Fighter pilot who tailed a civilian plane blamed for destroying F
By Rachel S. Cohen
Friday, Dec 2
F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 138th Fighter Wing participate in an elephant walk, June 4, 2021, at the Tulsa Air National Guard Base, Okla. (Tech. Sgt. Rebecca Imwalle/Air National Guard)
An Oklahoma Air National Guard F-16C fighter jet was recently destroyed in a crash when homeland defense training turned into a real-life attempt to intercept a civilian plane, an accident investigation report has revealed.
Investigators blamed the pilot for his jet’s demise, saying the airman could have regained control over the Fighting Falcon. The Air Force also ruled that the pilot and another instructor flying alongside him violated multiple training rules when they chose to rendezvous with the incoming plane.
The unnamed airman, an F-16 instructor pilot who worked at a Texas-based detachment of the 138th Fighter Wing, was flying over Louisiana when he successfully ejected, sustaining minor injuries. His $27 million jet was totaled on impact.
https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2022/12/02/fighter-pilot-who-tailed-a-civilian-plane-blamed-for-destroying-f-16/
