ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 46746
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| Date: | Wednesday 13 January 1988 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  General Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcon |
| Owner/operator: | 612th TFSqn /401st TFWg USAF |
| Registration: | 82-1015 |
| MSN: | 61-608 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | near Parra de las Vegas, Cuenca, Castile-La Mancha -
 Spain
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Torrejon AB, Spain (TOJ/LETO) |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Written off 13 January 1988: Crashed near La Parra de las Vegas, a municipality in Cuenca, Castile-La Mancha, Spain, 100 miles south east of Madrid, Spain during air combat training. The pilot, Lieutenant Colonel David F. Shontz, was unfortunately killed in the mishap.
According to a contemporary press report:
"The body of the pilot of a U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter-bomber was found today after the aircraft crashed while on a training mission, a U.S. Embassy spokesman said.
Spokesman George Bonjon said the body of Lt. Col. David F. Shontz Jr., 39, of Peace Dale, Rhode Island, was found early today near the crash site 100 miles south east of Madrid. Bonjon said the aircraft was attached to the 401st Tactical Fighter Wing of 72 U.S. F-16s stationed at Torrejon air base, just east of Madrid. He said the crash was not yet known.
Torrejon air traffic controllers reported the aircraft missing and presumed crashed Wednesday afternoon. The aircraft crashed in an field of scrub near the village of Parra de la Vega, he said.
Shontz, operations officer of the 612th Tactical Fighter Squadron, one of three squadrons that comprise the 401st Tactical Fighter Wing, had been on assignment at Torrejon air base since last September.
The crash was the second in a month of a U.S. Air Force F-16 stationed at Torrejon. In the previous crash, the pilot ejected safely."
Per eyewitness report from the pilot of the other F-16:
"Dave was flying on a 2-v-1 ACM [Air Combat Manoeuvres] hop with me at Torrejon Air Base, Spain, that day. It was my annual TAC check and he was the bandit against my 2-ship element. Prior to setting up the first engagement in LED-33, south east of the base, Pegaso (GCI) said that his controller had lost radar contact with him. At the time we were doing our g-warm up exercises.
This was on a Wednesday, as I recall, and the Wing Commander was going to announce him as my new Operations Officer in the 612th TFS that Friday at commander's call..."
Sources:
1. http://www.f-16.net/aircraft-database/F-16/airframe-profile/1345/
2. http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1982.html
3. http://web.archive.org/web/20170306224555/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk:80/Aircraft_by_Type/F-16/USAF/f_16_USAF_80s.htm
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torrej%C3%B3n_de_Ardoz
5. http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1988/U-S-Embassy-Says-Pilot-of-Crashed-F-16-Found-Dead/id-3be0db2398736fe23c230886525eb97a
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Parra_de_las_Vegas
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 04-Nov-2008 10:35 | ASN archive | Added |
| 01-Nov-2013 21:50 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 17-Feb-2021 17:32 | Nepa | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Operator] |
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