ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 46474
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| Date: | Friday 7 June 1996 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  General Dynamics F-16C Fighting Falcon |
| Owner/operator: | 174th FSqn /185th FWg Iowa ANG USAF |
| Registration: | 85-1545 |
| MSN: | 5C-287 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Valley Springs, 12 miles east of Sioux Falls, South Dakota -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Sioux Falls ANGB, South Dakota (FSD/KFSD) |
| Sioux Falls ANGB, South Dakota (FSD/KFSD) | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
According to the following extract from the summary of the official USAF report into the incident:
"On 7 June 1996, Colonel Gilbert Dardis was scheduled as number two in a two-ship Air Combat Training (ACBT) mission to the Fechter Military Operating Area (MOA) over Northwest Iowa. The flight was planned as a two-ship continuation training Basic Fighter Manoeuvre (BFM) flight. The flight was filed as call sign Bat 51 led by Lt Colonel Tom Considine with Colonel Dardis as the wingman (Bat 52)
Bat 51 flight departed runway 03, Sioux Falls, South Dakota (FSD) at 1050 CDT. Bat 51 flight was cleared on course to the south east for the Fechter MOA and to expect a level-off at 10,000 feet Above Mean Sea Level (AMSL) due to delays with the hand-off from Departure Control to Minneapolis Center.
On the south easterly heading above the clouds, Bat 51 cleared Bat 52 to perform the weapon systems check. Bat 52 reduced power and manoeuvred toward Bat 51's 5 o'clock position to begin the check of his aircraft's radar and captive AIM-9 missile. As Bat 52 Increased engine power to stabilize for the weapon systems check, the mishap pilot (MP) heard a loud bang. He instinctively turned back towards Sioux Falls and began the engine air start procedures while observing the RPM rapidly decay to zero.
Realizing that he did not have enough altitude to glide to Sioux Falls with the engine seized, the MP elected not to eject from the mishap aircraft(MA) until it dropped below the clouds. He visually cleared his flight path away from inhabited farm sites, correcting slightly to the right towards a clear field area.
The MP ejected at approximately 1,600 feet above ground level (AGL) two minutes after first noticing the engine problem. The MA impacted the ground in a cornfield near the small town of Valley Springs, Minnehaha County, South Dakota approximately 12 statute miles east of Sioux Falls.
The MP was rescued by the Lifeguard helicopter from McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls within twenty minutes of his parachute landing in a pasture"
Sources:
1. Flight International 4-10 June 1997
2. http://www.f-16.net/aircraft-database/F-16/airframe-profile/1901/
3. http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1985.html
4. http://web.archive.org/web/20170218120105/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk:80/Aircraft_by_Type/F-16/USAF/f_16_USAF_90s.htm
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley_Springs,_South_Dakota
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 04-Nov-2008 10:35 | ASN archive | Added |
| 20-Mar-2011 15:55 | harro | Updated [Total fatalities, Location, Country, Source, Narrative] |
| 15-Nov-2013 17:54 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Operator, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 15-Nov-2013 17:55 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 15-Nov-2013 17:56 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 14-Mar-2018 06:42 | Selkirke | Updated [Operator] |
| 12-Feb-2020 15:33 | Iwosh | Updated [Operator, Location, Operator] |
| 10-Aug-2021 09:44 | Anon. | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 10-Aug-2021 09:45 | Anon. | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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