ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 46622
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Wednesday 3 April 1991 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  General Dynamics F-16A |
| Owner/operator: | 119th FIS, 177th FIW, New Jersey ANG, USAF |
| Registration: | 81-0758 |
| MSN: | 61-439 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Atlantic Ocean, 60 miles SE of Atlantic City, New Jersey -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Atlantic City ANGB, New Jersey (ACY/KACY) |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
F-16A 81-0758 of the 119th FIS, 177th FIW, New Jersey Air National Guard, USAF was written off on April 3rd 1991 when it crashed into Atlantic Ocean 50 miles south east of Atlantic City, New Jersey. The pilot, Major Robert Dean Ashenfelter, was missing and is presumed dead. The flight was a training mission with three other F-16s.
Per the following extract from contemporary newspaper reports:
"New Jersey officials said an accident investigation team, led by a colonel from the Tactical Air Command at Bergstrom Air Force Base in Texas, would begin convening today. Such inquiries usually take one to four weeks, said Roman M. Martyniuk, spokesman for the state Department of the Military and Veterans Affairs.
Ashenfelter, who worked as a commercial pilot for USAir and flew an F-16 fighter jet for the New Jersey Air National Guard, was on a routine training mission, flying about 450 knots - roughly 515 m.p.h. - when he crashed into the ocean 60 miles southeast of Atlantic City, officials said.
The cause is still unknown, Martyniuk said there was "no distress signal, no indication that there was any problem" before the crash, which was seen by another F-16 pilot.
Ashenfelter did not eject from his plane, and his remains were found among the plane's debris Tuesday, said Capt. Joan F. Searfoss, a spokeswoman for the Pomona-based 177th Fighter Interceptor Group, nicknamed the Jersey Devils.
Searfoss said that the $16 million jet came to rest in 180 feet of water - just under the maximum for recovery dives - and that it would be up to the investigation team to decide whether to attempt a recovery."
Members of Ashenfelter's family said they were told by officials that he was piloting the lead plane in a two-plane formation. His wife said he was approaching a "target" plane, about 1,000 feet above the water, when he ''pretty much went nose down." The second pilot tried to communicate but got no response, family members said.
Sources:
1. http://www.f-16.net/aircraft-database/F-16/airframe-profile/1099/
2. http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1981.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. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/177th_Fighter_Wing
5. http://peacetime-casualties.findthedata.org/l/6315/Robert-Dean-Ashenfelter
6. http://articles.philly.com/1991-04-04/news/25778089_1_training-mission-jersey-air-national-guard-f-16
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 04-Nov-2008 10:35 | ASN archive | Added |
| 07-Nov-2013 19:57 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation