F-16 Accidents



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Sometimes when aircraft systems designers integrate various components into an airframe they forget to examine what happens if a component should fail. Such was the case in the original F-16 design. An electrical connector. [Photo by Kim McCreight]

Comments

  • Anonymous on 2003-Jul-09 04:12:19 Anonymous said

    Dennis Brandt

    This aircraft is 79-0377, It was rebuilt and was assigned to the 63rd TFTS at Macdill AFB in Florida in 1986. This same aircraft about 1 year later was involved in a broken throttle cable incident at MacDill and the pilot landed the aircraft then ejected when he couldn't stop it. It then went off the end of the runway and ended up in the same condition that it is here. deja vu.
  • Anonymous on 2003-Jul-25 22:08:05 Anonymous said

    Mark Moir

    The plane was rebuilt twice at Hill AFB in Utah. It had the nickname "twice as nice" after that.
  • Anonymous on 2003-Sep-17 17:22:36 Anonymous said

    Dane Anderson

    79-0377 was transferred from AMARC storage to the Israel Defense Air Forces under Peace Marble IV in 1995. Looked great at time of transfer. dca
  • Anonymous on 2004-Oct-19 11:45:28 Anonymous said

    parrothead

    I'm amazed they fixed it the first time, let alone the second! I can picture the disclaimer given to Israel about the damage history - Only two minor damage incidents...
  • Anonymous on 2005-Mar-19 23:21:20 Anonymous said

    Adams, H. L.

    Gents I was at EOR at Base x when this happened. The pilot wes cut out of the cockpit and the jet was repaired (circa 19810
  • Anonymous on 2005-May-18 07:35:02 Anonymous said

    phantom phixer 414OT&E \'79-\'83

    base x would be nellis, approx date would be about 1982. plane engaged cable at take off end with nose gear and flipped. pilot was in cockpit for hours while fire dept and hydrazine response team decided who was going in first. As someone says it was cut behind the pilot and then the pilot was removed. I didn't notice a tail # because there were many f-16 crashes at nellis in the early 80's.
  • Anonymous on 2005-Jun-15 19:30:35 Anonymous said

    bob.richardson@delta.com

    I was a crew chief stationed at MacDill AFB when the second accident occured. I can confirm Dennis Brant's summation of accident there. However, while 0377 did accomplish another flip, the damage was not nearly as extensive as the first accident. I still have a copy of the base newspaper showing that the damage to be minimal. Another MacDill F-16, a "B" model (serial unknown), had the same throttle problem some months later. It became airborne again after the crew landed the aircraft and ejected due to the inability to bring it to a stop also. Subsequently, it stalled out in a nose up attitude and contacted the runway on it's tail. The aircraft was a total loss.
  • Anonymous on 2005-Sep-13 18:29:25 Anonymous said

    72cuda@gimail.af.mil

    I was stationed at Nellis AFB NV when this mishap happened, it was 1983 a/c 78-315 then the plane ended up at Hahn AB W. Germany as a F-16C blk 25 because we had 2 F-16's with the same numbers but 1315 & 315
  • Anonymous on 2005-Nov-03 00:33:43 Anonymous said

    ftrjetf16@aol.com

    i was at nellis when this happened. i was with the 474tfw- 428ags. i was there at the site. notice how they cut the canopy.
  • Anonymous on 2005-Dec-02 06:47:35 Anonymous said

    Henabray99@msn.com

    79-377 was assigned to the 429TFS @ Nellis. "K Bob" Hunter was the pilot and as you can see he had to be cut out of the cockpit. K Bob is currently the Wg/CC for the "Tacos" @ Kirtland AFB.
  • John Wagenbach on 2007-May-24 17:36:29 John Wagenbach said

    Acft 377

    Acft 377 was assigned to the 906 TFG at WPAFB around the time frame of 1988 until they closed the unit in 1994. Acft 377 was a Code 1 jet, for six straight years. The crew chief that crewed 377 for those six years, took obvious pride in his plane, Knowing that it had crashed two times prior. His knowledge and pride from the 377 days during those six years, is still being honor at the 445 AW on C-5 aircraft. He is presently a crew chief in the Air Force Reserve. He will be honor to read this website.
  • discofishing on 2011-Feb-11 23:11:04 discofishing said

    Amazing!

    I can't believe how amazing it is that this aircraft was fixed twice. Simply unbelievable! What is even more amazing is that it's STILL flying with the IAF. It's a testament to the engineers who designed it and the technicians that maintain it.

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  • Aircraft Database: F-16 #79377

    This USAF F-16 crashed twice, but was repaired both times - hence it got named 'Twice as Nice'. It was later sold to Israel. The first crash was in 1984 - sometimes when aircraft systems designers integrate various components into an airframe, they forget to examine what happens if a component should fail. Such was the case in the original F-16 design. An electrical connector (cannon plug) came loose and unfortunately the wiring for critical components like brakes and arrestor hook all went through the same connector. The pilot attempted to land the aircraft and engage the arrestor wires. Both wires were missed and the aircraft went off the end of the runway. The pilot stayed with the aircraft and the rescue crews had to cut through the canopy to reach hime - the hole in the canopy can be seen in the photo. After this accident they changed the electrical schematic and wiring harness so that those features went through different connectors now. The second crash occurred a few years later. Cause of mishap was a stuck throttle cable at 70% power. The incident happened at MacDill and the pilot landed the aircraft then ejected when he couldn't stop it. It then went off the end of the runway.

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