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 46- 60 [Sorted by Date]
Date Status Local S/N Aircraft AF/Unit Version Info Details
11 Mar 1986 [ w/o] 79367 79- 0367 USAF 428 TFS F-16A Block 10 A Details
Destroyed after a mid-air collision with the Fighter Wing Commanders aircraft #79-0365. Because of the collission it lost its vertical stab, went out of control and crashed in a dry-wash near Gila Bend. The pilot ejected safely.
30 Jul 1985 [ w/o] 79372 79- 0372 USAF 72 TFTS F-16A Block 10 A Details
Crashed into the Gulf of Mexico killing the pilot, 2nd Lieutenant J. O'brien. Probable cause is believed to be black-out
20 May 1982 [ w/o] 79374 79- 0374 USAF 428 TFS F-16A Block 10 A Details
Crashed on the Dugway range, Utah. During an exercises it suffered a main generator failure. After a sucessful airstart and while enroute to NAS China Lake for an emergency landing an intermittant flame was observed coming from the tailpipe. Upon hearing a loud bang and feeling a reduction of thrust, the pilot successfully ejected.
Unknown [ act] 79377 79- 0377 USAF 429 TFS F-16A Block 10 A Details
This USAF F-16 crashed twice, but was repaired both times - hence it got named 'Twice as Nice'. It was later sold to Israel. The first crash was in 1984 - sometimes when aircraft systems designers integrate various components into an airframe, they forget to examine what happens if a component should fail. Such was the case in the original F-16 design. An electrical connector (cannon plug) came loose and unfortunately the wiring for critical components like brakes and arrestor hook all went through the same connector. The pilot attempted to land the aircraft and engage the arrestor wires. Both wires were missed and the aircraft went off the end of the runway. The pilot stayed with the aircraft and the rescue crews had to cut through the canopy to reach hime - the hole in the canopy can be seen in the photo. After this accident they changed the electrical schematic and wiring harness so that those features went through different connectors now. The second crash occurred a few years later. Cause of mishap was a stuck throttle cable at 70% power. The incident happened at MacDill and the pilot landed the aircraft then ejected when he couldn't stop it. It then went off the end of the runway.
18 Feb 1987 [ act] 79377 79- 0377 USAF 63 TFTS F-16A Block 10 A Details
Aircraft crashed for the second time and was rebuilt again, and was called "Twice as Nice" from then on. Cause of mishap was a stuck throttle cable at 70% power. Incident happened at MacDill and the pilot landed the aircraft then ejected when he couldn't stop it. It then went off the end of the runway.
16 Jun 1982 [ w/o] 79378 79- 0378 USAF 429 TFS F-16A Block 10 A Details
21 Apr 1993 [ w/o] 79379 79- 0379 USAF 107 FS F-16A Block 10 A Details
Michigan ANG lost one of its aircraft in a crash at Selfridge ANGB.
22 Jun 1987 [ w/o] 79385 79- 0385 USAF 56 TTW F-16A Block 10 A Details
The aircraft suffered from a stuck throttle incident. The stabs jumped during touchdown just as the engine flamed out. The aircraft went about 300 feet in the air and landed to the right of the runway. The pilot ejected safely.
19 Jan 1983 [ w/o] 79386 79- 0386 USAF 34 TFS F-16A Block 10 B Details
Crashed in Great Salt Lake, Utah killing Lieutenant Colonel Bill George. The aircraft suffered a controlled flight into terrain (CFIT).
04 May 1982 [ w/o] 79390 79- 0390 USAF 429 TFS F-16A Block 10 B Details
Crashed near Beccles, England due to main fuel pump failure. The aircraft had just undergone major maintanence and was being flown for a maintanence test flight. The pilot ejected safely. The damaged canopy from this aircraft was noted on display is at the Bentwaters Cold War Museum in Suffolk, England.
18 Jan 1991 [ act] 79391 79- 0391 USAF 138 TFS F-16A Block 10 B Details
Shot up during Desert Storm by AAA on January 18, 1991. Damage was to the ECM pod and the the right wing. Spent a week in BDR before returning to flight a week later.
11 Apr 1991 [ w/o] 79391 79- 0391 USAF 138 TFS F-16A Block 10 B Details
Nose tire blew during takeoff causing the aircraft to depart the runway at Al Kharj AB, Saudi Arabia around 9:00 local. The right drop tank hit a runway light. The pilot, Major Androski, ejected safely after the aircraft started to leave the runway, but the aircraft burned up. Mission was intended to be a CAP mission in support of ODS.
08 Jun 1982 [ w/o] 79392 79- 0392 USAF 429 TFS F-16A Block 10 B Details
22 Mar 1988 [ w/o] 79397 79- 0397 USAF 61 TFTS F-16A Block 10 B Details
Flew into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The aircraft crashed on a night practice intercept sortie over the Gulf. The pilot was Capt. Ronald Speidel (a German Air Force exchange-pilot) who just joined the 61st TFTS at Mac Dill AFB
28 Jun 1989 [ w/o] 79398 79- 0398 USAF 161 TFTS F-16A Block 10 B Details
Crashed near Fall River, Kansas. Student was on basic fighter maneuvers and exceeded limiters and F-16 lost control. The pilot ejected and survived.

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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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