Comments:
The aircraft collided with a USMC F-4 Phantom II during DACT. The right wing of the Phantom cut through the belly of the F-16 at a 35 degree angle. The resulting damage to the engine gearbox meant the aircraft could not recover. Both aircraft were passing head-to-head at Mach 1 meaning a closure rate of Mach 2. The pilot, Captain Daryl “Smilin’ Jack” Hower, was forced to eject from the F-16 at an altitude of around 23,000 feet but was relatively unhurt. The Viper slowly drifted down and impacted the ground on a muddy tidal plain. The USMC found it to be a unique opportunity to practice combat repair techniques by patching up the Phantom. If any one knows the serial of the F-4, please let us know.