Do we have any F16 drivers that follow this web? I'll try and post it as a "Click & Open" so wish me luck!

http://img.youtube.com/vi/LrTFElfXK-g/2.jpg
[[Looks like you'll have to do a Cut & Paste unless someone knows how and will reload it.]]


F16 Inhales Bird, Crashes

Amazing 45 second sequence. You may have to replay to see the bird that entered the engine. Go to large screen if you can. This is footage from the cockpit of an F-16. Cool reaction and professionalism of the two pilots, including cockpit transmission with video.

F-16 engine ingests bird after takeoff at Tyndall AFB. Think you might find it interesting to see a crash from the cockpit of an airplane. It is an instructor pilot in the rear and a student in the front seat of an F-16.

A "Bird Strike," as seen through the Heads Up Display (HUD). You can see the bird flash by just prior to impacting the engine. You can hear the aircraft voice warning system telling them they have a problem and referring to the "D-6 NL" which means there is no engine RPM. They made two attempts to relight the jet engine, but evidently there was too much damage from the bird strike and t hey had to eject.

These guys were very cool; note the heavy breathing... They certainly flew longer than one would expect before ejecting. Airspeed can be observed on the HUD's upper left corner. It goes down to the low 120's as they struggle to get the engine going again, but as the plane noses over and dives to earth it increases to at least 175 just before impact.

It just goes to show how quickly your day can go to pieces - 45 seconds from strike to ejection. All and all, not bad. They ran the Emergency Checklist, made two relight attempts, and picked out a plowed field for impact before ejecting.

You can follow the audio attached to it and hear the conversation between the pilot and instructor pilot and then the tower.

Including the pilot saying they were punching out. The tower didn't seem to completely understand it all, and missed the significance of the last transmission.

The towers last radio call, he's talking to an empty aircraft.

The video continues until impact, even after they both eject. A classic "buying the farm" as you can see the plow rows get bigger. A real nice job from the aircrew by keeping their cool and turning the aircraft away from populated areas. No one hurt and no one killed but the dirty bird did cost the Taxpayers a "few" million dollars!

Neat .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sa0q-cWlb8I

Those guys sue know how to keep their cool, I'd have been messing my shorts.

100% professional all the way.

Good video. Real pros.

Knowing nothing about jets I was confused as to why he could not have made it back to the runway.

Was it because he pitched up right after the bird strike and held it there before turning back or was it because of a low take-off angle to start with?

It seemed like he was focused on restarting the engine which is understandable.

He headed the jet towards a safe area a while trying to get a restart. Once he figured out that she was not going to relight he decided to jettison the aircraft. Nobody got hurt and no property was damaged besides a very replaceable paid for F-16.

He made 100% all of the right decisions in my opinion.

Making a 180 and trying to get back to runway simply isn't done in a high performance jet. These guys aren't thinking about saving the aircraft they are more focused on pointing it in a safe direction before punching out.

When you think about it heading it back towards the runway and possibly disabling your airfield isn't the best option in a combat readiness related environment.

Thanks for the explanation surestrike. What you say makes a lot of sense. I am sure those pilots are costly to train and wasting them for something that isn't likely to work anyway would be stupid.

My first impression was that he was suprised at the flame out - said Oh (or Oh S***8), let the nose drift up while trying to restart, the instructor at first said "come around the horn"??, then said he would fly the plane while the student was to try to restart, the instructor turned 180 or nearly 180 back toward the runway, leveled out (and when it was apparent that they were not going to make it) commanded eject.

I thought they were trying to make the airport.

Obviously an F16 does not glide like my little bird.

All my life, I was trained to land straight ahead with an engine failure in a SE on takeoff. Depending on your altitude, a 180 might be safely executed, but it's highly unlikely. A whole lot of people have been killed trying. Stall/spin is the usual result.

quote:

Originally posted by Palmer:

My first impression was that he was suprised at the flame out - said Oh (or Oh S***8), let the nose drift up while trying to restart,

I would guess he pitched the nose up to trade airspeed for altitude giving him some time to sort things out.

That is what I'd have done.

Interesting link to the incident:

http://www.check-six.com/Crash_Sites/CFHawk-MooseJaw.htm

And FSI report:

http://www.check-six.com/images/MooseJaw/ct155202-eng.pdf

Just under 30 years ago, when I was a Crew Chief on the USAF's first F-16A, block 5, aircraft, I witnessed an almost identical incident with a very different ending. I was stationed at McDill AFB, in Tampa FL, where the 56 TFTW was the first RTU for F-16 pilots. One day a "B" model with student in front and IP in back was doing approaches, and I just happened to be looking towards the runway, AC parking ramp was parallel with and only a couple hundred yards away, when this jet, at about 250 knots and 200 feet altitude sucked in a Pelican right as he reached the overrun. I saw a big fireball exit the tailpipe and watched as the aircraft pitched up and entered a 180-degree turn, gear dropped and the aircraft safely touched down on the runway. Investigation showed that the instant the Pelican went down the intake the IP said "I got it" and took control. Only loss was the engine, an access panel on the side of the fuselage where a piece of the compressor exited the AC, and a couple of soiled flightsuits. Amazing piece of airmanship to witness.

I saw a video of an F16 land with no power. It is possible. But frankly these guys are all pro's and don't need to be second guessed. A good pilot is worth more then an airplane.

If you thought I was second guessing the pilot's decision to eject I was ineffective in my communication; I'm certain he did the right thing. I was a senior mechanic on F-16s and then an Aircraft Maintenance Officer working F-4Es, F-15A,B C, D and E aircraft. I have over 20 years experience on these aircraft and was merely relating something I saw long ago.

And, not all these (those) pilots are pros; many are absolute jackasses who's egos write checks their skills can't cash, but fortunately for us most certainly are very professional.

back in the day, while stationed at Hahn AFB, FRG, i heard a bailout as it happened (over the radio in the Wing Ops Center)- a very sobering exchange in real time. the pilots i knew used to affectionately refer to an unpowered fighting falcon as "the F16 lawn dart"