Two
F-16Cs assigned to the Oklahoma Air National Guard’s 138th Fighter Wing
collided
midair over Kansas on Oct. 20, 2014, after a student pilot failed to
maintain a visual on the instructor pilot and deconflict their flight paths,
according to an
accident
investigation board report, released Feb. 20. The instructor pilot, who had
more than 2,400 flight hours in an F-16, was playing the role of the “engaged
pilot” during a training mission, while the student pilot, who had 106
F-16 flight hours, was to play the “supporting role.” A third F-16 was to act
as the adversary, according to the report. The aircraft conducted the first
scenario without incident, but the student pilot lost visual contact of the
instructor pilot during the second scenario. Sixteen seconds later their
aircraft collided, causing the instructor pilot's aircraft to lose control. The instructor successfully ejected from the aircraft, sustaining minor injuries, but the aircraft
was considered a total loss with some $22.5 million in damage. There was no
significant damage to private property, according to the report. The student pilot
successfully returned to base
despite losing the right wing flaperon and
horizontal tail in the collision. The student pilot was not harmed, according to the report.
