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F-16 Aircraft Database

F-16 Accident Reports for 1989

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Found 35 aircraft, displaying contribute.html- 14 [Sorted by Date]
Date Status Local S/N Aircraft AF/Unit Version Info Details
Unknown [ act] J-200 83- 1200 RNlAF 315 sqn F-16A Block 15 U Details
This mishap happened somewhere in 1989. Pilot L. van Bruggen executed a touch-and-go but came back on the runway with a retracted gear.
Unknown [ act] 301 86- 1598 F-16C Block 30 Details
Was damaged in a hard landing in the late 1980's. Main gear struts went through the inlet. Everything below the strake was replaced due to this mishap and was flown again.
04 Jan 1989 [ w/o] 83116 83- 1116 USAF 308 TFS F-16A Block 15 S News Article Details
Impacted the ground by Lake Okeechobee near Avon Park range. The pilot, Lt. Mark Pugh ejected safely. It was being flown on a surface attack/tactics mission and he was number four in the formation. While egressing the target area at 515 knots his canopy struck an approximately 8-pound turkey buzzard directly in front of the HUD. The bird's remains penetrated the canopy (this was the first USAF penetration of an F-16 canopy) and hit Pugsly in the chest knocking his left hand onto the ejection handle and his right arm off the sidestick back against the bulkhead. He could only see a small gap near his left hand on the ejection handle which seemed like a good idea so he ejected. The airplane continued and crashed off-range killing a cow. Pugsly's injuries were confined to bruises and lacerations from the canopy plexiglass. He flew again in several weeks and continued as an F-16 LANTIRN and F-15E RTU Instructor Pilot.
05 Jan 1989 [ w/o] 84228 84- 1228 USAF 19 TFS F-16C Block 25 C Details
Damaged beyond repair in an aborted takeoff from Shaw AFB after multiple bird strike. The pilot was injured in the mishap. Eye witness account by Scott Gandy "I witnessed the mishap from in front of Hanger 1200. Aircraft had birdstrikes right after rotation, pilot then planted airplane on runway and attempted a departure-end barrier engagement. The cable bounced after being run over by the NLG wheel and struck the C/L tank, rupturing it. The spilling fuel was then ignited. The pilot ran the canopy up, over and down the radome he went. It seemed like the jet burned up in two minutes."
10 Jan 1989 [ w/o] 676 80- 3676 RNoAF 331 skv F-16A Block 15 K Details
Crashed near Andøya, Norway killing the pilot, Bjørn Gunnar Olsen.
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.
14 Feb 1989 [ w/o] 86274 86- 0274 USAF 35 TFS F-16C Block 30 D Details
Crashed in Crow Valley, Philippines at 8:16 hours with the pilot, 1st Lieutenant Josh Levin, not surviving the crash. Cause was spatial disorientation.
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.
15 Mar 1989 [ w/o] 87363 87- 0363 USAF 62 TFTS F-16D Block 30 F Details
Lost at MacDill AFB, Florida. Crashed after a hard landing during a so-called simulated flameout approach (SFO). The aircraft hit the runway so hard that both main gear were ripped out. The aircrew got airborne again and it was decided to attempt an arrestor hook engagement. The aircraft missed the wire on the first attempt and set fire to the grass at that end of the runway. Emergency crews quickly put out the fire. During the second attempt it ran out of hydraulic fluid and the aircraft pitched up forcing the crew to eject. Aircraft then stalled and nosed over ending up off to the side of the end of the runway.
05 Apr 1989 [ w/o] 287 78- 0287 RNoAF 338 skv F-16A Block 10 Details
Collided with F-16A (78-0294, 294) over Sula, Norway killing one of the pilots, Rune Hernes. He was unable to eject and followed the aircraft until it impacted the ocean. The reason was he lost his entire vertical tail in the collision. When he tried to eject he was in a fast rotating flat spin. The canopy released as it was supposed to, but the two wires attached to the canopy that are supposed to flip a on the seat to tell the seat 'the canopy has cleared', failed. This was caused by a modification yet not performed on this particular aircraft. The two wires ran through two 'metal tubes/pipes' directly behind the seat. The modification was to change these two straight pipes to pipes that expanded at the top (like the end of a trumpet/trombone). Since the aircraft was spinning, the two wires were sheared off by the pipe when they were streched out. The seat than refused to fire, as the valve remained in the wrong position.
05 Apr 1989 [ w/o] 294 78- 0294 RNoAF 338 skv F-16A Block 10 B Details
Collided with F-16A (78-0287, 287) over Sula, Norway killing one of the pilots, Rune Hernes. He was unable to eject and followed the aircraft until it impacted the ocean. The reason was he lost his entire vertical tail in the collision. When he tried to eject he was in a fast rotating flat spin. The canopy released as it was supposed to, but the two wires attached to the canopy that are supposed to flip a on the seat to tell the seat 'the canopy has cleared', failed. This was caused by a modification yet not performed on this particular aircraft. The two wires ran through two 'metal tubes/pipes' directly behind the seat. The modification was to change these two straight pipes to pipes that expanded at the top (like the end of a trumpet/trombone). Since the aircraft was spinning, the two wires were sheared off by the pipe when they were streched out. The seat than refused to fire, as the valve remained in the wrong position.
18 Apr 1989 [ act] ET-612 80- 3612 RDAF Esk 727 F-16B Block 15 Details
A runaway Mobil crane crashed into the gate on hangar 5 at Skrydstrup AB hitting the aircraft and pushing it into the opposite wall. The aircraft was so badly damaged that it was not until August 3rd, 1990 that the aircraft was ready to fly again.
19 Apr 1989 [ w/o] J-056 86- 0056 RNlAF 315 sqn F-16A Block 15 AA OCU Details
Crashed near Javinque, Belgium due to an engine failure. The pilot ejected safely.
23 May 1989 [ w/o] 82965 82- 0965 USAF 309 TFS F-16A Block 15 L Details
Flew into the Gulf of Mexico. The pilot ejected safely.

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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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