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F-16 Aircraft Database

F-16 Accident Reports for 2003

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Found 26 aircraft, displaying 1- 15 [Sorted by Date]
Date Status Local S/N Aircraft AF/Unit Version Info Details
20 Jan 2003 [ act] J-066 87- 0066 RNlAF Test Group F-16B Block 20 MLU Details
Nosewheel departed aircraft while landing at night at Leeuwarden after a night mission. Aircraft will be repaired.
24 Jan 2003 [ act] 92-038 92- 4038 RoKAF 20 FW F-16D Block 52 K Details
Due to a heavy landing the main gear collapsed. Aircraft was upright but on external tanks.
06 Feb 2003 [ act] 90718 90- 0718 USAF 18 FS F-16C Block 40 H News Article Details
Jumped the chocks during a hot oil servicing run at Eielson AFB, Alaska and slid 400ft sideways across the ramp on hard packed snow. The aircraft ended up in a balancing act on its nose and starboard wing on the ground and port landing gear in the air. The aircraft was fixed, although there was extensive damage. A ground crew member in the cockpit was fine. A few years later, the aircraft ended up in the exact same position after being tipped over by the engine exhaust of a taxying B-1B.
24 Feb 2003 [ w/o] 310 86- 1603 IDFAF 117 sqn F-16C Block 30 A News Article Details
Pilot reported engine troubles at 13:30 hours and the engine quit, with the pilot loosing control of the plane, forcing him to eject at around 2,000 feet as he was too far from a base and in rare snowing conditions. The pilot, a veteran IDFAF reserves officer with the rank of major, ejected safely near Afula, Israel. Israel grounded its entire F-16 fleet for a short period of time. The jet crashed into the side of a water reservoir near Moshav Ram-On. Army divers searched for pieces of the wreckage in the reservoir. Some parts were sent to IDFAF Technical School.
Apr 2003 [ act] 072 88- 1712 IDFAF 109 sqn F-16D Block 30 F Details
Undercarriage failed on takeoff, but damage was from belly landing. The aircraft was repaired by the next week.
20 May 2003 [ act] 6808 93- 0829 RoCAF 14 TFS F-16B Block 20 Details
Around 15:50 hours the aircraft made an emergency landing at Ma Gong Airport because of engine problems during a training sortie. The crew, pilot Huang De Liang and co-pilot Qiu Jian Han weren't wounded. When it landed, its left tire blew out as well seriously disrupting civilian flights. At around 18:00 hours a new tire arrived from Jia Yi AB and it returned to base.
29 May 2003 [ w/o] 89052 89- 2052 USAF 36 FS F-16C Block 40 E News Article Details
Crashed at the end of the runway after pilot ejected safely during takeoff at 20:06 hours at Osan AB, Korea. Two ducks were sucked into the intake and caused the crash. A woman driving her car just inside the main gate was injured as the debris crossed her path. Large portions of wreckage crossed the road inside the Doolittle gate and into an aircraft historic park.
30 May 2003 [ w/o] 89-0032 89- 0032 TuAF 141 Filo F-16C Block 40 A Details
Formation landing with this F-16 as wingman. Because of a brake system problem the aircraft drifted off the right side of the runway. Nose gear failed and that is how the damage occurred. Pilot remained with the aircraft.
02 Jun 2003 [ w/o] 116 88- 0116 HAF 330 Mira F-16C Block 30 J Details
This information is not solid, but looks likely that this is the aircraft that was lost on June 2, 2003. It is the only HAF block 30 that cannot be accounted for after 2003 by spotters on Scramble's web site. Further confirmation is required. Here are the details regarding this mishap. Possible bird ingested in the engine, but certainly was an issue with the engine. Pilot, Captain Pliatsikas Theodoros jettisoned the drop tanks and attempted to make it to a runway but fell short three nautical miles from the base near Volos. An Air Force rescue helicopter picked up the Captain after his safe ejection. After a short stay in an Air Force hospital, he was released.
04 Jun 2003 [ act] 688 80- 3688 RNoAF 331 skv F-16A Block 20 MLU Details
The main wheel collapsed at Ørland AB and was caused due to human error during maintenance of the "over-center lock".
10 Jun 2003 [ w/o] 88451 88- 0451 USAF 310 FS F-16C Block 42 C News Article Details
Lost at 16:50 hours at Barry M. Goldwater training range in Arizona. Captain David O'Malley ejected safely. It was suspected that it was a 4th Stage turbine failure from a manufacturing defect. All F-16's of this engine type were grounded as a result of this loss. A fault in the engine was found and remaining aircraft began flying once this part was replaced. Work was expected to be completed by March 2005. It is now required to inspect these fan blades periodically.
12 Jun 2003 [ w/o] 88424 88- 0424 USAF 421 FS F-16C Block 40 B News Article Details
Went down over Iraq at 6:30 hours southwest of Baghdad. The pilot ejected safely and was picked up by friendly ground forces. The only thing that was left of the aircraft were the tail and canopy. Cause of the crash was trapped fuel in the wing tanks due to a malfunction of an unknown reason. Further to this the fuel was not being monitored as the pilot was heading up to the tanker to get gas the engine flamed out.
13 Jun 2003 [ w/o] 85445 85- 1445 USAF 61 FS F-16C Block 25 F News Article Details
It was 9:30 hours when Captain Scott Arbogast ejected over the Barry M. Goldwater training range, Arizona. The cause of the crash was due to the ingestion of a California Condor while practicing take-offs and landings at Gila Bend auxiliary field.
15 Jun 2003 [ act] 88421 88- 0421 USAF 421 FS F-16C Block 40 B Details
Collided on the ground with F-16C (88-0516) caused by a hydraulic failure. The incident happened at just before 8:00 am local time on the Zulu-1 taxiway of Al Udeid AB, Qatar. Initial unconfirmed reports indicate that a taxiing F-16 lost all hydraulic power and ran into a parked F-16 at about 10 knots. One maintenance troop on top of the parked F-16 was thrown or jumped off the F-16 and was slightly injured, abrasions to his back. Both F-16s were fully loaded with live ordnance, there were also 3 pieces of AGE equipment involved. After the impact, some sort of electrical short is suspected from one of the AIM-9 missiles, that possible ignited some of the fuel and started a fire in the motor of the AIM-9 and on a below mounted avionic pod. This fire was reportedly quit large and it was extinguished by another maintenance troop, possible saving 7 fully loaded F-16s! As the Fire Department arrived on scene there was light smoke but no fire. The rocket motor was still smoldering so about 200 gallons of water was used to cool them down. After it was determined that there we no lives at stake the area was evacuated. EOD made entry about 45 minutes later. They determined that a piece of AGE equipment that was lodged between the two aircraft would need to be stabilized with a crane during the download of the munitions. This effort totaled 6 hours and 33 minutes with the outside temperatures being between 110°F and 133°F during the emergency. EOD removed 4 damaged munitions and one that they were unsure of.
15 Jun 2003 [ act] 88516 88- 0516 USAF 421 FS F-16C Block 40 D Details
Got hit on the ground by F-16C (88-0421) caused by a hydraulic failure of the other F-16. Cost to repair was $1.1 million and was conducted by the 649th CLSS over a period of two years once work started.

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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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