F16 Air Force Thunderbird crash

[BGCarrera32]

Not a photochop...see www.f-16.net -BG



The USAF Thunderbirds accident report released Air Combat Command Public Affairs LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (ACCNS)

-- Pilot error caused a U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds F-16 aircraft to crash shortly after takeoff at an airshow Sept. 14 at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. The pilot ejected just before the aircraft impacted the ground. According to the accident investigation board report released today, the pilot misinterpreted the altitude required to complete the "Split S" maneuver. He made his calculation based on an incorrect mean-sea-level altitude of the airfield. The pilot incorrectly climbed to 1,670 feet above ground level instead of 2,500 feet before initiating the pull down to the Split S maneuver.

When he realized something was wrong, the pilot put maximum back stick pressure and rolled slightly left to ensure the aircraft would impact away from the crowd should he have to eject. He ejected when the aircraft was 140 feet above ground - just eight-tenths of a second prior to impact.

He sustained only minor injuries from the ejection. There was no other damage to military or civilian property. The aircraft, valued at about $20.4 million, was destroyed. Also, the board determined other factors substantially contributed to creating the opportunity for the error including the requirement for demonstration pilots to convert mean sea level and above ground level altitudes and performing a maneuver with a limited margin of error.

[RickM]

$20 mil and destroyed!?! Bet his insurance is going to go up.

Seriously, 140' sounds awfully low to eject and get away with minor injuries. Curious as to what the lowest altitude one can be when ejecting and being able to talk about it.

[BGCarrera32]

I dunno, but he cut it waaaaay close. Otherwise a spotless career I read...what a shame...got reassigned to an office in the Pentagon. To punch out of some of the early fighter craft (not F16s) the pilot pulled two ropes above the head which yanked a canvas type drape down over the helmet. The seat top penetrated the canopy, and ejected the pilot right though the glass...the canopy stayed in tact.

[304065]

Rick, modern ejection seats are designed for survivability at 0/0, zero altitude and zero airspeed. Not that you're going to be ready to fly again the same day. . .

Some of the canopies actually have an explosive overhead that shatters it before the seat back punches through.

[Tim Walsh]

Hmm. very interesting.. but I'm going to have to call that picture out as a photoshoped pic. Here's the video of the crash.. he's nowhere near any parking lot.
http://www.f-16.net/PhotoGallery/album44/acb.wmv

[Tim Walsh]

and here's the video of the crash via cockpit cam.
http://www.f-16.net/PhotoGallery/album44/aby.mpg

[surflvr911sc]

That parking lot is not as close as it looks, and the photo is being taken w/ a pretty big lens from quite a distance, it's a cool shot.

AcesII, the only way to fly!

Of course the MB saved quite a few a$$es in it's time too. They can also pull the D ring handle between their legs, and often did since timing is critical and it the closest thing.

Many canopies just popped up into the airstream and were ripped away.

[BGCarrera32]

I dunno...there are a couple of different shots of that on f-16.net with photo credit...

[osidak]

Tim that is legitimate photo. It was released by the airforce and was taken by someone in the airforce. If I remember correctly the person was in the tower that you see in the video. Debris from the aircraft came with in 100 feet of the tower.

[Tim Walsh]

Hmm... I see that's it's attributed to a staff sargent.. I guess I'll have to get over my skepticism

[Saintly]

FYI, the pull down drape in older EJ seats wasn't there to protect the head from going through the canopy. It was there to protect the face from high speed wind, to force the pilot to put his head back in the correct position and the make him move his arms in close to his body.
The vast majority of canopies either ejected or detonated prior to the pilot going up.

[Sponge]

Yes it is a genuine picture -- and the seat did save his ass (no put intended)

It is the same seat I fly with -- the ACES II : as stated by John it is a zero/zero seat -- the only thing that will get you if you are in the air is if you have a decent rate towards the ground while you eject -- in this case it was critical for him to recover to close to level before ejecting or he would have hit the earth as his chute deployed.

In the F-16 the pilot pulls a ring between his legs -- this is due to the fact there is no stick in the center -- in other aircraft (A-10/F-15) there is a handle on each side of the seat the pilot pulls to eject. It is a great seat -- only some of the russian seats come close or surpass it. I have a number of friends still alive due to its ability.

The canopy tends to come off in Air Force aircraft -- but other (like AV-8B Harrier) have det cord in the canopy that blows when the handles are pulled to ensure the seat can get out

Great pictures - lucky more people were not hurt.. good job by the pilot (once he knew he was going to crash).

From an past A-10 demonstration pilot...

[MFAFF]

The zero/zeros are great.......

Designed to allow you to 'walk away' on landing, ie get you high enough for the 'chute to deploy fully and get a number of swings before landing.

The overhead blind mechanism was to protect the face of the pilot and 'force' him to assume the correct position.
Also remember early seats were literally 'explosive' charges like a cannon cordite load.

Current seats are rocket seats, comprising several stages of burning to allow exit from tha a/c, a boost to get you away depending on height etc. All this as well as a way to 'slowly' build up G foreces to avoid neck snapping and other injuries....

As speeds and agility increased then reaching over head became a big problem, hence the between the legs hoop and side handles.

But with the advent of the electronic seats which have motorised belts, leg and arm restaints which pull all the limbs in the overhead curtain has been deleted.

As a general rules the a/c designed in Europe (Harrier, T-45 Goshawk, Mirages etc) have MDC embedded in the canopy and will use non penetrative seats....

Russians similarly have MDC enabled canopies. Russian seats have had a great press in the past because of a couple of well published accidents at airshows....Mig -29s and Su -27 colliding etc.
for the Su accident the pilot ejected from and a/c with 90 degrees plus of bank angle, you can see the seat fire outwards and begin to climb before 'chute deployment....Pretty nifty rocket work.

US a/c tend to discard the canopy before ejecting the pilot....

Both have advantages and disadvantages, remember Top Gun when Goose goes into the canopy when ejecting....no fun and it has happened.

All users of the MB seats get to join the 'Caterpillar Club' named after the silk spinning caterpillar (I thought it was a worm!) get a tie, a certificate etc. They hold reunions every year to celebrate their survival. Numbers are currently 5000+.

Great pic. I do hope its real, if the pilot left his a/c going in any other direction at that level he's going kill the crowd...

[motion]

So what's it like to toss away $20 million worth of hardware? Sounds like you guys know of several who have. I know its done as a last resort to save your a$$, but damn, that's a lot of mooola. Do you get a personal phone call from the President or Bill Gates warning you to never do it again?

[surflvr911sc]

The idea of ejecting out of an aircraft isn’t a pretty one for many reasons. In non-combat situations the thought of losing the aircraft and where the aircraft will end up has caused many pilots to delay the decision to eject until it was too late.

I know if it were me up there I wouldn’t want to walk away after killing a hundred people. Despite the judgment error that cause the situation, this pilot did an excellent job of ensuring the aircraft wouldn’t harm those on the ground.

[MFAFF]

Rationale has always been it costs several million $ to train a pilot and several years to do so.

Building a plane, whilst financially more expensive is a whole heap easier.

So instead od wasting a $20M plane and pilot you at least save a few bucks by getting them to use the bang seat....

Its also pretty good for morale....

[surflvr911sc]

Originally posted by MFAFF
Its also pretty good for morale....

The only ones that may have a boost of morale, if the pilot lives, is the egress guys b/c their seat worked.

Other than that, there is nothing good about putting an airplane into the ground.

[BGCarrera32]

Originally posted by motion
So what's it like to toss away $20 million worth of hardware? Sounds like you guys know of several who have. I know its done as a last resort to save your a$$, but damn, that's a lot of mooola. Do you get a personal phone call from the President or Bill Gates warning you to never do it again?

Geez, you make it sound like its a fun and easy decision to eject.

Catch the in-cockpit video of him punching out...I think I'd pass on the opportunity myself...

[MFAFF]

True,

but the guy riding the seat knows that if needed there is another way down.....

that helps.