Two F-16s Collide Over Utah's West Desert

KSL-TV ^ | 25 Oct. 2002 | KSL-TV Staff

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Two fighter jets reported down in west desert

(HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah (AP) -- Two F-16 fighter jets from Hill Air Force Base collided Friday over the Utah Test and Training Range in the desert west of the base, the military said.

The base was in radio contact with one of the pilots late Friday afternoon, said Capt. Angie Chang, a spokeswoman for the 388th Fighter Wing. She could not give the status of the other pilot.

A rescue team was still en route to the crash at 5 p.m., she said.

A Federal Aviation Administration official also confirmed one pilot was accounted for and alive, while the other pilot's status was unknown.

The crash involving the jets from the 388th Fighter Wing occurred about 2:45 p.m. A LifeFlight helicopter left LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City for the scene to determine if any victims needed airlifting, said hospital spokesman Jess Gomez.

The F-16s collided 25 miles southeast of Wendover, said Nancy Corey, the Federal Aviation Administration's regional operations manager in Seattle. She said one pilot was reported to be "OK"; the other pilot's condition was unknown.

The two jets were part of a training formation of four planes, she said.

In Oct. 2001, another F-16 fighter jet crashed after an aborted takeoff at the base. The pilot was treated for minor scrapes and bruises.

The 388th Fighter Wing operates and maintains the world's largest Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night F-16 wing and is the largest tenant unit at Hill Air Force Base.

The primary mission of the wing is to have 388th professionals ready to deploy and support F-16s worldwide. There are more than 2,000 people assigned to the wing.

The F-16 is a fighter designed for air-to-air or air-to-surface combat. It is built by Lockheed Martin Corp. The F-16A, a single-seat model, first flew in December 1976.

The first operational fighter was delivered in January 1979 to Hill's 388th tactical fighter wing.

The two models used today are the F-16C, a one-seat model, and the F-16D, a two-seat fighter.

They can reach speeds of 1500 miles per hour and fly at altitudes of more than 50,000 feet. They can be equipped with as many as six air-to-air missiles or air-to-surface munitions.

The newer models cost $18.8 million in 1998.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

As of 6 PM Mountain time, one pilot is alive with cuts and bruises. The status of the other pilot is still unknown.

[anniegetyourgun]

Oh my....prayers for the other....

[swheats]

4 planes down, how many more before our air arsenal be depleted?

Safety to our pilots.

[JRandomFreeper]

Prayers for those that fly and fight.

/john

[El Gato]

4 planes down, how many more before our air arsenal be depleted?

Not as many as I'd feel comfortable with. However these incidents may indicate a stepped up training tempo, in preparation for giving Saddam "what 'fer". However they may also reflect deployment of many of the support/maintainence folks in support of current activities "over there". If so, it's not a good sign. A Mid Air Crash usually isn't the sort of thing that a maintainenc problem causes though.

[Bill Davis FR]

islam did it

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Have you heard about this yet? Two F-16s are down at the Utah Test Range due to a mid-air collision. One pilot is alive with cuts and bruises, the status of the other pilot is unknown.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Have you heard about this yet? Two F-16s are down at the Utah Test Range due to a mid-air collision. One pilot is alive with cuts and bruises, the status of the other pilot is unknown.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Have you heard about this yet? Two F-16s are down at the Utah Test Range due to a mid-air collision. One pilot is alive with cuts and bruises, the status of the other pilot is unknown.

[Lokibob]

The 388th has always trained hard. Training missions daily.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Have you heard about this yet? Two F-16s are down at the Utah Test Range due to a mid-air collision. One pilot is alive with cuts and bruises, the status of the other pilot is unknown.

[nicmarlo]

Prayer bump for the pilots, and all our military.

[PAR35]

From a 1999 story posted on a USAF web site:

The United States currently is flying 1,475 F-16s," he said. "And approximately the same number are being flown by the air forces of 19 ... other nations. With roughly 3,000 active-flying F-16s in the world, at 86 bases in 20 countries, there isn't a second that goes by during the day without someone, somewhere, airborne in an F-16," Riemer said.

The 3,882nd F-16 recently rolled off the assembly line, and 3,040 of those are still flying today. There are three production lines -- in Fort Worth, Texas; Korea; and Turkey -- which produced 150 F-16s during the calendar year 1998

http://www.af.mil/news/Feb1999/n19990222_990279.html

[PAR35]

From a 1999 story posted on a USAF web site:

The United States currently is flying 1,475 F-16s," he said. "And approximately the same number are being flown by the air forces of 19 ... other nations. With roughly 3,000 active-flying F-16s in the world, at 86 bases in 20 countries, there isn't a second that goes by during the day without someone, somewhere, airborne in an F-16," Riemer said.

The 3,882nd F-16 recently rolled off the assembly line, and 3,040 of those are still flying today. There are three production lines -- in Fort Worth, Texas; Korea; and Turkey -- which produced 150 F-16s during the calendar year 1998

http://www.af.mil/news/Feb1999/n19990222_990279.html

[ChuckHam]

islam did it

That's all you can say about these brave men defending our country? You're a lame son of a bitch!

[ChuckHam]

islam did it

That's all you can say for these brave men defending our country? You're a lame SOB and aren't worth the air you're breathing.

[ladyinred]

Another collision? Prayers for the Pilots.

[hope]

May be the case...I have not seen so much F-18 activity at the base near my home as I have in the past 5-6 weeks.

[Ramius]

Oh no... raising a glass to the other pilot. May you be safe. Godspeed, either way.

[Ramius]

Oh no... raising a glass to the other pilot. May you be safe. Godspeed, either way.