F-16 ace pilots a Cessna 150 in south carolina

[Maverick]

I'm going to wait for the investigation to be completed to see what transpired. The rest of you folks can continue to make decisions and assess blame based on the "reports" of some guy paid to spew words who might be able to recognize a plane 1 out of 3 times. 

[mbailey]

based on the "reports" of some guy paid to spew words who might be able to recognize a plane 1 out of 3 times. 

Yea, I think your still giving him way to much credit... 

[Dichotomy]

More tragedy for the family.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/07/08/cessna-f16-victims/29861975/

oh jeez those poor people.  My heart goes out to them

[Puma44]

All I'm saying is this pretty much has to come down to human error.   In my biased and ignorant estimation, given the circumstances, it's most likely that the F-16 pilot (or his controllers) fouled up.  I see this as akin to a Ferrari running down pedestrian.

Perhaps if you had some real world experience, the associated appreciation for the relative closure rates, and the visibility limitations (without a big red icon) spotting opposing traffic with ground background, and perhaps some typical haze in that part of the country, you'd have a different and less judgmental opinion.

[morfiend]

I'm going to wait for the investigation to be completed to see what transpired. The rest of you folks can continue to make decisions and assess blame based on the "reports" of some guy paid to spew words who might be able to recognize a plane 1 out of 3 times. 

   Agreed,pretty sure the F16 driver would have done anything to avoid having to use the booster seat!


     

[Puma44]

Spot on, Morf!   

[cpxxx]

You really do have to  be a real world pilot to understand how difficult to see and avoid at times. Even when you're under radar control and the controller gives you a heads up on conflicting aircraft. Quite often you never see them. I've been in a formation flight where I've lost sight of the other aircraft and never managed to see it again.

Add in hazy conditions, blind spots, poor radar coverage at low level and high closing speeds and it's surprising it doesn't happen more often. In Scotland once, we were in a C182 when we were warned of two A10s at 12 o'clock but clear and below us. Three of us onboard and none of us saw them.

As a skydive pilot flying in uncontrolled airspace, seeing and avoiding other aircraft is vital but several times I've been taken by surprise when someone comes out of nowhere, including military.

So I'm not inclined to rush to  judgement on another pilot unless the report points the finger at his carelessness.

Wait for the report.

[BFOOT1]

http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/07/us/south-carolina-aircraft-incident/index.html

My guess is this is probably some fresh faced national guard n00b who thought "Hey, buzzing this Cessna should be hilarious".

The only way I could think of the Cessna being at fault was if he was in airspace he shouldn't have been in (i.e. close to the Viper's base during his takeoff or landing pattern).  However the crash site was ~75 miles from the base so that's ruled out.  Anyone else care to hazard a guess.

How did the F-16 NOT see the Cessna either visually or on radar, it pretty much had to come from right in front of him seeing how the F-16 is stalling out at the top speed of the cessna

The pilot was Major Aaron Johnson, a pilot with the 20th Operations Group, he defiantly wasn't a 'noob' pilot. I was with my family on vacation and we saw him doing touch and go's from Myrtle Beach Airport and he was showing off to. Was fun to watch him buzz the beach, I hate this happened.

[Oldman731]

You really do have to  be a real world pilot to understand how difficult to see and avoid at times.

Heh.  Try making that argument in one of the limited-icons discussions.

- oldman (Hey, I can count the windows on a 767 10 miles away!)

[DaveBB]

In-cockpit distractions could have be occurring in both aircraft. Stranger things have happened. An F-86 collided with a tanker over the Atlantic in the 50s.  The pilot was intercepting the tanker using his radar.  He became so focused on his radar that he flew right into the tail of the tanker, destroying his aircraft and forcing him to eject.  Never took his eyes off his radar.  Watched the interview with him.

[Serenity]

I'm gonna jump in with Eagl and say the OP is being pretty ignorant.

We've got TCAS on the T-6B, and even with a TCAS hit, and a controller heads up, I'd say at least 25% of the time I can never even find the traffic visually, I just have to trust the two outside sources to steer clear. Also, immediately blaming the F-16 is pretty ridiculous as we don't know where the Cessna was. Just the other day we had a local Cessna hanging out over our return point by NASWF. He was JUST outside controlled airspace, no transponder (ATC didn't get him) and circling over the spot where a T-6B passes by at 240kts at least every 3 minutes...

[eagl]

I've had a few close passes near Sheppard AFB with cessnas skirting the 5mn ring around the base.  They'll fly right at 5nm at 1000-1500' AGL to ensure they're a conflict with both T-38 and T-6 VFR traffic entering the pattern at a rate of 1 every 3 minutes (on average), as well as being a conflict with inbound instrument approaches.  T-38s fly instrument approaches a lot faster than civilian aircraft including airliners, so there is a tendency for civilians to be surprised at how fast T-38s show up at the FAF and start descending.

At least most of the local cropdusters and powerline/pipeline inspection aircraft know what we do, and stay well out of our way.  Those guys do have to operate within the 5nm ring routinely, but they're below 500' the whole time so we'll get a callout from the tower or RSU controller and just keep an eye out for them in case they have to deviate from their normal route or altitude for some reason.  Its the new guy or someone unfamiliar with the local traffic who causes the most conflicts.

[kappa]

I'm gonna jump in with Eagl and say the OP is being pretty ignorant.

We've got TCAS on the T-6B, and even with a TCAS hit, and a controller heads up, I'd say at least 25% of the time I can never even find the traffic visually, I just have to trust the two outside sources to steer clear. Also, immediately blaming the F-16 is pretty ridiculous as we don't know where the Cessna was. Just the other day we had a local Cessna hanging out over our return point by NASWF. He was JUST outside controlled airspace, no transponder (ATC didn't get him) and circling over the spot where a T-6B passes by at 240kts at least every 3 minutes...

I grew up ~15miles from NASWF..  Was T-6 Texans then though I believe? 8)

[Serenity]

I grew up ~15miles from NASWF..  Was T-6 Texans then though I believe? 8)

The OLD Texans! They seem to REALLY like recycling that name and number lol.

[Maverick]

Up date and preliminary report from NTSB.  http://news.yahoo.com/why-f-16-hit-cessna-more-upbeat-updates-065400382.html

ATC tried to get the 16 to avoid the Cessna.