ANOTHER F-16 CRASHES IN UTAH DESERT

KSL tv5 | 13 Nov 02 | KSL tv5

[Lokibob]

Another F-16 has crashed in the Utah Test and Training Range. Just breaking now.

[Lokibob]

KSL reported that the pilot dies. The plane was from the 419th squadron. Previous 2 F-16's that went down last month were from a different squadron.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Oh no!

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Hey, Utah Girl, please break out the Utah ping list!

[cmsgop]

Prayers for the Pilot and Family.....

[Political Junkie Too]

I wonder if the rash of crashes means the military is training harder than ever for something.

-PJ

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

They've been doing a LOT of flying and they have plenty of reasons to be stepping it up.

[NautiNurse]

Prayers offered for our armed forces, and the family members of this casualty.

[Lokibob]

		F-16 Pilot Killed in Combat Training Mission An F-16 pilot from the 419th Fighter Wing (Reserve) was killed Wednesday when his F-16C crashed on the Utah Test and Training range at approximately 2 p.m. The pilot was on a combat training mission when the accident occurred.
November 13, 2002 (Salt Lake City, KSL News) -- An F-16 pilot from the 419th Fighter Wing (Reserve) was killed Wednesday when his F-16C crashed on the Utah Test and Training range at approximately 2 p.m. The pilot was on a combat training mission when the accident occurred. The pilot's name is being withheld pending next-of-kin notification. Just a few weeks ago, two F-16 fighter jets collided on a training mission. One of the pilots, 1st Lt. Jorma Huhtala was killed. The second pilot was able to eject with minor injuries. The F-16 is a powerful aircraft capable of high speed, low-altitude flight. And there has been a history of accidents involving the aircraft in Utah. No word on what caused the crash. The military is investigating and typically these kinds of inquiries can take weeks or months.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

DAMN.

[Hunble]

I wonder if the rash of crashes means the military is training harder than ever for something.

B I N G O

Compare Utah and Iraq....

[Lokibob]

I worked on the Utah Test and Training Range for years. The targets they have set up is so realistic for the Middle East and Iraq specifically, that it is scary.

The tactics they use is an air show in it's self. Pretty amazing stuff.

[Utah Girl]

.

[JRandomFreeper]

God bless the men that fly and fight. Prayers for the family.

/john

[freepersup]

The fly by wire F-16 is very nimble, with a small flight surface when compared to F-14's, F-15's. Single engine aircraft- poof- lose power and your world gets busy fast !

I worked on the parachutes and ejection systems and then the fuel systems (involuntarily transferred out of para shop upon unit conversion from F-4's to F-16's). Word amongst techs. was, world wide since production started, on the average, one A/C (F-16) is lost per month. Commonly referred to as a Lawn Dart.

To eject is one thing, to eject "inside the envelope" is quite another (imperative). Goes for all A/C ejections...

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Yo!

[kayak]

Amen! Joining you in praying for the family!

[JRandomFreeper]

I worked on the parachutes and ejection systems and then the fuel systems

I wrote TOs for the -97 and -99 subsystems and helped some with the -1 TO in the mid-80s. The 16 is a great little AC, but at high speed and low altitude, the ground is only milliseconds away. A sneeze has a chance of creating a smoking hole in the desert.

/john

[not-an-ostrich]

Anyone know the national origin of the name Jorma Huhtala. I saw the pilot's photo and I believe he was blond/blue eyed. Could it be Norwegian? Just curious.

[Tennessee_Bob]

Sorry for the pilot and his family. But betting it had GEs.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

I was thinking the same thing. At least PW has troubles with turbines and you can get home. GE loses fans....not good.