Released: April 7, 2003
F-16 accident report released
LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (ACCNS) -- Air Force investigators have
released the cause of the crash of a U.S. Air Force Reserve F-16C on the Utah
Test and Training Range on Nov. 13, 2002.
According to an Air Combat Command Accident Investigation Board report
released April 7, investigators determined the primary cause of the collision
was the pilot's loss of situational awareness, resulting from channelized
attention and an optical illusion caused by unusual environmental conditions.
Channelized attention occurs when the pilot focuses his attention exclusively
on one element of the environment, unintentionally disregarding other
important information.
The white salt flat covering the range was covered by two to three inches of
clear, calm water, which created a mirror between the ground and the sky. The
mirror effect gave the pilot the illusion that he had unlimited maneuvering
space when in fact his aircraft was close to the ground.
The pilot died as a result of the crash. The aircraft, which was assigned to
the 466th Fighter Squadron, based at Hill AFB, Utah, was destroyed upon
impact. The cost of the accident is estimated at $25.4 million.
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