Thunderbird Crash Cause

[mscard88]

https://www.defensetech.org/2017/11/03/f-16-thunderbirds-crash-resulted-wet-runway-wind/

(updated article, nothing really new)

 

[denverpilot]

“All weather fighter...”

 

[EppyGA]

In other words.......he screwed the pooch.

 

[deonb]

"The water had blurred his head-up display, known as the HUD, forcing him to rely on cockpit instruments."

Well, there's your problem!

 

[Velocity173]

Water outside, blurred his HUD inside?

 

[FlySince9]

“All weather fighter...”

But not an all-weather "lander," I guess...

 

[ARFlyer]

He got lucky according to a guy I flew with recently. He said most fighters, especially the Hornet, will most likely kill you if you flip. The canopy isn't designed to take the weight of the jet.

 

[mscard88]

That poor crew chief that went along for the fam flight got himself a ride to remember! At least they got airborne and he went flying.

 

[GlennAB1]

“All weather fighter...”

Not a ground fighter.

 

[mscard88]

Not a ground fighter.

Sure it is.

http://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104505/f-16-fighting-falcon/

 

[Craig]

Under certain circumstances, with high humidity and within a narrow temp band, it's possible to have the cockpit fill with dense fog for a brief time. If you remember back to the guy running off the runway at Oshkosh a few years back, you could see it form in his cockpit. When conditions were exactly right, I've seen it rain and gotten wet in an F-16 cockpit during an engine run.