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F-16 Fighting Falcon News
Volkel based F-16BM makes rough landing
May 18, 2006 (by
Lieven Dewitte) -
Today a F-16BM (J-064) of the RNlAF 312 sqn made a rough landing on the runway at Leeuwarden AB. Both pilots are ok.
The F-16 with callsign 'Spider21' was making an IF-Test flight out of Volkel AB. From there it made an approach at Gilze-Rijen and then continued to Leeuwarden AB to make some approaches overthere.
During the Radar Guided Simulated Flame-out (SFO) approach they hit the runway pretty hard according to the guy/girl in the local control bunker (LCB). The 'Judge21' which was also in the neighborhood of Leeuwarden for some kind of photo flight joined up with 'Spider21' to check out it's landing gear, and found out that the main left landinggear was twisted for about 20/30 degrees.
Despite the twisted gear the crew decided to land at Leeuwarden using a visual straight in approach. After touching the runway the twisted gear collapsed and the F-16 came to a quick stop by it's dragchute.
Both pilots were out of the jet within 3 minutes. So they really did a great job.
It is still unclear what the exact damage is to the jet, but it will probably be repaired, as the RNlAF doesn't have that much F-16B's.
A few years ago exactly the same happened at Volkel AB with #J-654, which also made a hard touch-and-go following an SFO. That jet was repaired afterwards and sold to Jordan.
RNLAF F-16BM #J-064 landing at Leeuwarden AB during the Frisian Flag 2002 exercise [Photo by David Mackey]
During the Radar Guided Simulated Flame-out (SFO) approach they hit the runway pretty hard according to the guy/girl in the local control bunker (LCB). The 'Judge21' which was also in the neighborhood of Leeuwarden for some kind of photo flight joined up with 'Spider21' to check out it's landing gear, and found out that the main left landinggear was twisted for about 20/30 degrees.
Despite the twisted gear the crew decided to land at Leeuwarden using a visual straight in approach. After touching the runway the twisted gear collapsed and the F-16 came to a quick stop by it's dragchute.
Both pilots were out of the jet within 3 minutes. So they really did a great job.
It is still unclear what the exact damage is to the jet, but it will probably be repaired, as the RNlAF doesn't have that much F-16B's.
A few years ago exactly the same happened at Volkel AB with #J-654, which also made a hard touch-and-go following an SFO. That jet was repaired afterwards and sold to Jordan.