ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 161879
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| Date: | Sunday 18 December 1988 |
| Time: | 12:20 |
| Type: |  General Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcon |
| Owner/operator: | 140 Sqn Israeli AF (IDF/AF) |
| Registration: | 015 |
| MSN: | 6W-7 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Judaean Desert, along the Jordan/Israel border -
 Israel
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Ramon AB, Israel (LLRM) |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Ex-USAF 78-0361, initially intended for delivery to Iran, but this was cancelled due to the 1979 revolution. Re-assigned to Israel, and delivered under FMS "Peace Marble I" on 2 July 1980. Crashed 18 December 1988: Lost due to bird strike over the Judaean Desert, along the Israel/Jordan border, whilst on a sortie from IAF/DF base at Ramon, Israel (LLRM). The pilot, Lt. Col. Rami Ben Efraim ejected, and was rescued.
Per contemporary report, roughly translated from Hebrew:
"Sunday windy and rainy, on 18 December 1988 at 12 noon, Lt Col Rami Ben-Efraim, (later Brigadier General) aircraft took off from flight training base Ramon. He was then a young pilot in his operational training, and was number two of a foursome, that flew over the Judaean desert at 800 mph. They then flew north along the border with Egypt, after 70 miles headed east, reached the border with Jordan and lowered to 200 feet above the surface.
He suddenly noticed a large black object heading to the canopy of the plane. He says: "At first I did not understand what it was about, then I spotted this bird. It was only later I found out that it was an eagle or large vulture, the wingspan of which reaches up to 2.30 meters. I was sure that the encounter between us was inevitable; I would collide with it, or it would collide into me.
Injury of both of us was prevented at the last second. He slipped on my left towards the wing. I felt a chill. I had a premonition. Suddenly I saw a second bird colliding with the canopy, just the same type. I thought that was it - I'm finished, but it did not break the canopy, but moved just below me to the engine intake; I did not hear anything. You sit protected in a bubble and listen to the silence surrounding you.
Suddenly I heard a huge explosion, and the motor squealed death, squeaks terrible and the noise of stopping. It was clear to me that the engine went. In that moment I knew I had to do two things quickly: soar - to move away from the ground, and report structure relationship. Within a moment I realized that it was something I could not do.
As the bird penetrated the engine, there was a broken blade fan. In the resulting power failure, the blade broke off and flew. When the blade passed through the engine into the shell fuselage - where it has caused damage to tanks of fuel and oil, causing acute lifting though.
Aircraft performed a loop in the air and then came circling. In such a situation the aircraft has to be abandoned. I had to use the ejection seat by pulling the lever located between my legs, which should be simple, but I could not make it. I went to Black-out. When that happens, you're flying with open eyes but do not see anything.
Lifting out of a nose dive manoeuvre means the performance of 17G, namely gravity of the Earth in relation to the plane and what is in it grows 17 times. In such a situation, a person weighing 70 kg, as doubles its weight from 17 to 1,200 pounds. Muscles are unable to deal with the situation, blood does not reach the eyes and brain and you may lose consciousness.
I tried desperately to bring my hands to the link ejection and pull, but I could not find the handle, that I lost sight. I could not raise my hands because of the load on them, which created a feeling of total paralysis. Terrible feeling of lack of control over your body. I was on the verge of fainting, but I knew that I should not lose consciousness.
At one point I managed to pull myself together, I noticed the ejection seat handle, but I could not drag my hand. Probably the face of death, the body does everything to survive. It was not clear from where I got the strength, suddenly I could drag one hand and pulled the ejection handle.
Lt. Col. Rami Ben Efraim abandoned his plane when it was upside down on its back and diving, at 30 degrees below the horizon and within 2 seconds. Luckily for him, the ejection seat rocket lifted him to a higher safe altitude, and he broke away from the chair and fell into a cliff river beds while the parachute dragged him face down. He dragged on rocky ground hundreds of metres due to strong wind. He was injured all over his body from the beating many nasty, watch glasses were broken and lost.
He managed to cut one buckle with the right hand as his left hand was paralysed. He dragged another 200 meters until he could lower the pressure suit. Within 30 minutes the Yasur helicopter and rescue team transferred him to the hospital. Fortunately, the injuries were superficial. Aircraft 015 was lost."
Sources:
1. [LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.sky-high.co.il/134771/]%D7%AA%D7%90%D7%95%D7%A0%D7%AA-%D7%A0%D7%A5-015
2. http://www.f-16.net/aircraft-database/F-16/airframe-profile/361/
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judean_Desert
4. http://web.archive.org/web/20100123081036/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk:80/Aircraft_by_Type/F-16/ISRAEL/f16_israel.htm
5. http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1978.html
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 04-Nov-2013 01:44 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 04-Nov-2013 01:53 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 05-Nov-2013 19:30 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location, Narrative] |
| 09-Nov-2014 07:30 | Holschtein | Updated [Operator] |
| 17-Feb-2021 18:16 | Nepa | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator] |
| 25-Feb-2021 11:47 | Anon. | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
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