Friday, May 17, 2019

F-16 military fighter jet crashes into building in Southern California

Via Anonymous


An F-16 returning to March Air Reserve Base in Moreno Valley after a routine training mission crashed after its hydraulics failed and its pilot ejected, base officials said Thursday.

The jet crashed into a building off the base, on Van Buren Boulevard near the 215 Freeway, about 3:45 p.m.

Captured on a dashboard camera by a commuter on the freeway, the jet appeared to be leaning to one side as it dropped to the ground outside the base.

The pilot had reported hydraulics problems and said he was returning to base when he was forced to eject moments before impact, said the base’s deputy fire chief, Timothy Holliday.

More @ LA Times

17 comments:

  1. Talk about a dead stick.

    I know next to nothing about the F-16 systems. However, as a pilot I am eternally curious of in-flight failures of any aircraft type.

    It seems the Emergency Power Unit (EPU) may be central to the investigation. The EPU runs on it's own fuel source but operates for a limited time. The control surfaces on the Viper are electrically controlled and the EPU would be the back-up system. Perhaps the maneuvering to align with rwy centerline exceeded the EPU operational limits.

    The 215 freeway is closed to civilian traffic because the aircraft was carrying ordnance, a 'standard package' according to USAF Colonel who is spokesman.

    Rick

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    1. Is it true they can't fly without a computer? If so, what happens if this occurs in mid-flight?

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    2. Here is the home page for a site dedicated to the F-16. Look on the right side for forums on F-16.
      http://www.f-16.net/

      Rick

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  2. Also, while I do not know route of flight or direction from March, there are a number of civ airports - at various points of the compass -within proximity of March which are fully capable of landing the F-16 even at a high landing speed.

    However, none of those airports have arresting gear (live ord netting, etc) nor are capable of accepting mil ordnance especially in emergency ops.

    Rick

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  3. North bound traffic has been diverted at the local exit, causing major backups even on side streets. Maybe the USAF should look into a fleet of 737's, they certainly appear to be more destructive and cheaper ;^)
    At least on TV.

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  4. PS No mention of the EXTREMELY high winds on Thursday. More than likely the pilot was being tossed around like a van or big rig on a wind swept mountain ridge. Hydraulics is being used as an excuse for in experience. No 'cargo' sized planes were seen that day, and 'fighters' were only heard concealed by high cloud cover.
    The ONLY way the military continues to operate, is by deception. And in the information age, that won't cut it.

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    1. Hydraulics is being used as an excuse for in experience.

      I'm not knowledgeable.

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    2. As a helo pilot/passanger, Brock, how affected are they by high winds. Didn't get enough air time to know myself.

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    3. I only know what I have read and that ain't much. :) For some reason this made be think of Jon Paul Vann who was killed in a helicopter crash.


      "This is a political war and it calls for discrimination in killing. The best weapon for killing would be a knife, but I'm afraid we can't do it that way. The worst is an airplane. The next worst is artillery. Barring a knife, the best is a rifle — you know who you're killing."

      --John Paul Vann
      https://freenorthcarolina.blogspot.com/2012/09/john-paul-vann.html

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    4. It is not so much the strength of the wind as much as the magnitude of gusts. Yes, it was turbulent that day but I thought it would be a great day to fly. I saw two C-172s, a PC-12, C-90, and B-350 flying that day in and around Orange/Riverside counties.

      For landing and departure phases of flight, the cross wind component is more important than the wind speed although it remains a consideration.

      Rick

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    5. For landing and departure phases of flight, the cross wind component is more important than the wind speed although it remains a consideration.

      I imagine so and what were you in?

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  5. Not a pilot....know almost nothing about it...but I do know physics, and that includes a bit about aerodynamics. Modern fighters are designed to
    fly RIGHT ON THE EDGE of instability. This makes them far more maneuverable in combat but also much more difficult to keep stable in routine flight. For some planes the designed instability is so great that the pilot simply CANNOT fly the plane without use of multiple computerized systems to control flight surfaces. This means that the margin of error for fighter pilots is much smaller than it is for civilian and other types of planes. The pilot was probably not at a very high altitude and may have hit turbulence unexpectedly. March AFB is just south of the Cajon Pass near San Bernardino which can generate amazingly strong Santa Ana winds and it's near Box Canyon Grade in Riverside which can also contribute to bizarre wind patterns. Throw in ANY type of mechanical issue, especially at low altitude there and you have a recipe for bad things to happen.

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    1. Santa Ana winds

      I do remember them. Thanks.

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    2. I can certainly agree with that statement.
      Old ship captains would be laughed at for the 'Rogue wave', shouldn't be inconceivable of a 'Rogue wind'.
      LK

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