F-16 pilot flies back to base with half a wing missing

[pat038536]

During a training exercise with the Oklahoma Air National Guard last October, two F-16 Falcons were involved in a near-fatal collision. One of the jets crashed to the ground and caught fire, after the pilot was safely ejected. However, the second jet, despite being damaged, was able to fly safely back to the base.

It wasn’t until these photos came to light that it was discovered just what an understatement “damaged” was. The fact of the matter is the pilot managed to fly an F-16 some 100 miles back to his base while missing half a wing, certainly no small feat.



What remains of the second jet involved in the mid-air collision.




"Ran when parked"
"Coming soon to a GL near you"

 

[phil2968]

This is older but I think the F15 pilot wins for the amount wing missing. It was on the history channel so it must be true!

http://youtu.be/LveSc8Lp0ZE

 

[swbradley1]

Reminds me of George Kennedy in Airport:


"Joe Patroni: That's one nice thing about the 707. It can do everything BUT read."

[throws his chewed and soggy cigar over his shoulder]




Same can be said for the F-16 and F-15.

 

[bigbe5678]

Thank God that the pilots lived.... I wonder will they get in trouble for that accident?

 

[datadawg]

I recall a story about an Israeli pilot landing his F15 with no wing at all, after colliding mid air. Plane started to spin, pilot used afterburner to stabilize. Full story with interview of the pilot, who survived and landed...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M359poNjvVA

 

[CARNAC]

Great info. So we thank the designers, the assembly line works, the maintenance crews, and the people that made sure the floors were swept and the trash was taken out so that it didn't interfere with the proper building of the aircraft.

 

[Warthog]

I recall a story about an Israeli pilot landing his F15 with no wing at all, after colliding mid air. Plane started to spin, pilot used afterburner to stabilize. Full story with interview of the pilot, who survived and landed...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M359poNjvVA

Must be an echo in the room. (post #2 )

 

[USMC 00-08]

Thank God that the pilots lived.... I wonder will they get in trouble for that accident?

These fighters are from the Air National Guard base not far from my house. I just saw in the paper that the pilots are back to flying again. The paper didn't say much more than that and didn't say what they were back to flying. Flying a desk now? Sent flying out the front gate? Flying F-16's?

It is really neat to watch what appears to be dog-fighting when they are training.

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

WOW !

This is awesome information.

I now know what to do if a wing ever separates from the Deuce in-flight!!!

Carry on.

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

I just re-read the title of this thread.

What an amazing feat. The pilot flies back to base with half a wing missing. Wouldn't it be the plane that had the missing wing, and the pilot flew the damaged plane back??? Or do those NG Pilots come with wings nowadays???

Just sayin'

Carry on.

 

[Amer-team]

Thats it Chaplain, just hit the afterburner and stabilize it.

 

[wreckerman893]

I wonder if those pilots had to sign a "Statement of Charges".

 

[TehTDK]

Knowing a couple of pilots who has served in active combat engagements I have been told that even if certain airplanes gets hit and loses a significant bit of the lift or stability "most" of the it can be compensated for through the avionics. ie the pilot basically "just" has to hold the plane flying level and can then "program" the avionics system with the present parameters as the "baseline". And thus basically restore his/her ease of operation as they wouldn't have to fight the plane anymore as its flight computer would do that for them.

So the plane would fly all the same "more or less", naturally with some maneuvers not being possible and a generally more sluggish feel since its aerobatic properties has been compromised. But at least the pilot would be able to either hopefully detach from the engagement and limp home, or just limp home and thus safe the aircraft.

 

[Tow4]

Given enough thrust, even a 2x4 will fly.

A buddy was doing F-16 flight testing with under wing mounted fuel tanks. The test profile called for so many degrees of yaw to test the stability limits of the tanks. During the test one of the tanks and pylon departed the aircraft. The chase aircraft asked him what his status was after the tank came off. he said the aircraft is flying fine with the exception of a fuel leak where the tank came off. That's when the chase pilot told him the tank had taken off the stabilizer on that side of the aircraft. He didn't notice any problems with aircraft handling, the computer was compensating for the missing stabilizer.

The chase pilot suggested punching out but since my buddy had done that before he decided to fly it back. He made it with a couple hundred pounds of fuel to spare.

Turns out the aircraft had major damage and is now a gate guardian.

 

[Keith_J]

Within reason, the Falcon can compensate through the flight control computer since it is a fly by wire system. But lose the computer and it is a tumbling brick. Which is why it has a hydrazine powered emergency power unit if the engine flames out or just quits.

 

[VPed]

Quote: "Given enough thrust, even a 2x4 will fly."

That is the principle behind the F-4 Phantom. I had been assigned "wheels watch" when I was in the service. You were stationed out at the end of the active runway, within 100 yards of where most planes touched down. I saw all manner of planes land and it was stark contrast between an F-4 and everything else. They would slam onto the deck, despite noticeably higher airspeed than anything else.

 

[markand]

During a training exercise with the Oklahoma Air National Guard last October, two F-16 Falcons were involved in a near-fatal collision. One of the jets crashed to the ground and caught fire, after the pilot was safely ejected. However, the second jet, despite being damaged, was able to fly safely back to the base.

It wasn’t until these photos came to light that it was discovered just what an understatement “damaged” was. The fact of the matter is the pilot managed to fly an F-16 some 100 miles back to his base while missing half a wing, certainly no small feat.

View attachment 544212View attachment 544213

Those two photos belong in a General Dynamics marketing brochure for the F-16, if they have such a thing.