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Officials release F-16 accident report

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  • Air Combat Command Public Affairs
LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. --  A combination of factors resulted in the collision of two F-16CMs Oct. 15, 2009, according to an Air Combat Command accident investigation board report released Jan. 11.

The collision occurred 126 nautical miles southeast of Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., during a night close-air support training mission. The wingman died upon collision.

The accident investigation board president found, by clear and convincing evidence, the mishap was caused by the wingman's failure to reduce airspeed and establish the appropriate flight path vector when performing a night rejoin.

The AIB president also found, by substantial evidence, that channelized attention substantially contributed to the collision. The wingman experienced a radar failure during the rejoin, which diverted his attention from recognizing and correcting the airspeed and flight path errors.

The flight lead was uninjured and the lead aircraft suffered moderate damage to the flight control surfaces and external stores. The No. 2 aircraft was completely destroyed. The total damage to both of the aircraft was valued at $26.9 million. Both aircraft were assigned to the 77th Fighter Squadron, 20th Fighter Wing, Shaw AFB, S.C.

For more information, call ACC Public Affairs Office at 757-764-5007 or e-mail accpa.operations@langley.af.mil.