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| Date: | Wednesday 12 January 1983 |
| Time: | 11:33 |
| Type: |  General Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcon |
| Owner/operator: | 57th FWWg FWS USAF |
| Registration: | 80-0600 |
| MSN: | 61-321 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Alamo Training Area, near Nellis AFB, Nevada -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Nellis AFB, Nevada (LSV/KLSV) |
| Nellis AFB, Nevada (LSV/KLSV) |
On January 12, 1983, F-16A 80-0600, call sign "Cobra 32" piloted by Captain Peter L. Jones, departed Nellis AFB, Nevada at 11:12am as the wingman of a two ship flight. The mission was a Fighter Weapons School one-v-one continuation training sortie and was the first flight of the day for both pilots. While proceeding to the Alamo training area each pilot accomplished a system check.
Two offensive engagements were flown uneventful. The third engagement began from a four to five nautical mile butterfly set-up with number one turning to the south and number two turning to the north. They passed left to left 180 degrees out at 18,000 to 19,000 feet MSL and approximately 3,000 to 4,000 feet line abreast. Number one started a left climbing turn and noted "Cobra 32" begin a slice to the left. Number one increased his turn and observed a fireball as "Cobra 32" impacted the ground. The pilot was killed when he did not eject from his steeply diving aircraft
Per eyewitness report:
"This crash was was due to the early design of the G-Suit connector. It was a push in pull out disconnect. After this crash, all F-16's were fitted with a screw in type hose. Pete was a Captain and I.P with the FWW/FWS, Air to Air with the next commander of the FWS, (I don't remember his name, a Lt. Col.) They were mixing it up good when Pete's jet went strait and level. The aggressor broke it off, and came to assistance. Visually noted by the Col., "Pete was blacked out." (later determined that the G-Suit hose had become disconnected)Wing to wing, the Col. made radio transmissions calling," Pete wake up, wake up Pete ." Moments later turbulence bumped the jet, just enough to to cause Pete's arm to put pressure on the "Touch Stick".
The jet dived into the desert. Pete was a great Fighter Pilot and my friend. I was his Crew Chief and the only reason he was flying 80-0600 that day was 80-0531, our jet, ground aborted. I miss him , and sometimes think, if only my JFS doors would have opened that day, on our bird, the primary jet, things might have been different. His spare helmet sits on my desk, now some 20 years later, always of a reminder of what a great man he was. "
Sources:
1. http://www.f-16.net/aircraft-database/F-16/airframe-profile/739/
2. http://web.archive.org/web/20170306224555/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk:80/Aircraft_by_Type/F-16/USAF/f_16_USAF_80s.htm
3. http://joeidoni.smugmug.com/Aircraft-Crash-Sites/600/22207411_7qN5VR#!i=1773434543&k=PgL4Smj
4. http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1980.html
5. http://peacetime-casualties.findthedata.org/l/29852/Peter-L-Jones
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 04-Nov-2008 10:35 | ASN archive | Added |
| 02-Jan-2013 14:14 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 02-Jan-2013 14:14 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 02-Jan-2013 14:15 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 03-Jan-2013 17:25 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 03-Jan-2013 17:28 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 01-Sep-2013 23:44 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 30-Oct-2013 02:07 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 30-Oct-2013 02:15 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 04-Nov-2013 00:38 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Operator, ] |
| 17-Feb-2021 17:53 | Nepa | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Operator, ] |
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