ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 152855
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| Date: | Monday 28 January 2013 |
| Time: | 19:50 LT |
| Type: |  Lockheed Martin F-16CM Fighting Falcon |
| Owner/operator: | 510th FSqn /31st FWg USAF |
| Registration: | 88-0510 |
| MSN: | 1C-112 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Adriatic Sea, between Cesenatico and Ravenna -
 Italy
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Aviano AFB (AVB/LIPA) |
| Aviano AFB (AVB/LIPA) | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
At around 19:00 LT, a USAF F-16CM of the 510th FS, 31st FW, took off from Aviano Air Base along with three other F-16 and crashed 50 minutes later in an area of the Adriatic Sea located between the Italian municipalities of Cesenatico and Ravenna. Sadly the pilot (Captain Lucas Gruenther) was killed; the pilot's body was found in the Adriatic Sea four days later, during the afternoon of 31st January 2013.
According to the following summary from the official USAF AIB report into the incident:
"On 28 January 2013, at approximately 1903 hours local time, an F-16CM, tail number 88-0510, assigned to the 510th Fighter Squadron, 31st Fighter Wing, Aviano Air Base (AAB), Italy, departed AAB as part of a formation of three F-16CM and one F-16DM aircraft engaged in a night training mission. The pilots were using night vision goggles (NVGs). Prior to the mishap, after airspace weather precluded them from achieving their primary mission, the mishap pilot (MP) and mishap wingman (MW) coordinated two simulated bomb attacks as a backup mission.
The first attack, which did not include any simulated defensive threat reactions, was executed without event. At 1948L, approximately 45 minutes after takeoff, the MP executed a threat reaction which culminated in a “last ditch” defensive maneuver. This occurred during post-attack egress on the second attack and initially resulted in the mishap aircraft (MA) entering a 45 degree
nose low, 90 degree left wing down, attitude. Approximately 12 seconds later, the MP transmitted he was spatially disoriented.
At the prompting of the MW to transition to internal aircraft instruments, the MP attempted a
recovery maneuver. The execution of the “last ditch” maneuver and follow on recovery maneuvers resulted in aural warnings and caution lights illuminating inside the aircraft, loss of all cultural lighting cues and discernible horizon outside the aircraft, and unusual aircraft attitudes, which together led to a high rate of descent and airspeed. The MP was spatially disoriented to the point where he believed that he could not recover the MA. At approximately 19:49:24L, the MP initiated ejection. The MP suffered fatal head and neck trauma during ejection. The MA was destroyed upon impact in the Adriatic Sea, approximately four miles from the ejection site. The loss of the MA and its associated property is valued at $28,396,157.42. There was no other damage to government or private property.
The Accident Investigation Board President found, by clear and convincing evidence, that the cause of the mishap was the MP’s failure to effectively recover from spatial disorientation, due to a combination of weather conditions, the MP’s use of NVGs, the MA’s attitude and high rate of speed, and the MP’s breakdown in visual scan. This led the MP to misjudge the imminent need to eject. The Board President also found, by clear and convincing evidence, that an immediate loss of the MP’s helmet upon the high-speed ejection, slack in the ejection seat harness, and a left yaw to the ejection seat as it left the MA, along with a 40 gravitational force snap back that followed the ejection seat’s drogue chute deployment, caused the MP’s injuries, which quickly resulted in his death."
Sources:
1. http://www.romagnanoi.it/news/italiaestero/740958/Caccia-F16-disperso-in-Adriatico.html
2. http://usaf.aib.law.af.mil/ExecSum2013/F-16CM%2C%20Cervia%20Italy%2C%2028%20Jan%2013%20Exec%20Sum.pdf
3. http://www.f-16.net/f-16-news-article4689.html
4. https://www.mlglf.org
5. http://www.f-16.net/aircraft-database/F-16/airframe-profile/2747/
6. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/29/us-usa-fighter-crash-idUSBRE90S0PM20130129
7. http://news.sky.com/story/1044225/missing-f-16-debris-found-off-italian-coast
8. http://web.archive.org/web/20140329023120/http://www.aviano.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123334566
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Jan-2013 18:03 | Black Typhoon | Added |
| 28-Jan-2013 18:05 | Black Typhoon | Updated [Time, Aircraft type] |
| 31-Jan-2013 14:10 | MarkStep | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 01-Sep-2013 22:54 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Time, Registration, Cn, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 01-Sep-2013 22:56 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Source] |
| 01-Dec-2013 19:43 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Source, Narrative] |
| 01-Dec-2013 19:44 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 01-Dec-2013 19:46 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 23-Feb-2021 09:46 | JEPA | Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Operator] |
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