F-16, Small Plane Involved in Midair Collision Over South Carolina, FAA Says

ABC ^ | 07/07/2015 | By MEGHAN KENEALLY

[Red Badger]

A military fighter jet crashed into a Cessna flight midair about 11 miles north of Charleston, South Carolina this morning, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The condition of the pilots of the planes is unknown at this time. There have been no reports confirming any other passengers.

In a statement, the FAA said the collision involved a Cessna C 150 and an F-16 fighter aircraft at around 11 a.m.

A defense department official confirmed to ABC News that the pilot of the F-16 ejected safely. The plane and pilot came from Shaw Air Force Base, roughly 100 miles north west of Charleston.

[Red Badger]

[NEMDF]

First in with... do you suppose the F16 was trying to take out the other plane?

[Gamecock]

SC Ping

[Red Badger]

I don’t know. Was it flying a Confederate Flag?.................

[Neidermeyer]

I’m going to assume that the F16 was on a military air route and wasn’t maneuvering inside airspace restricted to civilian aircraft... The C150 is obviously not at fault here as it is too slow to have come up on the F16,,, this is the equivalent of hitting a pedestrian in the crosswalk without even slowing down... My bet is that the F16 driver had his head inside the cockpit and not scanning outside.

[Red Badger]

No radar?....................

[Neidermeyer]

That's a 152 , This is a 150... older and no back window..

[NEMDF]

I had not thought of that. Could be.....

[FredZarguna]

Actual scale:

[Neidermeyer]

As to radar ,, radar is generally “passive” and doesn’t actually see things in the civilian world unless you are actively transmitting ... The C150 and F16 would likely be talking to different controllers... The C150 was likely IFR and not on a flight plan,, but should have had a transponder to show up on “radar” at the nearest “center”.. both had to have radios..

[Red Badger]

Google’s Fault.......................

[Neidermeyer]

Oops , IFR should have been VFR!

[DoodleDawg]

First in with... do you suppose the F16 was trying to take out the other plane?

By ramming it? Don't they usually use guns or missiles to take out other aircraft?

[Veggie Todd]

Literally, a near miss.

[Bogey78O]

The f16 pilot is so screwed. Should not have happened with a high performance craft.

[tacticalogic]

Related?

[upchuck]

Thanks for the ping.

Here's a link to the USA Today article. It has a little more info.

South Carolina Ping
Send FReepmail to join or leave this list.

Keep up with what our Congresscritters (House and Senate) are doing. Sign up for the free MegaVote email service here.

Ping PS - Did you know SC is on the list of 25 states suing nobama over his amensty order? Read more here.

[Portcall24]

I doubt this time. Controller had little to do with it as the Cessna was probably VFR. The only question was whether the Cessna had strayed into a military range area.

[telstar12.5]

If the jet can’t see the reflection from a beer can Cessna, it certainly is not going to detect stealthy-ish enemy aircraft who have no transponder turned on.