This bird never seemed to fly right after the collision with the glider. I flew it back to the US when we closed down Hahn AFB. It flew like it was a little bent. The ECS quit over Scotland, so "Bo" Boera (on the wing) and I diverted to Alconbury. The cockpit decompressed pretty quickly when the ECS broke, and I had to dive pretty quickly so that the cabin pressure wouldn't get above 25,000' (and go to the flight docs!). We chilled out in England for a couple of days untill the ECS got fixed and another tanker was available to drag us across the pond to the 163rd.
Col. B.A. Andrews
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Aircraft History
Date
Status
Local S/N
Airforce/Unit
Version
Name
Info
29 Jul 1986
[act]
84331
F-16D Block 25E
Aug 1986
[act]
84331
10 TFS 'HR'
F-16D Block 25E
05 Jun 1990
[msh]
84331
10 TFS 'HR'
F-16D Block 25E
Comments: Collided with a German glider (H101 Salto glider, D-2195) ten nautical miles north-north-west of Sembach, Germany. The glider pilot was killed, the F-16 was barely damaged and easily repaired. The pilot of the F-16 was Captain Chris Luithly, but he was not the lead in the flight that was returning from Ramstein to Hahn AB.
USAF 84331
