Posted on 10/21/2014 4:11:17 PM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity
Two F-16s of the Oklahoma Air National Guard were involved in a midair collision during a training exercise in Kansas with one pilot safely ejecting.
Military officials confirmed the collision took place around 14:20 Monday afternoon. One of the jets (F-16C Block 42E #89-2019) crashed into a field, but the pilot was able to eject.
The other plane safely returned to its base in Tulsa, but reports state that it needed to be towed after exiting the active runway. "The tip of one of the jets wings had broken off and it had a 4-inch diameter hole in the fuselage," said Michael Atchison, chief of Tulsa Fire House 51.
The two aircraft were originally part of a four-ship training flight. The jets are assigned to the 138th Fighter Wing based at the airport.
The Kansas Highway patrol said the crash site is large and is west of Kansas Highway 99 and south of Harvest Road, near Moline.
Colonel Max Moss with the Oklahoma National Guard said neither pilot was seriously injured. He also stated that one of the F-16s returned safely to its base in Tulsa while the second crashed and burned in a field in southern Kansas.
While the pilot of the crashed F-16 was taken to McConnell Air Force Base hospital in Wichita for evaluation, he is not believed to be seriously injured.
Amazing with that speed and power that anyone survived.
Exercises for tonight’s opening World Series game in Kansas City?
Glad he got out. I got to help clean one of these up that crashed in a rice paddy is south korea. What fun
Odd how that photo looks like a plastic model plane set on fire laying on a lawn. I’m not doubting the report, but it’s a peculiar visual.
A U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds pilot ejects from his F-16 at an air show in September 2003
Looks like it just pancaked.
No gouges on the ground
There’s some sort of optical illusion going on with scale for me, maybe it’s the lens they’re using.
It is strange. The one I saw up close came down through trees and tumbled but it was more intact except for the wings. I learned that landing gear are quit heavy especially in thigh deep mud.
Some paint and duct tape and she’ll be good to go.
Why? The plane look fine. Level and all parts attached.
Wikipedia:
14 September 2003: Captain Chris Stricklin, flying Thunderbird No. 6 (F-16), crashed during an airshow at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho.[19] Immediately after takeoff, Stricklin attempted a “Split S” maneuver (which he had successfully performed over 200 times) based on an incorrect mean-sea-level elevation of the airfield, 1100 feet (335 m) higher than the home base at Nellis.
Climbing to only 1670 feet (509 m) above ground level instead of 2500 feet (762 m), Stricklin had insufficient altitude to complete the maneuver, but guided the F-16C aircraft down the runway away from the spectators and ejected less than one second before impact. He survived with only minor injuries and no one on the ground was injured, but the $20 million aircraft was completely destroyed.
If I saw that happen, I’d be driving like hell to where the plane went down to see if the on board gun is salvageable. lol
I doubt ammo is easily gotten for those anyway, but it would make for a neat conversation piece. Even if one COULD get ammo for it and manage to get it to fire, you’d probably burn up two month’s worth of paychecks in 10 seconds. lol
Thank God they’re both safe!
‘at’ll buff right out junior.
It was a near miss.
And you would then spend the next twenty years or so in a govt.motel. not LOLing
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