F-16 Aircraft Database

Went down over Iraq at 6:30 hours southwest of Baghdad. The pilot ejected safely and was picked up by friendly ground forces. The only thing that was left of the aircraft were the tail and canopy. Cause of the crash was trapped fuel in the wing tanks due to a malfunction of an unknown reason. Further to this the fuel was not being monitored as the pilot was heading up to the tanker to get gas the engine flamed out.

It was 9:30 hours when Captain Scott Arbogast ejected over the Barry M. Goldwater training range, Arizona. The cause of the crash was due to the ingestion of a California Condor while practicing take-offs and landings at Gila Bend auxiliary field.

Collided on the ground with F-16C (88-0516) caused by a hydraulic failure. The incident happened at just before 8:00 am local time on the Zulu-1 taxiway of Al Udeid AB, Qatar. Initial unconfirmed reports indicate that a taxiing F-16 lost all hydraulic power and ran into a parked F-16 at about 10 knots. One maintenance troop on top of the parked F-16 was thrown or jumped off the F-16 and was slightly injured, abrasions to his back. Both F-16s were fully loaded with live ordnance, there were also 3 pieces of AGE equipment involved. After the impact, some sort of electrical short is suspected from one of the AIM-9 missiles, that possible ignited some of the fuel and started a fire in the motor of the AIM-9 and on a below mounted avionic pod. This fire was reportedly quit large and it was extinguished by another maintenance troop, possible saving 7 fully loaded F-16s! As the Fire Department arrived on scene there was light smoke but no fire. The rocket motor was still smoldering so about 200 gallons of water was used to cool them down. After it was determined that there we no lives at stake the area was evacuated. EOD made entry about 45 minutes later. They determined that a piece of AGE equipment that was lodged between the two aircraft would need to be stabilized with a crane during the download of the munitions. This effort totaled 6 hours and 33 minutes with the outside temperatures being between 110°F and 133°F during the emergency. EOD removed 4 damaged munitions and one that they were unsure of.

Got hit on the ground by F-16C (88-0421) caused by a hydraulic failure of the other F-16. Cost to repair was $1.1 million and was conducted by the 649th CLSS over a period of two years once work started.

Crashed in the Yellow Sea near Kunsan AFB, South Korea. The pilot, capt. Kevin Dydyk, ejected and was rescued 90 minutes after the crash. Cause was determined as poor situational awareness of a low-altitude condition.

Crashed during a demonstration at Mountain Home AB, Idaho. The pilot, Capt. Chris Stricklin, misjudged the altitude required to perform a split-S manoeuvre and started the pull down at only 1,670ft (510m) instead of the required 2,500ft (760m). The error most likely resulted from using an incorrect airfield altitude. Capt. Stricklin ejected only 8/10 of a second, at an altitude of 140ft (42m), before impact. The aircraft brought in to replace it was 86-0281.

Crashed at Fort Polk, Louisiana on a routine training mission. Fatigue failure of an engine blade at the first stage caused imballance which lead to all blades on the first stage being torn out. Captain Louis A. Davenport was able to eject safely and flew again 12 days after. Wreckage barried itself in the ground in a forest.

Left main gear collapsed while landing at night at Luke AFB, Arizona.The center line tank and pod mounted on the left wing sustained the most damage but was repaired. Aircraft was temporarily on loan to the 61st FS at the time of the crash but still owned by the 309th FS.

The aircraft was damaged but repairable after hitting three power lines and destructing 10 power poles during a straight-in simulated flame-out approach (SFO) at Libby Army Airfield, Arizona. Both the instructor pilot and the student were unhurt, but the aircraft suffered some damage to the engine inlet, port strake, ram air diverter, nose gear, leading edge flap, flaperon, port horizontal stabilator and port speed brake. Cause of the incident was reported as lack of sufficient situational awareness by the instructor pilot.

Canopy inadvertently jettisoned. Damage was repairable.

Suffered a mid-air with F-16C (#97-0109) at approximately 14:40 hours, 35 miles southeast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Both aircraft landed safely

Suffered a mid-air with F-16C (#91-0398) at approximately 14:40 hours, 35 miles southeast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Both aircraft landed safely.

Collided in midair over southwestern Indiana at about 1:40pm with F-16C (86-0260) destroying both aircraft. Both aircraft were from the 113th FS. Pilot, Maj. William E. Burchett, didn't survive the accident. Whitnesses said his parachute did not open fully, but he was killed at impact, ejection seat fired by itself. The other pilot, Maj. Thomas R. Sims, parachuted to safety. He was taken by ambulance to a Hospital.

Collided in midair with F-16C (#85-1555) destroying both aircraft.

Belly landed at Luke AFB. Extremely minor damage, repaired quickly.