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| Date: | Monday 11 December 2023 |
| Time: | 08:43 |
| Type: |  General Dynamics F-16CM Block 40C Fighting Falco |
| Owner/operator: | US Air Force (USAF), 8.FW, 35.FS |
| Registration: | 88-0479 |
| MSN: | 1C-81 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 81 nm W off Kunsan, South Korea [Yellow Sea] -
 South Korea
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Gunsan (Kunsan) Airport (KUV/RKJK) |
| Gunsan (Kunsan) Airport (KUV/RKJK) | |
| Investigating agency: | USAF AIB |
On 11 December 2023 at 08:23 hours local (L) time, the mishap pilot (MP) assigned to the 35th Fighter Squadron (FS), "Pantons", took off for a local training flight in mishap aircraft (MA) F-16CM, tail number (TIN) 88-0479, assigned to the 80th Fighter Generation Squadron (FGS), with both squadrons being assigned to the 8th Fighter Wing (FW), Kunsan Air Base (AB), Republic of Korea (ROK). At approximately 08:42L while transiting through the local training airspace, the MP ejected from the MA with no injuries. The MA impacted the water approximately 81 nautical miles (NM) west of Kunsan AB in the Yellow Sea and was destroyed.
The mishap flight was planned and authorized as a defensive counter air (DCA) training mission within the local training airspace. The MP was flying as number three of a formation of four F-16s. Observed conditions in the training areas were worse than forecasted, with dense cloud coverage throughout.
At approximately 08:37L, while transiting through the training airspace in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), in clouds, the MP lost the primary instrument that indicated where the horizon was relative to his aircraft, called an "attitude indicator". This instrument operates based on information provided by an embedded global positioning system inertial navigation system (EGI), which failed. The MP immediately transitioned to the only remaining attitude information available, the standby attitude indicator (SAi). Earlier in the flight, the MP observed slight pitch and bank errors on the SAi, increasing the difficulty of reconciling attitude from the SAi with the MA airspeed and attitude information, exacerbating overall disorientation.
With the help of a wingman flying in trail, communicating navigation and altitude information, the MP started a descent to expected cloud free sky based on briefed weather. Still in IMC at 3,000 ft mean sea level (MSL), the MP attempted to level off, but became further disoriented. The MP's confidence in the MA's attitude continued to decrease, now nearing the water, and the decision was made to eject.
The Board found, by a preponderance of evidence, the cause of the mishap was an EGI failure while in IMC.
The malfunctioning EGI led to a loss of primary flight and navigation instruments. The subsequent reliance of the MP on the MA's SAi, which previously displayed abnormal indications, and the spatial disorientation of the MP, substantially
contributed to the mishap.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2023/12/11/pilot-rescued-after-us-air-force-f-16-crashes-off-south-korean-coast/?sh=30647900187d
https://www.thedefensepost.com/2023/12/10/us-f16-crash-korea/
https://news.sky.com/story/us-pilot-safely-ejected-before-f-16-crashed-into-sea-off-south-korea-officials-say-13027898
USAF
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 11-Dec-2023 06:55 | gerard57 | Added |
| 11-Dec-2023 06:59 | Aerossurance | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 18-Dec-2023 12:57 | Sir olf | Updated [Aircraft type, ] |
| 28-Sep-2024 08:16 | ASN | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Location, Source, Narrative, Accident report, ] |
| 04-Jan-2025 11:28 | rvargast17 | Updated [Aircraft type, Cn, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, ] |
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