RNoAF F-16 vs Powerlines

An RNoAF F-16 flew into a high-voltage wire in Grong in Nord-Trøndelag during a training with three other F-16 around on July 7th.

Aircraft recovered to Ørland Air Base. Photo shows damage to right wing and drop tank.

Any info on airframe?

Looks like the wing tank didn't do very well either.

Best Regards,

At first glance, it looks like the Norwegians installed a small fanjet engine under the right wing.

Did they ever test the Viper with an asymmetric load/drag like that I wonder? (Gum's experience excluded...)

lamoey wrote:Did they ever test the Viper with an asymmetric load/drag like that I wonder? (Gum's experience excluded...)

Some of the stores like rocket pods have a pretty high Drag Index when emptied.

They probably assumed the pilot would just (emergency) jettison the tank if it broke apart somehow.

F-14s and F-15s have been known to depart controlled flight in asymmetric stores configuration. Worse when it happens over hostile territory, like Libya.

During FSD flight test, many different asymmetric loadings were tested, mostly for Stability & Control data. The most asymmetric case I remember was a single GBU-12 (~2200 lb) mounted on either sta 3 or 7, can't remember which. Air to air loadings were also tested with various missile downloadings, such as would be encountered after firing some, but not all, missiles. Every time an F-16 drops a single Mk-84, GBU-10, GBU-12, etc, it enters a similar asymmetric condition. I suspect similar tests continue to be made on later block airplanes.

Loss of fuel tank forward section has been encountered in normal operations before, without serious consequences I believe, but could be wrong. Of course, there is some added drag, but it is close to the centerline, so the added yaw moment is small.

I bet that pilot was in serious need of changing his flight suit after this one...

Asif wrote:An RNoAF F-16 flew into a high-voltage wire in Grong in Nord-Trøndelag during a training with three other F-16 around on July 7th.

Aircraft recovered to Ørland Air Base. Photo shows damage to right wing and drop tank.

Any info on airframe?

The targeting-pod has the number 268 written on it...

Robert

The lowest serial for RNoAF Vipers is 272, so the reference on the pod is not connected to the Viper that had the incident.

The number is on the TGP pylon, not the TGP. They are separate pieces. Not sure how they number their equipment, but in USAF there is no connection between pylon, jet, and TGP. Whatever pylon is married up to the TGP at a given time on a given jet. No A/C serial number, TGP serial Number, and pylon number connection.

Looks like he was in a right bank when he hit it with the wire nearly perpendicular to the wing. Had he hit it wings level the result could have been far worse. Even though the lightning/static dispersing wire is significantly smaller than the main wires, at 480-500 knots it can do a lot of damage. I saw an F-4 that took such a wire just below the canopy bow of the front cockpit. Thankfully that part of the canopy is hardened for bird strikes and held, but the wire bounced up, came down on the RCP canopy, shattered the glass and ripped the chute pack off the RCP seat. Lucky for the WSO he was short and ducked or he would be a lot shorter and more brainless. They landed at a civil airfield and, thankfully were smart enough not to egress the jet right away. RCP damage could have initiated ejection sequence had they tried to open canopies.....

Civilian fire chief passed his phone through the hole in the RCP and they called home. I was on the SOF desk...you can imagine our surprise as they had been single ship and a phone call from them was the first we heard of the situation. "Hi, you won't believe what just happened..."

Anyway...lucky is the pilot who beats the low altitude record and lives to tell the tale, much less land the damaged jet.

JB

Some 17 years ago RNOAF lost an F-16 in a similar way. 274 hit the main power cabels and went down, pilot ejecting safely.