South Dakota Air Guard has second F16 landing accident in weeks

The South Dakota Air Nationwide Guard’s 114th Fighter Wing has had its second F-16 fighter jet touchdown accident in lower than a month, with a jet skidding off the runway Tuesday afternoon.

In response to the Air Drive press launch, an F-16C went over the sting of the runway upon getting back from a coaching mission at 4:17 p.m. native time Might 31. The incident remains to be underneath investigation by an interim security board, the press launch acknowledged.

Photographs from the Sioux Falls Argus Chief present the nostril cone of the F-16 within the grass, the fighter jet laying haphazardly off the runway and down what seems to be a ditch.

“The pilot has been assessed and launched by emergency crews and the scene has been turned over to the 114th Fighter Wing incident commander,” the press launch acknowledged.

The primary incident final month additionally noticed an F-16 skidding off the runway, leaving the fighter jet nose-down within the grass. The pilot was unhurt.

“Despite the fact that we prepare to do that every single day, there may be nonetheless danger concerned. We’re grateful that nobody was harmed on this incident,” Col. Mark Morrell, 114th Fighter Wing Commander, stated in a press release following the Might 11 incident.

Each accidents occurred at Sioux Falls Regional Airport.

There have been different current coaching accidents involving F-16s throughout the Air Nationwide Guard this 12 months.

In March, an F-16 assigned to the Oklahoma Nationwide Guard crashed in Louisiana whereas conducting coaching out of Texas. The pilot safely ejected.

The Air Drive suffered three F-16 mishaps in fiscal 2021 — considered one of which destroyed the airplane and killed its pilot, in keeping with the Air Drive Security Heart.

About three Preventing Falcons have been totaled annually on common for the previous decade, although it’s not but clear whether or not the injury to the F-16s in South Dakota might be categorized as such.

The service owns about 900 F-16C/D airframes, which have flown because the Eighties. Every jet value $19 million in 1998 {dollars}, or greater than $30 million now.