ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 46562
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| Date: | Thursday 17 December 1992 |
| Time: | c. 14:39 loc |
| Type: |  General Dynamics F-16A |
| Owner/operator: | 704th FS, 924th FG, USAF |
| Registration: | 83-1078 |
| MSN: | 61-631 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | 5 miles ESE of the Dixie Gunnery Range, 77 miles S of San Antonio, Tex -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Bergstrom AFB, Texas (AUS/KAUS) |
| Bergstrom AFB, Texas (AUS/KAUS) | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Written off when crashed December 17 1992: Ingested a bird while en route to the Dixie Gunnery Ranger from Bergstrom AFB, Texas. Pilot pulled up to gain altitude, but wingman said to eject when he saw fire in the engine. Pilot ejected safely.
Per the following extract (albeit redacted/censored) from the official USAF inquiry into the incident:
"Outlaw 12, Lt Col Jimmie G. Mills, was number two of a two-ship flight of F-16As which departed Bergstrom AFB, at 14:21 hours on 17 December 1992. The flight leader of this two-ship, was Lt Col Henry L. Graves, using the call sign Outlaw 11.
This particular flight was one of a series of training flights designed to transition Lt Col Mills from F-16C models to F-16A models. Lt Col Mills had flown F-16Cs at his previous base; reassignment to Bergstrom necessitated his transition to F-16As. The mission was planned as a practice bombing sortie.
The two F-16As took off and flew south-west from Austin and passed over San Antonio at 21,000 feet. From there, the two-ship proceeded south and descended to enter the Dixie Gunnery Range located 77 miles south of San Antonio. As Lt Col Mills passed over the target to enter the bombing pattern, he struck a bird and felt his engine shudder.
The bird, a Red Tailed Hawk (Genus and Species: Buteo Jamaicensis), weighed approximately 2.5 pounds and was ingested by the engine. Subsequently, a nearly instantaneous and catastrophic engine failure and fire occurred. During this time frame, the pilot reacted to multiple warning and caution lights in his cockpit as well as directions from his flight leader.
He turned 20 degrees right to avoid a hunting lodge off his nose and to head directly toward the nearest landing field, 40 miles east-south-east. Cockpit fire warnings were visually confirmed as Outlaw 11 and Outlaw 12 both observed smoke and flames coming from Outlaw 12's aircraft.
Following this 30 to 45 second period, which included a climb and several radio calls, Outlaw 11 directed, "Outlaw 12, you are still on fire. Recommend you get out [eject]." Lt Col Mills then ejected. The still-burning aircraft turned about 72 degrees further right, rolled beyond inverted, and impacted at approximately 25 degrees nose low. Impact position was five statute miles east-south-east of the Dixie Range bombing circle and one-half statute mile south-south-west of the hunting lodge."
Sources:
1. http://www.f-16.net/aircraft-database/F-16/airframe-profile/1408/
2. http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1983.html
3. http://web.archive.org/web/20170218120105/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk:80/Aircraft_by_Type/F-16/USAF/f_16_USAF_90s.htm
4. http://pbadupws.nrc.gov/docs/ML0302/ML030220069.pdf
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 04-Nov-2008 10:35 | ASN archive | Added |
| 10-Nov-2013 00:36 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 10-Nov-2013 00:38 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Narrative] |
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