Forum: F-16 News

First, great news that the pilot is safe.

This statement raised an interesting question...

"The F-16 was enroute to North America when the incident occurred."

Is this the first loss of a Viper (or for that matter, an Eagle) on a hop over the Atlantic or Pacific?

With all the OSW, ONW, OIF, and OEF deployments, it's amazing and a testament to the maintainers it hasn't happened before or more often.

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No, I know there was at least one other lost coming from Japan early in the 2000s. If I remember correctly, the story that was told shortly after the accident is that the pilot tried to warn the tankers that they were heading towards each other, the tankers made a violent maneuver in response, and either clipped the F-16, or caused him to go out of control and crash. I'm looking for the details in the AIB reports, but we lived in Hawaii at the time, and my father was head of Transit Alert. I remember him coming home and telling me that they were slipped 24-48 hours because they lost a plane.

22 July 2012:
F-16C.
USAF, based at Misawa AB, Aomori Prefecture.
11:30, crashed into Pacific Ocean, 870 km east-northeast of Nemuro City, Hokkaidou.
East of Kuril Islands.

Pilot ejected.
Male.
Fatigued, and not wounded.

17:45, pilot found and rescued by Hokkou Maru, fisheries research vessel of Hokkaido National Fisheries Research Institute.
18:00, pilot transferred to nearby American container vessel.

9:00, took off.
On way to Alaska, USA.

http://hnf.fra.affrc.go.jp/youran/hokko.htm

Hokkou Maru.

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/2012072 ... 11000.html
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20120 ... 7-mai-soci
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20120 ... 8-jij-soci

23 January 1992:
F-16C Block 30B. MJ 85-1496.
13th FS, 432nd FW, USAF, based at Misawa AB, Aomori Prefecture.
During flight to USA, collided with tanker, KC-135R 61-0284 of 92nd Wing, USAF, and crashed into Pacific Ocean, 630 NM or 1,100 km east of Atsugi JMSDF AB, Kanagawa Prefecture.

Pilot ejected, and rescued by amphibious US-1A of 71st Koukuutai, 31st Koukuugun, JMSDF, based at Atsugi JMSDF AB.
After US-1A arrived, found pilot in fewer than 10 minutes. Although waves were height 3 m, landed and rescued pilot.
Pilot had one son and pregnant wife.

http://www.bk.dfma.or.jp/~sec/2005/12/rupo.htm
http://www.f-16.net/news_article675.html
http://www.jca.apc.org/keystone/K-ML200011/3296.html
http://www.toonippo.co.jp/news_too/nto2 ... 03_13.html

IIRC in the 1992 mishap, the tanker pilot maneuvered unexpectedly and sliced the nose off Soak's Viper. Japanese amphib pilot must have had big balls to pull off a rescue in those weather conditions and sea state.

Last edited by Gamera on Jul 23, 2012 - 04:04 PM; edited 1 time in total

http://www.toonippo.co.jp/news_too/nto2 ... 100804.asp

Hokkou Maru had 24 crew and six researchers, commanded by Captain Ishii Yuuji.
July 20, departed Kushiro Port, Hokkaidou, for Bering Sea.

Contacted by JCG, 1st Region, based at Otaru, Hokkadiou.
Hokkou Maru was tens of km away from crash site.
Foggy, and visibility 350 m.
Did not see debris or fuel.
Informed by JCG to look for pilot's flare, and saw red smoke.
Pilot was in circular raft, and wearing helmet.
Hokkou Maru lowered small boat, and pilot boarded small boat by himself.
Appeared not wounded, and could chat.

M.V. Manukai:

http://www.matson.com/matnav/about_us/vessel_stats.html

MV CV2600 Class Vessels

Length: 712 ft.
Max. Speed: 22.5 Knots
Max. Deadweight: 37,752 LT
TEUs: 2,600

Click for GPS Tracking
MV Manukai

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/artic ... bz04a.html

Matson welcomes symbol of rebound

Posted on: Wednesday, October 8, 2003

The MV Manukai arrived in Honolulu this week on its inaugural voyage from Long Beach, Calif. — a trip it will make every other week to bring cargo into the Islands.

http://www.worldshipyards.com/shipyards ... pyard-7984

MV Manukai Christened at Philly Shipyard

Matson Navigation's new containership MV Manukai was christened on July 12, 2003 by Margaret Inouye, wife of Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, (D-Hawaii), at a ceremony held at Kvaerner Philadelphia Shipyard, Inc. (KPSI).
Not only is the vessel the first of a two-ship, $220 million contract with KPSI, it also holds the distinction as the first new Matson vessel built since MV R.J. Pfeiffer in 1992.
The ship is also the first to be constructed by KPSI and the first new ship built in Philadelphia in 34 years.

http://marinetalk.com/articles-marine-c ... 751IN.html

A Quest to Improve Efficiencies

Kvaerner Philadelphia Shipyard christened its first containership ship [sic] on July 12, 2003.
The day marked a historic milestone - the first ship to be built in Philadelphia in 34 years, and the first of its kind to be built in the United States since 1992.
The M.V. Manukai, which means "bird of the sea," is the first of two for Matson Navigation Company.
A thorough review carried out in connection with the commissioning of the ship has revealed higher costs and lower productivity than previously expected.
Delivery of the ship has been delayed for about one month, and the costs are estimated to be around NOK 200 million higher than previously reported.

Gamera wrote:

23 January 1992:
F-16C Block 30B. MJ 85-1496.
13th FS, 432nd FW, USAF, based at Misawa AB, Aomori Prefecture.
During flight to USA, collided with tanker, KC-135R 61-0284 of 92nd Wing, USAF, and crashed into Pacific Ocean, 630 NM or 1,100 km east of Atsugi JMSDF AB, Kanagawa Prefecture.

That's the one I was thinking of. Holy crap that was 1992? God time flies.

Misawa F-16 pilot safely recovered

I think that the F-16.net community owes a great debt to Gamera for his consistent reporting and posting over the years regarding anything Misawa!!! Thanks Gamera!!

Bonus question: Anybody know who or what Gamera is? Shows your age if you do!

Best Regards,

http://www.toonippo.co.jp/news_too/nto2 ... 214713.asp

News video, dated 24 July 2012, of meeting between Al Wimmer the "deputy commander" from Misawa AB and Taneichi Kazumasa the Misawa City mayor.

] I think that the F-16.net community owes a great debt

As the mods (moderators) of this site knew, I'm kind of a specialist WRT military aviation accidents in Northeast Asia, from Communist China to the Koreas.

BTW, the Gamera movies aren't very ancient; the latest one was made in 2006.

You learn something every day...

Best Regards,

BTW, the Jap news articles I've read, claim the rescued pilot mentioned the accident cause was possibly engine or mechanical problem.
OTOH, at his meeting with the Misawa City mayor, Wimmer didn't clarify the accident cause, and claimed investigators from Hawaii would come to (duh) investigate the accident.

As usual, any serial number or pilot's details yet?

AirForceTimes wrote:

F-16s resume flying in Japan after crash
Staff report
Posted : Thursday Jul 26, 2012 15:24:14 EDT

A squadron of U.S. F-16 fighter jets in Japan resumed flying Thursday after being grounded several days for safety checks following one of the aircraft crashing into the Pacific, military officials said.

The F-16 pilot based at Misawa Air Base was found alive after his Fighting Falcon crashed Sunday off the Japanese coast. The pilot was found following a search by military and civilian vessels in the area. The pilot, whose name has not been made available, was listed as in stable condition, according to a Misawa release.

The crash came as an uproar in Japan has been raised over the deployment of the Marine Corps' latest transport plane, the MV-22 Osprey, to the southern island of Okinawa. Two Ospreys have crashed since April and swelling opposition to their deployment has become a major political headache for Tokyo and Washington.

The F-16 with the 35th Fighter Squadron at Misawa Air Base crashed about 250 miles off the coast of Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost main island. It was the first crash of an F-16 out of Misawa since 2002.

Col. Al Wimmer, 35th Fighter Wing and Misawa Air Base installation vice commander, ordered the temporary suspension, according to Air Force news release. Maintenance crews worked throughout the week to inspect all aspects of engines, fuel systems, flight controls, brakes, tires, tail hooks and ejection seats on the F-16s assigned to the wing. As a result, the wing determined its fleet of aircraft is operationally safe, Wimmer said.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

source: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2012/ ... a-072612w/

Anyone know what tail # that was lost?

Forum: F-16 News

F-16C jet crashes off coast of Hokkaido