F-16 Fighting Falcon News

January 27, 2004 (by Lieven Dewitte) - Officials plan to upgrade the main runway at Terre Haute International Airport, which has not had major repairs for 15 years. The 9,025-foot-long runway was last patched in 1989 and is now in need of major repair to eliminate debris, mainly from crumbling pavement.
The major concern is that the debris could enter the jet engines of F-16s stationed at the airport with the Indiana Air National Guard's 181st Fighter Wing. FOD (foreign object debris and/or foreign object damage) is usually the result of crumbling pavement. The F-16 is very susceptible to that because its intakes are close to the ground, closer than other aircraft.



The airport's secondary runway was extended to 7,200 feet with Department of Defense funds, to enable F-16s to land on that runway while the main runway is being redone.