIP package had been released.
13 Nov 2000 [ w/o] 90801 90- 0801 USAF 14 FS F-16C Block 50 News Article Details
Collided in mid-air with F-16C (90-0811) over the Sea of Japan. Piloting this F-16 was Captain Warren B. Sneed who could not be found and is presumed dead. No ejection was seen from this aircraft. Colonel Michael Lepper was in the other aircraft and ejected safely being rescued by Japanese forces in an UH-60. He was the commanding officer of the 35th Operations Group. Both aircraft were participating in Keen Sword exercise. All Misawa based F-16's were grounded till November 16th.

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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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