Forum: F-16 News

Are the engines P/W or G.E.? G.E. is 5th and 9th air.... I worked ECS for 10+ and never smelled or heard of this. Could be a component in the cockpit that shorted/burned up.

F-16s fly despite Israel formaldehyde fumes

By Bruce Rolfsen - Staff writer
Tuesday Mar 25, 2008

Air Combat Command doesn't have plans to ground its American F-16 Fighting Falcons in the wake of the decision by the Israeli air force to halt training flights by the newest version of the fighter, the F-16I.

The Israeli air force announced March 21 that it was stopping training flights of F-16Is because of formaldehyde fumes found in one jet and complaints by pilots about strong smells in F-16I cockpits. The Israel government is concerned that the formaldehyde fumes could lead to cancer.

Air Combat Command spokesman Maj. Thomas Crosson said ACC was aware of reports about the Israeli decision, but there had been no similar complaints about the U.S. F-16s, most of them bought in 1980s and 1990s.

Laurie Quincy, a spokeswoman for the F-16’s builder, Lockheed Martin, said the company had not received similar reports from other F-16 customers. Quincy added that Lockheed is assisting the Israeli government’s inquiry.

Israel began taking delivery of the I-model jets in 2004. The two-seat I-models have several modifications not found on older F-16s flown by the U.S. Air Force such as conformal fuel tanks and different avionics suites.

A retired IAF general who still flies older-model F-16s in the IAF reserves said the leak most likely is associated with the onboard oxygen generation system featured in new Block 52 and Block 60 aircraft. The onboard system replaces the liquid oxygen system of older-model F-16s, and is supposed to improve maintainability, deployability and safety, according to Lockheed Martin data.

Source: http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i= ... &s=CVS

Carcinogen discovered in 2 more F-16l jets

Formaldehyde discovered in three of 10 jets so far.

IAF chief: Training halted until solution is found

Hanan Greenberg Published: 04.01.08, 00:03 / Israel News

An Israel Air Force investigation unearthed carcinogen formaldehyde in two
additional F-16l jets, after it was first discovered in a jet of the same
model a week and a half ago.

Twenty jets have been sent to be tested, and the results have arrived for 10
of them. Three of the jets tested positive for formaldehyde, found in the
cockpit.

Following the results, IAF chief Eliezer Shkedi halted all training on the
affected jets. The reason for the presence of formaldehyde on some of the
jets, as opposed to all of them, is being investigated by a team of IAF
officials together with representatives of the jets' manufacturer, Lockheed
Martin.

Results from the other jets are scheduled to arrive within the next few
days, and meanwhile the IAF has said it will attempt to minimize the threat
towards pilots that were exposed to the carcinogen by seeking international
medical advice on the matter.

The IAF also stated that training on the affected jets will not be resumed
until a solution is found. However, if it becomes necessary to use the jets
for operational needs, they will be deployed.

The IAF estimated that while most of the F-16l jets were exposed to the
carcinogen, the risk of cancerous effects on the pilots was deemed low.
Shkedi recently held a special conference for the pilots, in which they were
told about the tests they would undergo to make sure that they were not at
risk.

"I am taking this matter very seriously," Shkedi told the soldiers. "We will
spare no cost or resource in investigating this issue until a short and
long-term solution is found"

E-JERUSALEM

Israel's air force says it has found cancerous material on additional warplanes.

The air force last month grounded its fleet of F-16i fighter plans after
finding dangerous levels of formaldehyde on an aircraft. The army says it
has now tested about half its fleet, and that about 30 percent of the
warplanes tested so far had excessive amounts of formaldehyde.
The army does not say how many planes it has in its fleet.

Israel's air force chief ordered a halt to training on the F-16i planes on
March 21 after pilots complained about odors in the cockpit. Subsequent
checks revealed that formaldehyde had leaked into the cockpit in some of the planes.

The army says it will investigate the matter with the plane's maker, U.S.
company Lockheed Martin Corp.

The F-16I is a Block52 with the F100-PW-229. They use 7th and 13th air.