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911 Title: Air Force student pilot safely lands F-16 jet - despite losing half a wing in mid-air collision with instructor during mock dogfight
A student pilot who lost half a wing in a potentially disastrous mid-air collision with his instructor managed to land his fighter jet safely. The unnamed airman brought his F-16C back to base after losing five feet from the plane's right wing above Kansas during a mock dogfight. He smashed into his instructor after losing sight of him during the practice encounter - sending the second fighter jet plummeting to earth. ![]() Ravaged fighter: An accident left this F-16C fighter jet without half a wing - but its trainee pilot managed to bring it home safely ![]() Mid-air smash: The pilot smashed into a jet flown by his instructor after a practice dogfight went wrong While the plane was obliterated when it hit the ground, its pilot managed to eject in time and was not badly hurt. Meanwhile the student managed to bring his damaged vehicle 100 miles south to an air base in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and made a safe landing.
Images of the collision were released this week as part of an Air Force investigation into the crash. According to the Washington Post, investigators determined that a missile on the right wing tip of the student's plane tore through the right wing of his instructor's plane, close to the fuselage. ![]() Less lucky: The instructor's jet was destroyed when it crashed into a Kansas field - though the instructor himself managed to eject and was not badly hurt ![]() Wreckage: The smashed plane, which lost parts of its wing and tail fin in mid-air, is seen here where it landed ![]() Damaged: Air Force investigators estimated that the accident cost $22.5million ![]() In one piece: Both pilots were at the controls of an F-16C fighter jet, pictured above in Las Vegas, Nevada (file) It then also hit the plane's right-hand tail fin, sending the plane hurtling to earth. The student shouted repeatedly over the radio for the instructor to bail out, which he did, landing just 60ft from the wreckage of the plane. The collision came after both student and instructor misinterpreted the other's maneuvers and turned towards one another at an altitude of 7,500ft. The two planes were supposed to be coordinating to hunt down a third plane in the training flight. They successfully staged one engagement, but disaster struck during a second run. Air Force investigators estimated that the collision, which totalled one F-16, cost $22.5million. ![]() On approach: This diagram shows the training mission before disaster struck. MP3 was posing as a hostile craft. MP1 and MP2 are the trainee-instructor duo ![]() Impact: The above image shows the moment of collision, after the two craft turned sharply toward each other Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest Impressive piloting by the student. The first photo of the crashed plane doesn't seem to match the 2nd and 3rd.
#2. To: cranky (#0) I guess the instructor lost the dogfight...
#3. To: Pinguinite, Juan McCain bail out (#1) doesn't seem to match the 2nd and 3rd. The later photos are the instructors plane after he bailed out. The D&R terrorists hate us because we're free, to vote second party![]() #4. To: hondo68 (#3)
Of the 3 photos of the instructors crashed plane in the field.... Notice the grass around the 2nd and 3rd photos appears to be NOT burned. The color difference in photo #1 between burned and unburned grass is obvious. But there is no color difference with the grass in the other 2 photos.
#5. To: Pinguinite (#1) Impressive piloting by the student. After the collision, yeah.
#6. To: Pinguinite (#4) Notice the tail fin is to the right and rear of the aircraft in photo #1. Picture #2 is a close up and the tail fin does not show. You can see the tail fin is there in the same place in photo #3. Additonal pictures here.
#7. To: Pinguinite (#6)
#8. To: hondo68 (#3) Did some checking.... the aerial photo of the crashed F-16 in the field was from a crash of Oct 2014, according to the WP.... http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2015/02/20/near-miss-this-f-16-landed-after-half-its-wing-was-sheared-off/ Given journalists practices of coming up with any photo that will do, it's possible the photo's are of different planes as well.
#9. To: Pinguinite (#8) Given journalists practices of coming up with any photo that will do, it's possible the photo's are of different planes as well. That kind of laziness promotes the Alex Jones conspiracies to come out. Every society gets the kind of criminal it deserves. What is equally true is that every community gets the kind of law enforcement it insists on. Robert Kennedy #10. To: All (#8) Ahh..... I thought this accident was recent, as in within the last day or two. Apparently it happened last October so..... Perhaps the last 2 photos are more recent, after the burn evidence faded. Though I'd expect the AF to clean up the thing.
#11. To: rlk (#2) " I guess the instructor lost the dogfight... " Yes, it would appears so. Si vis pacem, para bellum #12. To: cranky (#5) " Impressive piloting by the student. Yes. Thankfully both pilots survived. Quite impressive the student managed to fly a plane with that much damage, for such a distance ( 100 miles ) and still safely land. Wonder if this event will have an effect on his call sign? It would be interesting to hear the post flight de briefing. Again, thank God both pilots survived !! Si vis pacem, para bellum #13. To: Pinguinite (#8) The F16 that crashed was 89-2019. You can see 019 number on the tail fin. It collided with 89-2034 that landed safely.
#14. To: All (#13) F16 89-2019 shown at a different time with different pilot while participating in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
![]() First Lt. Christopher Wells disembarks from USAF F-16C block 42 #89-2019 from the 125th FS at Balad AB on September 18th, 2008. Approximately 200 Airmen from the 138th FW arrived for the unit's two-month deployment to the 332nd EFS. [USAF photo by SSgt. Don Branum]
#15. To: GrandIsland, conspiracy theory factory (#9) http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/.,..... Your conspiracy theory doesn't meet Alex Jones high quality standards. Try FoX News/O'Spin Zone. The D&R terrorists hate us because we're free, to vote second party![]() #16. To: hondo68 (#15) Alex Jones high quality Those two things shouldn't be in the same sentence. lol Every society gets the kind of criminal it deserves. What is equally true is that every community gets the kind of law enforcement it insists on. Robert Kennedy #17. To: GrandIsland (#16) Jones does seem to be craving more respectability at present. He's been a lot more subdued the last few years, trying to reach a larger and more mainstream audience. After all, there's only so many fruits and nuts to go around. And he has to share that audience with Michael Savage and Art Bell. Far easier to try to carve off some more mainstreamish types than to just peddle 9/11 conspiracies.
#18. To: TooConservative (#17) Well, I'm actually happy he's improving his image and cleaning his circus character up. If you remember that English tool bag, Piers Morgan, when Piers woild have pro gun people on his crappy show. Every pro gun guest destroyed that UK dolt, but Alex. Alex kicked and screamed like an anti cop activist does when they get arrested. Caused the pro gun movement to take 2 steps back. Every society gets the kind of criminal it deserves. What is equally true is that every community gets the kind of law enforcement it insists on. Robert Kennedy #19. To: GrandIsland (#18) Alex kicked and screamed like an anti cop activist does when they get arrested. Caused the pro gun movement to take 2 steps back. I don't know a single gun rights guy that listens to Jones. It's probably different in places like northern NY or northern CA or PA though. Jones does have a pretty big audience and I think they tend to be Blue staters far more than Red staters. It's basically the same crowd that gobbled up all the 9/11 conspiracy they could find. Again, you find very few of those out here in flyover country other than the occasional contrarian type.
#20. To: Gatlin (#14) So, porker, why didn't you fly?
#21. To: cranky (#0) I bet the Wing Commander is happy that 2 of his goats just went out and wrecked 2 of his airplanes.
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